Religion News Service

As older progressive priests retire or die, younger conservative priests will have a profound impact on parish life. A new study of U.S. priests gives us data on which to reflect as the church faces its future.

Leaders of Washington-area congregations are responding to the continuing federal government shutdown with many approaches, including encouraging employees going to work without pay, offering food and, in some cases, giving financial assistance.

Leo wonders, "even though the teaching of Sacred Scripture is so clear about the poor, why many people continue to think that they can safely disregard the poor."

A new study found that about a third of Americans say religion's influence in society is growing — up more than 10 percentage points from a year earlier.

A crowd of 50, including some of the city's most prominent religious leaders, held an interfaith vigil before joining a demonstration in Times Square.

"Some would urge us not to accompany the poor and the vulnerable because it could be dangerous," writes Steven P. Millies. "We do take risks when we oppose a regime that dehumanizes people created and loved by God."

She reminded us that 'sacred' is best defined not by doctrine but the living planet we call earth, and that the true test of faith is whether we can treat the earth and all its inhabitants, human and other-than-human, with the reverence they deserve.

In his first apostolic exhortation, Dilexi Te ("I have loved you"), Pope Leo XIV is clear: The love of money really is the root of all evils.

Through pastoral letters, Sunday homilies and the church’s moral authority, Cameroon's 36 Catholic bishops have emerged as eloquent, critical analysts, even as they resist an overtly political role.

Organizers say it's a sign Christian music is experiencing a revival.

The suit was primarily brought by journalists who allege they have been targeted by federal agents, but the list of plaintiffs also included the Rev. David Black, a Chicago-area Presbyterian minister.

The protection of libraries and the stories they hold should be understood as a wider commitment of our communities to religious freedom.

"His strongest condemnations were against rulers who officiated at the gates of the city and meted out injustice," writes Fr. Thomas Reese.

Those who hoped that Pope Leo XIV would back away from Pope Francis' concerns about global warming and the environment were severely disappointed last week. Instead, Leo firmly embraced the environmental agenda Francis laid out in Laudato Si', his historic encyclical that put the church firmly on the side of protecting the planet.

Despite potential danger, religious leaders and faith activists have been a visible presence at Chicago-area ICE protests, some waving signs with slogans such as 'Love thy neighbor' and 'Who would Jesus deport?'

Bipartisan legislation to create a Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding Schools warrants our support.