Jorge Mario Bergoglio was 17 years old when he first received his vocation to become a priest. It happened on Sept. 21, 1953 – the beginning of spring in Buenos Aires – during a spontaneous visit to the confessional, or…
What Your Anxiety Needs This Christmas
Last Sunday, I took a break from the apocalypse to focus on Christmas.
Oklahoma Proposes Chilling New Rule For Immigrant Children
The Oklahoma State Department of Education proposed a new administrative rule on Tuesday that would require school districts to collect data on undocumented students in the state.
Injunction halts New Jersey constitutional provision barring taxpayer funding for building or repairing houses of worship
Surveying recent U.S. Supreme Court cases involving questions about state funding of religion, federal judge Evelyn Padin reached a conclusion that should concern anyone who believes in religious freedom for all. “The ‘play in the joints’” historically afforded to states…
Pennsylvania’s Bethlehem: The city founded by Moravians on Christmas eve keeps its traditions alive
On Christmas Eve in 1741, Moravian settlers named this Pennsylvania city after the biblical birthplace of Jesus. Nearly 300 years later, Moravians continue celebrating their Christmas season traditions in Bethlehem.
Nigeria’s Christians Await Christmas Amid Fear Of Repeat Violence
Christians in Nigeria plan to celebrate Christmas amid fear of a repeat of violence that claimed at least 160 lives in Nigeria’s Middle Belt at Christmastime in 2023 and dozens in northern Nigeria during the holidays in 2022, international religious…
The Jewish leader taking on Christian nationalism
For decades, Americans United for Separation of Church and State called its adversaries “religious extremists.” Today, the group has a more specific target: fighting Christian nationalism.
The Orphan Care Movement Grows Up
Some 20 years back, a remarkable resurgence of care for orphans began. It united believers across the US and beyond who longed to renew the age-old Christian commitment to children on the margins, from international adoption to local foster care….
Sotheby’s to auction off ancient Ten Commandments tablet
One of the earliest tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments is scheduled to go up for auction at Sotheby’s on Wednesday. The auctioneer says it’s a rare example of a complete tablet dating to C.E. 300-800.