In what seems to be an act of surprising confidence and agreement, the College of Cardinals came to quick agreement on the second day of this week’s papal Conclave to launch white smoke from the Sistine chapel. Thousands gathered outside…
The president stands at the gate of heaven and St. Peter says …
Many Americans watched the funeral coverage of Pope Francis with chagrin, noting the bright blue suit of the president of these United States, which stood out sharply from the prescribed black clothing of other dignitaries who had come to mourn…
Catholic Right Support isn’t the Only Reason Trump Believes He Can Get Away with Mockery of Catholicism
Last week, just days after Pope Francis was laid to rest in Rome, Trump was asked by reporters if he had anyone in mind for the next pope. His answer: “I’d like to be pope.
Dividing lines at Catholic Conclave may be different than you expect
The process of choosing a successor for the late Pope Francis will certainly include maneuvering by conservative and progressive elements in the Catholic Church, but with little if any of the zero-sum scheming common among bitterly divided U.S. denominations, Vatican…
Mr. Trump goes to Rome
Most of the time, when people say, “Just joking,” they’re not joking at all. Often, we use “just joking” as a cover when we’ve trotted out ideas we know will be controversial or hurtful but we want to say them…
What The Roman Catholic Church needs is a wholesale reset, not a new Pope
The death of Pope Francis, after a very public diminishment, closes a signal chapter in Catholic history with absolutely no certainty about who or what comes next. Rather than reflexively corralling the cardinals into a Conclave to elect his successor,…
Longing for tradition: The example of Pope Francis and the Latin Mass and what it means for non-Catholics
About two months ago, Pope Francis issued a statement that many readers of Baptist News Global may not have noticed. In Traditionis Custodes, the pope limited the use of what is commonly called “the Latin Mass” or “traditional Latin Mass”…
Church ‘religious exemption’ letters against COVID vaccination mandates likely won’t work
Churches in California and North Carolina are among those now offering congregants documentation for “religious exemptions” to the COVID-19 vaccine, a practice that is legally dubious and likely ineffective, according to labor lawyers. The practice has arisen as more employers…
Religion Notes: Baptists hear warning from pope during Vatican meeting
-Baptists hold dialogue with Pope Francis
-Prayers for national healing
-Bestselling author to lecture at McAfee
Franklin Graham, Pope Francis promote veganism — but for very different reasons
For some Christians, going vegan may be a sudden thing after attending a church talk about factory farming and animal cruelty. Like Paul on the road to Damascus, they are struck with a life-changing conviction — this one to give up…
The Pope needs to do more than kiss the disabled
There’s a long history of disability serving only as an opportunity for non-disabled people to demonstrate their piety through service, a “charity model” that ultimately still promotes otherness and exclusion.
Reflections on the pope’s resignation
Today was a good day, the kind of day that someone like me, an academician, would consider an ideal day. After completing my morning chores, I headed to the library of one of the local Catholic seminaries to get immersed…