Pope ends use of pesticides in Vatican gardens
Pope Francis called for further climate action on the fifth anniversary of his influential encyclical on the environment -- starting with church properties around the world.
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Religious liberty advocates hope ministerial exception applies in private school case
Religious liberty advocates are expressing cautious optimism over an upcoming Supreme Court decision on the "ministerial exception" to employment laws, after the high court acknowledged a potential religious defense this week in ruling that employers cannot discriminate against their LGBTQ workers.
Supreme Court halts execution of man challenging Texas' ban on religious advisers
The Supreme Court halted the execution of a Texas man on Tuesday who has sued the state, saying its prison policy violates the First Amendment since it does not allow his priest in the execution chamber with him at his time of death.
U.S. bishops 'deeply concerned' over Supreme Court's LGBTQ ruling
The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on Tuesday decried a Supreme Court decision that bans discrimination against LGBTQ workers, calling Monday's ruling "an injustice that will have implications in many areas of life."
Jews use bolt cutters to 'liberate' Brooklyn playground, citing protests
Members of the Orthodox Jewish community defied the city of New York by using bolt cutters to "liberate" a playground in Brooklyn on Monday, as some argue the coronavirus pandemic is no longer a concern if thousands of Black Lives Matter protesters are permitted to gather in the streets.
Giving remains high at evangelical churches despite pandemic
A new study on giving shows that the outlook for charity remains at high levels in evangelical churches during the coronavirus pandemic.
Teachers union warns that reopening schools in the fall will cost an extra $116.5 billion
The American Federation of Teachers warns that reopening the nation's schools with additional health protocols in the age of the coronavirus crisis has a huge price tag. The organization makes its case in a new study released Wednesday, just as a Senate committee meets to discuss the strategy.
Pope Francis sends strong message to U.S. Catholics after George Floyd's death
Pope Francis called George Floyd by name, twice, and offered support to an American bishop who knelt in prayer during a Black Lives Matter protest.
CBP nabs ketamine smuggled in pictures of Jesus Christ
God may absolve us of our sins, but Jesus cannot hide them from Customs and Border Protection officers, who announced Tuesday they sniffed out a 9-pound shipment of ketamine someone tried to smuggle into the U.S. inside framed images of the Christ.
Jerry Falwell Jr. apologizes for tweeting racist photo from Ralph Northam's yearbook
Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. apologized Monday for a tweet that included a racist photo that appeared on Gov. Ralph Northam's medical school yearbook page decades ago.
White House: 'No regrets' over Trump's walk to St. John's church after protest clearing
The White House has "no regrets" about President Trump's decision to walk to St. John's Episcopal Church on June 1 after police forcefully removed protesters in Lafayette Park.
D.C. churches, religious organizations open doors for 'protest hospitality'
The historic New York Avenue Presbyterian Church was one of several religious organizations to open its doors to demonstrators in the District this weekend, offering restrooms, water and shelter from the hot sun, and in some cases snacks and charging stations for cell phones, all for free.
'Increasing secularization': Baptists lose membership, says new report
The largest convention of Baptists lost 2% of its membership during the last calendar year, according to the annual report from the Southern Baptist Convention.
Trump support among Catholics now at 37%: Poll
President Trump's support among Roman Catholics plunged from a high of 60% in March to a new low at the end of May, according to a new national poll.
Bill de Blasio defends ongoing lockdown: Protesting and going to church 'not the same'
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Tuesday defended his ongoing coronavirus-related restrictions on nonessential businesses and places of worship as protesters and looters continue to flood city streets over the death of George Floyd.
Andrew Cuomo jabs Trump over St. John's Church visit, says New Yorkers 'actually read the Bible'
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo laced commentary on George Floyd protests and riots across the nation Wednesday with digs at President Trump's recent visit to St. John's Church.
Mick Mulvaney: St. John's Episcopal Church visit was 'a very Trump kind of move'
Former acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney on Wednesday said President Trump's dramatic trek to St. John's Episcopal Church on Monday was a typical Trumpian move and said people still waiting for the president to change or moderate his behavior are likely kidding themselves.
Franklin Graham thanks Trump for church visit: 'God and His Word are the only hope for our nation'
President Trump's visit to St. John's Church was poorly received by the Episcopal Church, but got the support of his most-prominent evangelical supporter.
'President of law and order': Trump takes aim at 'Lowlife & Scum' as riots rage
President Trump has shifted almost overnight from a candidate focused non-stop on economic recovery to promoting himself once again as the law-and-order president.
Trump signs executive order on international religious freedom
President Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order that aims to prioritize religious freedom as a foreign policy initiative that includes requiring all civil service employees to undertake "international religious freedom training."
Archbishop slams Trump's 'baffling' visit to John Paul II shrine after Monday's chaos
President Trump toured the St. John Paul II National Shrine in Washington before signing an order to promote religious freedom Tuesday, marking his second visit to a Christian site in as many days amid nationwide protests over police brutality.
Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde: I had to disassociate us from Trump's 'symbolic' gesture at St. John's
Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington on Tuesday said President Trump is welcome to pray at St. John's Episcopal Church near the White House but that she couldn't abide the "symbolic" gesture from Mr. Trump outside of the church on Monday evening.
D.C. bishop blasts Trump over church photo op, 'abuse of sacred symbols'
The Episcopal bishop of Washington said she was "outraged" Monday evening about President Trump's visit to the facade of the church across the street from the White House and effectively accused him of profaning the church she oversees.
Joe Biden meets with black leaders at local church amid unrest
Joe Biden vowed to address "institutional racism" in his first 100 days in office, if elected, as he met with community leaders at a predominantly African American church in Delaware on Monday morning amid the coronavirus pandemic to address exploding racial tensions that have begun to reshape the upcoming presidential election.
Trump vetoes first domestic bill in four years, rejects measure on education loan forgiveness
President Trump has vetoed a domestic policy bill for the first time, rejecting a bipartisan measure that would have barred Education Secretary Betsy DeVos from implementing a new rule determining how defrauded student borrowers could get loan forgiveness.
Last abortion facility in Missouri to stay open
The lone abortion clinic in Missouri will remain licensed after a state administrative commissioner ruled that the St. Louis Planned Parenthood facility has no record of violating the state's health code.
Illinois backs off limitations on religious assembly
Illinois officials have lifted a de facto ban on in-person worship, signaling a victory for churches challenging the restrictions.
DOJ, South Dakota school board reach deal on voting rights lawsuit
The Department of Justice and a South Dakota school board have reached a settlement in a federal lawsuit that entails a new method for electing board members to boost representation by American Indians.
Supreme Court orders states to respond to churches' appeals to reopen
The Supreme Court is ordering the governors of Illinois and California to respond to two separate appeals filed by churches seeking to block enforcement of stay-at-home orders.
Nevada governor to allow churches to open after DOJ warning
Hours after the federal Justice Department warned Nevada that its coronavirus restrictions on houses of worship were too strict, Gov. Steve Sisolak changed them late Tuesday, allowing services of up to 50 people.
Pastors sue Oregon governor for easing limits on restaurants, gyms but not churches
Two churches have sued Oregon Gov. Kate Brown over her executive order restricting faith-based gatherings to 25 people, calling it "irrational" to allow restaurants, bars and gyms to host larger crowds but not churches.
Justice Department says Nevada's social distancing orders for churches are unconstitutional
The Justice Department warned the state of Nevada that restricting religious services to 10 people or less while some secular businesses reopened without such limitations runs afoul of the Constitution.
California reveals plan to resume in-person church services with restrictions
California will allow churches and other houses of worship to reopen at up either 25% capacity or 100 attendees during the coronavirus pandemic, the state announced Monday, though local county authorities still have final approval over whether to allow it within their jurisdiction.
Top lawmakers tell VA to remove German POW headstones with swastikas
Top House Democrats and Republicans demanded Monday that the Department of Veterans Affairs remove three headstones over German prisoner-of-war graves that bear swastika insignias and words praising Adolf Hitler, calling it "callous" to leave them in place.
9th Circuit Court upholds California ban on in-person church services
An appeals court has upheld California Gov. Gavin Newsom's ban on in-person church services amid the coronavirus pandemic, in a split ruling that found that government's emergency powers override what in normal times would be fundamental constitutional rights.
Trump to states: Churches must reopen this weekend
President Trump on Friday said churches, synagogues and mosques are "essential places that provide essential services" and must reopen this weekend despite ongoing coronavirus transmission.
Trump tells CDC to issue new guidelines for reopening churches quickly
President Trump urged the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday to issue new guidelines to speed up the reopening of churches, saying religious institutions are "essential" to the nation's recovery, as he criticized Democratic governors for deliberately stalling efforts to get back to work and worship.
Trump says Democratic governors not treating churches with respect
President Trump vowed Thursday to take action against Democratic governors whom he said are disrespecting churches by not allowing in-person worship services during the coronavirus crisis.
Lori Loughlin, Mossimo Giannulli to serve prison time for college scam
"Full House" Actress Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, agreed to serve prison time as part of a plea deal in the college admissions bribery case, according to court papers filed Thursday.
Pro-life allies of Norma McCorvey deny 'deathbed confession' she was paid to oppose abortion
A former attorney for the late Norma McCorvey, the "Jane Roe" in the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, denied as "patently false" her bombshell claim in an upcoming FX documentary that she was paid to lie about her pro-life conversion.
Authorities probe fire at Miss. church fighting stay-at-home order
Authorities in Mississippi are investigating a fire that destroyed a Pentacostal church that is opposing a stay-at-home order in a federal lawsuit.
Lawmaker wants swastika memorials removed from U.S. veterans' cemeteries
Controversial inscriptions in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in Texas and Fort Douglas Post Cemetery in Utah attracted relatively little attention until recently, when the Southern Poverty Law Center and other advocacy groups launched a public campaign pressuring the federal government to remove them.
DOJ warns Gavin Newsom, California over coronavirus limits on churches
The Justice Department issued a warning to California Gov. Gavin Newsom Tuesday telling him his coronavirus shutdown plans seem to trample on religious liberties by subjecting houses of worship to stricter limits than many businesses.
Ravi Zacharias, evangelist who built global ministry, dies at 74
Evangelist Ravi Zacharias, who built an international ministry that strives to defend Christianity on intellectual grounds, has died in Georgia. He was 74.
Jewish extremist convicted in arson that killed Arab toddler
An Israeli district court on Monday convicted a Jewish extremist of murder in a 2015 arson attack that killed a Palestinian toddler and his parents, a case that had sent shock waves through Israel and helped fuel months of Israeli-Palestinian violence.
Priest uses 'holy water' gun to maintain tradition amid social distancing
A Roman Catholic priest in the Detroit area has taken aim at his parishioners in a bid to maintain social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic, using a squirt gun to shoot holy water.
Prominent Baltimore pastor to defy executive order, host services for 250
The Rev. Alvin Gwynn Sr., pastor of Friendship Baptist Church in northeast Baltimore, says he will not comply with the city's order that limits gatherings to no more than 10 people.
