NEWS OF THE WEEK
Final preparations are underway in Washington, D.C. for the second inauguration of Barack Obama, taking place on Monday (January 21), Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The benediction will now be given by the Reverend Luis Leon of St. John’s Episcopal … More
This week, many religious groups praised President Obama’s newly announced measures to try to reduce gun violence, particularly his call for mandatory background checks and a ban on assault weapons. Vice President Biden said the nation has a “moral obligation” … More
Christian groups ramped up their push for immigration reform. At a media event in Washington, speakers sat at a table with empty chairs meant to represent deported family members of immigrants living here. Meanwhile, evangelical leaders launched a campaign they … More
Amid a particularly bad flu season, some congregations are making changes to their worship services to try to prevent spreading the illness. In some Catholic dioceses, priests have been allowed to stop offering wine from the communal chalice. Congregants were … More
This weekend (January 19-20), some Eastern Orthodox Christians, including members of Coptic and Russian churches, celebrate Epiphany, the day they mark the baptism of Jesus. The world’s largest religious festival got underway in India this week. Watch our report on … More
Religious leaders were among those who met with Vice President Joe Biden this week in a series of White House meetings on gun control. According to one clergy member present at the meeting, they spoke of the moral requirement to … More
Jewish groups were divided over President Obama’s pick of former Republican senator Chuck Hagel for secretary of defense. In the past, Hagel was heavily criticized for comments he made about “Jewish lobby” in Washington and for positions he took on … More
Plans are being completed for President Obama’s second inaugural, but controversy has already prompted a change. Atlanta evangelical pastor Louie Giglio was selected to give the benediction, but he bowed out after some activist groups criticized a sermon he gave … More
Washington’s National Cathedral announced this week that it will begin performing same-sex marriages, effective immediately. The Cathedral’s dean, Gary Hall, admitted that gay marriage is a point of disagreement but called the decision an effort to fully include gays and … More
In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, some religious groups are pushing Congress to add houses of worship to the list of organizations that can receive grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Currently, houses of worship are not eligible … More
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