Churches & Religion

The workspace for the the synod of bishops starting on Oct. 4, 2023, is set up inside the Paul VI Hall at The Vatican, Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. Pope Francis is opening a global gathering of bishops and laypeople to discuss the future of the Catholic Church, including some hot-button issues that have previously been considered off-limits for discussion. For the first time, women and laypeople can vote on specific proposals alongside bishops, a radical change that is evidence of Francis' belief that the church is more about its flock than its shepherds.

Things to know about the Vatican’s big meeting on the future of the Catholic Church

October 3, 2023, 7:57am Churches & Religion

Pope Francis on Wednesday is opening a global gathering of bishops and laypeople to discuss the future of the Catholic Church, including some hot-button issues that have previously been considered off-limits for discussion. Read story

Tibetan Buddhist monk Nawang Shakga works on a sand mandala Monday at Clark College's Cannell Library. The mandala's creation began with the outline of a small orange circle at the very center, which was then filled with a soft pink.

Tibetan monks begin weeklong construction of sand mandala at Clark College

October 3, 2023, 6:04am Churches & Religion Subscriber Exclusive

Enveloped in the studious silence of Clark College’s library, Tibetan Buddhist monk Nawang Shakga used delicate metal tools to create a small circle of fine, orange sand. Read story

FILE -- Maria Lia Zervino one of the first women chosen by Pope Francis to be on the Dicastery for Bishops poses for a picture during an interview with the Associated Press in Rome, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. For Zervino, who worked alongside the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio when both held positions in the Argentine bishops conference, the upcoming synod of bishops is a watershed moment for the church and quite possibly the most consequential thing Francis will have undertaken as pope. This edition is different because Francis has allowed women and other laypeople to vote alongside bishops.

Women’s voices and votes loom large as pope is set to open a Vatican meeting on church’s future

October 2, 2023, 7:57am Churches & Religion

A few years ago, Pope Francis told the head of the main Vatican-backed Catholic women’s organization to be “brave” in pushing for change for women in the Catholic Church. Read story

The Rev. Gustavo Castillo preaches to his congregation at the Iglesia Pentecostal Unida Latinoamericana in Columbia Heights, Minn., on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023. The federal government recently moved thousands of green card applications for vulnerable minors from Central America in the queue for religious workers, leading to long delays and thus putting ministers on temporary work visas like Castillo at risk of losing the ability to stay in the United States.

A green card processing change means U.S. could lose thousands of faith leaders from abroad

October 1, 2023, 1:06pm Churches & Religion

For more than two hours on a Sunday afternoon, the Rev. Gustavo Castillo led the Pentecostal congregation he’s been growing in this Minneapolis suburb through prayer, Scriptures, rousing music and sometimes tearful testimonials. Read story

Protesters opposing the City of Hamtramck's recent resolution banning the flying of LGBTQ+ flags, political flags, and flags symbolizing any race or religion on City property, demonstrate at City Hall on June 24, 2023, in Hamtramck, Michigan.

As Muslims’ status as political punching bag fades, some are fighting against LGBTQ+ acceptance

October 1, 2023, 6:12am Churches & Religion

For months, hundreds of religious parents have regularly rallied outside a Maryland school board building, aghast at curriculum featuring books that portray LGBTQ+ families to elementary school kids. Read story

Washington National Cathedral unveils stained glass windows

Light shines through new stained-glass windows with a theme of racial justice Sept. 2 during an unveiling and dedication ceremony at the Washington National Cathedral for the window in Washington.

The landmark Washington National Cathedral unveiled new stained-glass windows Saturday with a theme of racial justice, filling the space that had once held four windows honoring Confederate Gens. Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. Read story

Pope decries indifference toward migrants, as he prays for the dead in the French port of Marseille

A Vatican Flag waves near the Notre Dame de la Garde Basilica in Marseille, southern France, the day Pope Francis arrives for a two-day visit, Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, when he will join Catholic bishops from the Mediterranean region on discussions that will largely focus on migration.

Pope Francis blasted the “fanaticism of indifference” that greets migrants seeking a better life in Europe, as he arrived Friday in the Mediterranean port of Marseille amid a new influx of would-be refugees from Africa that has sparked a backlash from some of Europe’s increasingly anti-migrant leaders. Read story