Pope Francis condemns surrogacy as 'despicable,' calls for global ban

Pope Francis called Monday for a universal ban on what he called the “despicable” practice of surrogate motherhood, as he included the “commercialization” of pregnancy in an annual speech listing threats to global peace and human dignity.

Ceremony of the Crosses held in Oakland to commemorate 2023 homicide victims

The 14th annual Ceremony of the Crosses was held at St. Columba Catholic Church today to commemorate the lives lost to homicide in the city this year.

Hindu temple vandalized in Newark; latest in hateful trend

Graffiti supporting a separate Sikh homeland at a Hindu place of worship in Newark is being investigated as a hate crime and drew condemnations from the Consulate General of India, as well as the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Rapper Ye issues a Hebrew apology for previous antisemitic comments

The rapper formerly known as Kanye West, who has a long history of making antisemitic comments, apologized to the Jewish community in an Instagram post written in Hebrew on Tuesday.

Oakland Christmas Eve interfaith service calls for a ceasefire in Gaza

An interfaith service featured prayers and chants outside of Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church and First Congregational Church of Oakland on Christmas Eve, all calling for peace.

GLIDE church, foundation feeds nearly 3,000 for Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve morning at the Tenderloin staple started with music and soul; GLIDE Memorial Church held a Christmas Eve mass. Longtime attendees say there is something special when the holiday lands on a Sunday.

Pope Francis says priests can bless same-sex unions, requests shouldn't be matter of moral analysis

The Vatican issued a new document explaining a radical change in Vatican policy by insisting that people seeking God’s love and mercy shouldn’t be subject to “an exhaustive moral analysis" to receive it.

Stanford under civil rights investigation for antisemitism, Islamophobia on campus

The Dept. of Education says schools must ensure students are free from discrimination, including that based on ancestry. Some students say they don’t feel like the university is living up to that standard.

Biden to host Hanukkah ceremony at White House amid fears of rising antisemitism

Antisemitism has only intensified since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas and other militants sparked Israel's ongoing war in Gaza -- which faces heightened criticism for the mounting Palestinian death toll.

Monterey man arrested on suspicion of anti-Muslim hate crime

Police in Monterey are investigating an alleged hate crime that occurred the first week of December, the department said Friday.    

Thoughts turn to Israel as 3rd light is lit on Union Square menorah

As a third light was lit Saturday on Union Square's 25-foot-tall menorah in San Francisco, the crowd reflected on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Several people attending said their thoughts were with family in Israel this Hanukkah.

Jews celebrate Hanukkah under cloud of war, spike in antisemitism

The Jewish celebration of Light, known as Hanukkah, begins Thursday at sunset. This holiday comes at a time when antisemitic attacks and rhetoric are at an all-time high.

Notre Dame cathedral to reopen in 1 year after devastating fire in 2019

Notre Dame's rebirth from the devastating fire will hit a major milestone. It will begin the last year of repair work before the cathedral reopens its doors to the public on Dec. 8, 2024.

DHS issues new guide to help houses of worship protect themselves

The Department of Homeland Security has a part of its agency that works with faith groups nationwide to help protect against violence directed at their facilities and their members.