Catholic celibacy rules should be loosened, cardinal says
A cardinal in Germany has advocated loosening celibacy rules for Catholic priests.
Jewish leaders mark first Sabbath since Texas synagogue hostage siege
Jewish leaders marked the first Sabbath since last weekend's hostage-taking at Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, with a show of defiance against it and other acts of antisemitism.
Thich Nhat Hanh, Buddhist monk, dies at 95
Thich Nhat Hanh, the revered Zen Buddhist monk who helped spread the practice of mindfulness in the West and socially engaged Buddhism in the East, has died. He was 95.
Pope Francis baptizes 16 babies in Sistine Chapel after pandemic break
Pope Francis baptized 16 babies in the Sistine Chapel Sunday, resuming a decades-old Vatican tradition that had been interrupted last year by the pandemic.
Pope criticizes couples who adopt pets instead of children: 'a form of selfishness'
Pope Francis on Wednesday branded couples who adopt pets instead of children as "selfish" as part of a call to resolve the "demographic winter" that the West faces.
Pope Francis starts new year with call to protect women, focus on the good
Pope Francis has used his New Year's Day appearances to encourage people to focus on the good which unites them and to decry violence against women.
Jewish house of worship in San Jose goes up in flames, Torahs spared
The Chabad house, a Jewish place of study and worship, went up in flames this week, but fortunately, the Torahs were spared.
Pope Francis celebrates 85th birthday as reform hits stride
Pope Francis turns 85 on Dec. 17, a milestone as he continues efforts to make the Catholic Church more attuned to the laity.
Judge: Christmas trees aren't religious symbols, menorah won't be displayed
A federal judge in California has ruled that Christmas trees are no longer seen as religious symbols and therefore, a menorah – which is religious – can be refused from being displayed at a school holiday ceremony.
Pope Francis addresses nun abuse detailed in investigative expose
During an audience with members of the Vatican’s congregation for religious orders, Pope Francis cited a new investigative expose of the problem written by a reporter for the Holy See’s media, Salvatore Cernuzio.
‘Chanukah Sameach’ : Biden recognizes Hanukkah 2021 with well wishes
“From our family to yours, and from the People’s House to your own homes, Jill and I wish you and your loved ones a Chanukah Sameach, a Happy Hanukkah!” President Joe Biden said in a statement.
Phil Saviano, Catholic church sex abuse survivor and whistleblower, dies
Saviano played a central role in illuminating the scandal, which led to the resignation of Boston's Cardinal Bernard Law and church settlements with hundreds of victims.
Survey: Few Americans blame God for COVID-19 pandemic, other tragedies
A large majority of U.S. adults believe that most of the suffering in the world comes from people rather than from God, according to surveys from the Pew Research Center.
Haiti kidnapping: 2 missionaries freed weeks after abduction, organization says
Christian Aid Ministries issued a statement Sunday saying the two “are safe, in good spirits and being cared for.”
'FUNDAMENTAL JUSTICE': After 56 years, 2 men cleared in murder of Malcolm X
Two men who for decades steadfastly maintained their innocence in the 1965 assassination of civil rights icon Malcolm X were exonerated on Thursday, after a nearly two-year-long re-investigation.
FBI charges suspect in Congregation Beth Israel fire
18-year-old Franklin Barrett Sechriest now faces an arson charge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas under code 18 U.S.C. § 844(i).
San Francisco mosque vandalized
A beer bottle shattered a window at a San Francisco mosque on Friday night and officials with the Islamic Center of San Francisco said the vandalism is an act of hate.
France's Catholic Church agrees to compensate victims of sexual abuse
French bishops said in a written statement on Monday that they will set up an “independent, national body” tasked with addressing compensation issues regarding sex abuse victims.
Tennessee pastor tackles suspect who pulled out gun during church service, police say
A quick-thinking pastor in Nashville and a handful of congregants managed to tackle and disarm a suspect police said brandished a firearm during a Sunday morning service.
Christian radio host gets 3 life prison terms for bilking listeners
A North Texas radio host was sentenced to three life prison sentences Monday for a Ponzi scheme in which he bilked elderly listeners out of millions of dollars.