US Catholics line up behind bipartisan effort to reform religious worker visas
United States RNS On Tuesday, members of the US Congress introduced a rare bipartisan piece of immigration reform legislation aimed at clearing a backlog in visas for religious workers. The Religious Workforce Protection Act has substantial support from a variety of religious leaders, including Catholics, evangelical Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Jews and Episcopalians. ILLUSTRATION: Mohamed Hassan/Pixabay […]
Essay: Management, not ministry, for Catholic women
PHYLLIS ZAGANO, in an article first published on Religion News Service, says while the Pope is acting on his desire to include women in administrative managerial positions in the church, he seems to have turned a deaf ear to calls for women in ministry…
In the US, 119th Congress adds two Hindus, two nones, remains mostly Christian
United States RNS A new Pew Research Center report on the religious composition of the 119th session of Congress, convening on Friday for the first time, reveals that the majority of its members are Christian. The “Faith on the Hill” report draws on data gathered by CQ Roll Call, a publication that compiles congressional data […]
Wow!: New documentary tells America’s story of religious freedom
FIONA ANDRÉ, of Religion News Service, reports on the new documentary, ‘Free Exercise: America’s Story of Religious Liberty’…
Venezuela: As the country heads for 28th July presidential election, what does the religious landscape look like?
MARÍA TERESA HERNÁNDEZ, of Associated Press, reports on religious landscape in the South American country…
Religious groups think Trump’s actions immoral in hush money case, split on whether he broke the law
United States RNS A new survey finds that majorities of all major US religious groups believe actions by former President Donald Trump detailed in a recent hush money trial were immoral, but views are more split on whether he broke the law. It also remains unclear whether Trump’s new status as a convicted felon has […]
Essay: Christianity is changing in South Africa as Pentecostal and Indigenous churches grow – what’s behind the trend
DION FOSTER, professor of public theology at the Free University of Amsterdam, looks at changing religious demographics in South Africa in an article first published on The Conversation…
Essay: Understanding America’s overlooked religious middle
ROBERT P JONES, CEO and founder of the Public Religion Research Institute, says, in an article first published by Religion News Service, that the overlooked religious middle is poised to play an outsized role in the 2024 presidential contest…
Lifestory: Terry Anderson, US journalist held hostage in Lebanon
ALISTAIR BELL and DANIEL TROTTA, of Reuters, report on the life of Terry Anderson who has died at the age of 76…
Gallup poll: More than half of Americans rarely go to church
United States RNS The most popular church in America might be St Mattress, followed by Bedside Baptist. Those two – euphemisms for sleeping in on Sundays – increasingly describe the attitude of many Americans toward attending churches or other houses of worship. Mark Galli kneels in prayer before Mass at St Michael Catholic Church, on […]