NEWS OF THE WEEK
The pope took time for a special audience this week with the Harlem Globetrotters. The Globetrotters made Francis the ninth honorary member of their team, and they even taught him a few tricks. In 2000, the team conferred the same … More
Muslims observe Lailat al Miraj (May 14-15). The holiday recalls the Prophet Muhammad’s journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and his ascension from Haram al-Sharif, the Dome of the Rock, to heaven, where he received the command from Allah that Muslims … More
This week faith leaders continued appealing for calm in the wake of the Baltimore riots that were triggered by the death of Freddie Grey. He was a 25-year-old black man who died after suffering a spinal injury while in police … More
Faith-based humanitarian groups continued rushing aid to Nepal following the devastating earthquake in that country that killed at least 6200 people. Catholic Relief Services and World Vision were among those delivering supplies to the worst-affected areas, but accessing remote villages has … More
At the Vatican, at a conference on environmental issues, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon called fighting climate change “an urgent moral imperative.” He also met privately with Pope Francis, who will release an encyclical on climate change in the next … More
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom released its annual report documenting the worst religious freedom offenders around the world. The independent body recommended that the State Department add eight more nations to its list of countries in which religious … More
In Pennsylvania, the first U.S. Catholic church official convicted in the clergy sex abuse scandal was ordered back to prison this week. Monsignor William Lynn was convicted in 2012 for his role in covering up sex abuses by priests he … More
Sister Mary Ann Walsh died this week (April 28) at the age of 68. She was a journalist and a longtime spokesperson for the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. She was known for her tough yet friendly ways of dealing … More
There have been sharp new moral questions this week about America’s use of weaponized drones in the war against terror. President Obama acknowledged that three Americans, one of them a hostage, were killed in US drone strikes against al-Qaeda. Two … More
Global leaders sought new solutions after nearly a thousand migrants drowned last week while trying to cross the Mediterranean and find refuge in Europe. So far this year almost 21,000 migrants—most of them from the Middle East and Africa—have attempted … More
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