NEWS OF THE WEEK
The United Nations reports the number of Syrian refugees has reached 1.5 million. More than 10,000 people are fleeing the violence every day. Meanwhile, the two Orthodox archbishops, kidnapped in Syria one month ago, remain missing. The Greek Orthodox and … More
At the Vatican this week, Pope Francis expressed an open attitude towards members of other faiths and nonbelievers. The pope said all people, including atheists, are capable of good. He told Catholics to accept those who have different beliefs and … More
This weekend, Buddhists celebrate Buddha Day, when they mark the birth, spiritual awakening, and death of the historical Buddha. On Wednesday (May 29), Baha’is observe the anniversary of the Ascension of Bahaullah, the founder of the Baha’i faith. The day … More
Some conservative Christian groups said they were among those targeted by the IRS, amid the growing controversy over reports the agency discriminated against politically conservative groups. Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham, said his relief organization, Samaritan’s Purse, and the … More
A breakthrough in cloning human embryos is raising new ethical concerns. Employing the same technique used to clone animals, scientists at Oregon Health and Science University for the first time were able to remove stem cells from a cloned human … More
Minnesota has joined the growing number of states that recognize same-sex marriage. It is the third state to do so in the past month, following Rhode Island and Delaware. Same-sex marriage is now legal in 12 states and the District … More
Next week in Dallas (May 22-24, 2013), the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America, with about 1400 voting members, will decide on whether to change its policy and admit openly gay scouts under the age of 18. But … More
The war in Syria was the major topic of conversation this week as President Obama met with the Turkish prime minister in Washington. Turkey has taken in more than 400,000 Syrian refugees since the conflict began. The United Nations said … More
The Vatican reports that over a recent ten-year period, the number of Catholics in the world increased by 1.5 percent. As of 2011, the Catholic population was just over 1.2 billion. Growth has dropped in Europe and the US but … More
Pope Francis this week charged that certain policies of the global financial system are tyrannizing the poor. In a speech to new ambassadors to the Vatican, Francis warned against a “cult of money.” He said money should serve and not … More
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