NEWS OF THE WEEK
In Egypt, Coptic Christians mourned the victims of a deadly drive-by shooting this week at a Cairo church. Masked gunmen killed four people, including two young girls. The U.S. and international human rights groups condemned that shooting as well as … More
Despite hopes for an immediate change, the Vatican’s chief official for doctrine this week reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s traditional teaching banning communion for divorced Catholics who remarry. In an article for the Vatican newspaper, Archbishop Gerhard Mueller said those Catholics … More
A central theme of Francis’s papacy has been his insistence on simplicity, not exactly the lifestyle displayed by the Bishop of Limburg in Germany. He is Franz-Peter Tebarz-van Elst, often described as the “luxury bishop” or “Bishop Bling-Bling.” He commissioned … More
The US has a new ambassador to the Vatican. Former Catholic Relief Services president Ken Hackett presented his diplomatic credentials to Francis on Monday (October 21). The post had been vacant for about a year.
This week at the Capitol, a Catholic campaign to highlight the importance of children’s education: “The Fighting for Our Children’s Future National Bus Tour” is traveling the country to raise awareness about the need for quality K-12 education and the … More
The baptism this week of an heir to the British throne: Three-month-old Prince George was christened by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who urged more parents to christen their babies as a way of “bringing God” into the family. If … More
A new survey from the Christian research organization Barna Group confirms that technology continues to shape the spiritual practices of millennials—young people 18 to 29. According to Barna, 70 percent of practicing Christian millennials read scripture on a screen, such … More
This week, Protestants observe Reformation Sunday (October 27), which recalls the day in 1517 when Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to a church door in Wittenberg. November 1 is All Saints Day, when Christians honor martyrs and saints, followed … More
Religious groups were among those welcoming this week’s deal that raised the debt ceiling and ended the federal government shutdown. For weeks, a broad range of faith-based groups actively lobbied Congress to consider the toll the crisis was taking on … More
The annual Muslim pilgrimage or hajj came to a close this week. Although 3 million pilgrims were expected in Mecca, less than half that many actually attended due to fears of a deadly virus called the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, … More
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