Churches & Religion

Shelby Ruch-Teegarden, center, of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, joins other protesters Feb. 26, 2019, during the United Methodist Church’s special session of the general conference in St. Louis.

LGBTQ inclusion divides Christian churches

January 13, 2024, 5:58am Churches & Religion

Catholics around the world are sharply divided by the Vatican’s recent declaration giving priests more leeway to bless same-sex couples. Supporters of LGBTQ inclusion welcome the move; some conservative bishops assail the new policy as a betrayal of the church’s condemnation of sexual relations between gay or lesbian partners. Read story

Newly elected Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, right, receives his biretta from Pope Francis on Sept. 30, as he is elevated in St. Peter’s Square at The Vatican.

Vatican’s doctrine chief’s book alarms

January 13, 2024, 5:16am Churches & Religion

The Vatican’s new doctrine chief, who is already under fire from entire bishops conferences for his approval of blessings for same-sex couples, is now raising eyebrows over a book he wrote as a young priest describing orgasms in graphic terms. Read story

Tukwila church tries to keep asylum-seekers warm with little help

January 12, 2024, 7:40am Churches & Religion

A large group of asylum-seekers are set to be left outside in record-breaking cold temperatures by local and state agencies. Read story

FILE - Cardinal Fridolin Among Besungu receives the red three-cornered biretta hat from Pope Francis during a consistory inside St. Peter’s Basilica, at the Vatican, Oct. 5, 2019. In the greatest rebuke of Pope Francis yet, the Catholic hierarchy of Africa and Madagascar issued a unified statement Thursday, Jan.

Africa’s Catholic hierarchy refuses same-sex blessings, says such unions are contrary to God’s will

January 11, 2024, 3:14pm Churches & Religion

In the greatest rebuke yet to Pope Francis, the Catholic bishops of Africa and Madagascar issued a unified statement Thursday refusing to follow his declaration allowing priests to offer blessings to same-sex couples and asserting that such unions are “contrary to the will of God.” Read story

FILE - Hasidic Jewish students sit behind a breach in the wall of a synagogue that led to a tunnel dug by the students, Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in New York.

FACT FOCUS: Discovery of a tunnel at a Chabad synagogue spurs false claims and conspiracy theories

January 11, 2024, 11:24am Churches & Religion

News of a brawl between police and worshippers on Monday over a secret underground tunnel found connected to a historic Brooklyn synagogue was picked up quickly on social media, with posts spreading baseless claims about the passage, many laced with antisemitism. Read story

Pope Francis calls for a universal ban on surrogacy. He says it exploits mother and child

FILE - Pope Francis attends his weekly general audience in the Pope Paul VI hall at the Vatican, Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023. Pope Francis called Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, for a universal ban on the “despicable” practice of surrogate motherhood, as he included the “commercialization” of pregnancy in an annual speech listing the threats to global peace and human dignity.

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. Read story

Native Hawaiian salt makers protect tradition

Malia Nobrega-Olivera, a Native Hawaiian salt maker, holds Hawaiian salt, or “paakai,” on July 10 in Hanapepe, Hawaii.

On a warm summer afternoon, Tina Taniguchi was on her hands and knees scraping dirt off an oblong depression in the ground. Thick brown hair peeked out from her coconut leaf hat. Splotches of mud stuck to her T-shirt and speckled her smiling face. Read story