NEWS OF THE WEEK
On Thursday (February 4), Obama attended his last annual National Prayer Breakfast as president. He gave what some observers called his “most Christian” address to date. Speaking on the theme of fear, Obama said he has experienced many times of … More
Religious leaders are among those grappling with how best to respond to the Zika virus, which is rapidly spreading throughout Latin America. The World Health Organization has declared the virus a global public health emergency. Experts have linked the virus … More
Ahead of his upcoming trip to Mexico, Pope Francis denounced corruption, violence and drug-trafficking there. In a video message, he said Mexico was living in its own type of war, and he would use his visit to pray for the … More
Israel’s government has announced it will allow non-Orthodox Jewish prayer at Jerusalem’s Western Wall. The government said it plans to build a $9 million plaza for mixed-gender prayer at the wall. The plaza will be next to the Orthodox prayer … More
In Rome this week, thousands of pilgrims have been filing in to view the relics of the hugely popular Saint Padre Pio. The twentieth-century Capuchin monk was known for his mysticism and the miracles he performed. Pope Francis had asked … More
This coming week marks the lunar New Year (February 8) for the Chinese and many other Asian cultures. This will be the Year of the Monkey. Western Christians begin observing Lent, the season of preparation leading up to Easter. On … More
In the final push to next week’s Iowa caucuses, presidential hopefuls have been reaching out to the religious community, and the religious community has been reaching out to them. Muslim and interfaith leaders sent an open letter to Iowa voters … More
President Obama announced new executive actions to ban solitary confinement for juveniles in federal prisons and to make the maximum period a first-time offender could be put in solitary 60 days, rather than 365 days. A broad faith-based coalition has … More
This week (January 26) Pope Francis met with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at the Vatican. The two discussed issues including the recent nuclear deal and religious freedom. The Shiite cleric asked Francis to pray for him. The pope also held … More
International Islamic religious leaders, scholars, and government officials have released a new declaration calling for the protection of religious minorities in Muslim nations. The declaration was hammered out during a meeting (January 25-27) in Marrakesh, Morocco. It lists a series … More
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