Religious Articles

A lawyer for five women accusing a former Jesuit priest of abuse criticized the Vatican’s secretive legal system, demanding information about the case status and questioning why her clients were never interviewed.

The Vatican excommunicated the ultra-conservative Society of Saint Pius X after the group ordained bishops without papal consent, creating a formal schism within the Roman Catholic Church.

An 11-year-old boy drove his parents’ truck into a Buddhist procession in Thailand, killing at least nine monks and injuring others during a pilgrimage.

Pope Leo praised US history of welcoming migrants in an address marking the nation’s 250th anniversary, implicitly rebuking Donald Trump’s immigration policies while visiting Lampedusa, a major Mediterranean entry point for refugees.

The Christian Brothers obtained a moratorium on abuse survivor lawsuits while keeping nine convicted child abusers as members, citing Gospel obligations to support those in need and monitor offenders within the congregation.

France commemorated the Vel d’Hiv roundup, a 1942 mass arrest of Jews by French police. A plaque honoring rescuers was vandalized ahead of the ceremony amid rising antisemitism.

The US and Iran exchanged strikes on military and infrastructure targets as their conflict intensified over control of the Strait of Hormuz, with no clear end to the war that began over four months ago.

Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical proposes a Eucharistic spirituality as a response to artificial intelligence, emphasizing Christian commitment to justice, human dignity, and the common good over technological dominance.

The Church of England’s General Synod voted to formally hear a Palestinian Christian document describing Israel as a “colonial enterprise,” sparking concerns from Jewish leaders about interfaith relations.

The Vatican confirmed an ongoing church trial against ex-Jesuit priest Marko Rupnik, accused of spiritual and sexual abuse, and defended the secrecy of proceedings as necessary to protect the process.

Palestinian siblings separated by war and displacement in Gaza have reunited with their sister in Israel after a yearslong legal effort, though the family mourns parents and a brother killed in an airstrike.

Faith communities in Ohio are expanding the concept of “sanctuary” beyond physical shelter to provide comprehensive support for Haitian immigrants facing deportation after the Supreme Court ruled against Temporary Protected Status.