NEWS OF THE WEEK
The Vatican announced this week that it has placed under house arrest a former archbishop accused of sex crimes against children. Sixty-six-year-old Jozef Wesolowski was defrocked in June for sexually abusing boys in the Dominican Republic while serving there as … More
The Episcopal Church’s Presiding Bishop, Katharine Jefferts Schori, announced this week that she will not seek a second term. She was elected presiding bishop in 2006, the first woman to hold that position. Schori would have been eligible for reelection, … More
The holiest time on the Jewish calendar began this week with Rosh Hashanah, the New Year. The high holidays end next week with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement (October 3-4). Hindus began celebrating Navaratri, a nine-day festival honoring their … More
Warning that West Africa’s Ebola crisis is “spiraling out of control,” President Obama this week announced a ramped-up US response, including the deployment of 3,000 American troops, to fight the deadly disease. The military will help distribute supplies, build new … More
The US and other world powers continued to debate how to confront Islamic State militants, or ISIS. Leaders from 30 countries, including 10 Arab states, convened in Paris and pledged to help Iraq fight ISIS by any means necessary. US … More
Canon Andrew White, the Anglican Vicar of Baghdad, received the Anne Frank Special Recognition Award for his efforts to promote reconciliation and religious tolerance in Iraq. He raised concerns about atrocities committed by ISIS, especially the group’s persecution of Christians. … More
Rabbi David Saperstein, longtime director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, received the Anne Frank Award for Human Dignity and Tolerance. Saperstein was recently nominated by President Obama to be the new Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom. Several … More
Pope Francis this week strongly condemned what he called “indifference” to the madness of war. Marking the 100th anniversary of World War I, Francis visited a northern Italy memorial where more than 100,000 soldiers are buried. He said the many … More
At St. Peter’s Basilica last Sunday (September 14) Pope Francis married 20 couples, including some who have children together or who cohabited before marriage. Francis highlighted the beauty of marriage, although he said married life can be “burdensome, and often, … More
Hindus around the world celebrate Navaratri. The nine-day festival honors the female deity Durga. The festival ends with a celebration of Lord Rama. The Jewish High Holidays begin at sundown on Wednesday (September 24) with Rosh Hashanah, the New Year, … More
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