NEWS OF THE WEEK
A major milestone in the Orthodox Jewish tradition: For the first time, three Orthodox women were ordained as clergy. They were not given the title “rabbi,” but rather will be called maharat, a Hebrew acronym for leader of Jewish law, … More
At the Vatican, Pope Francis marked 100 days since becoming pope and celebrated another milestone: the 110th anniversary of Harley Davidson motorcycles. The pope blessed thousands of bikes and their riders and, in return, was given two white Harleys for … More
This was a week of Capitol Hill testimony and widespread debate over the government’s massive surveillance of phone calls and internet activity. One key question was how to find the right balance between protecting citizens’ privacy and assuring national security. … More
Religious groups were active on several policy issues this week. As the full Senate began debate on immigration reform, prominent clergy joined President Obama at the White House to push for quick passage of the legislation. Faith leaders from a … More
The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) held its annual meeting this week (June 11-12) in Houston. Among many measures, delegates passed a resolution opposing the recent Boy Scouts decision to allow openly gay scouts. The resolution vowed to stand with churches … More
Many conservative Christian activists are already gearing up for the 2014 and 2016 elections. The Faith and Freedom Coalition held a meeting in Washington to rally supporters and promote new get-out-the vote projects. The group heard from several Republican politicians … More
In North Carolina, moderate and liberal religious leaders have been flexing their political muscle in a series of protests they call “Moral Mondays.” Over the past two months, more than 300 people have been arrested in acts of civil disobedience … More
As leaders of the Group of Eight industrialized nations prepare to meet in Northern Ireland next week, faith-based organizations urged them to consider how their policies affect the poor. At a Washington briefing, aid group leaders highlighted concerns including the … More
As Pope Francis gets ready to mark the first 100 days of his papacy, he met on Friday (June 14) with Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who is about to mark his first 100 days as leader of the Anglican … More
Growing humanitarian concerns this week about the situation in Syria: United Nations investigators reported “new levels of brutality” from both sides in Syria’s more than two-year-long conflict. The report documented systematic imposition of sieges, the use of chemical agents, and … More
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