Religion News Service

Washington, Colorado and Oregon are now among the U.S. states that have legalized the process of converting human bodies into soil, a procedure the Catholic Church said fails to show “respect for the body of the deceased.”

Shovels in hand, descendants of the Georgetown University 272, a group of enslaved persons the Jesuits sold to Louisiana plantations in 1838, are volunteering at an archaeological dig on a former plantation in Maryland.

In the wake of the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., organizers envisioned the festival as a way to honor King.

Italian LGBTQ citizens angered by what they considered undue interference by the Vatican in its attempt to stall a controversial bill being debated in the Italian Senate that would criminalize homophobia.

In a recently published book, Texas A&M historian Felipe Hinojosa gives a new look into the 1960s and early '70s movement of Latino activists who occupied church buildings across the country as a way of taking back control of their communities and calling attention to local residents' poverty.

 Last week's announcement of indictments by Vatican prosecutors is not a scandal but a sign of progress.

The day before Easter this year, a group of transgender people came to the Vatican at the invitation of Pope Francis to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, according to an official who oversees the pope's charitable works.

Signs of the Times: Democrats are foolishly opposing Republican suggestions that the infrastructure bill should be partially funded by increasing the tax on gasoline. My suggestion: Tax the rich and corporations, and increase the gasoline tax.

A Palestinian man has appealed to Pope Francis to intercede with the Israeli government to release his son, a humanitarian worker with a Christian aid organization, who has been in jail for more than five years on what the father maintains are manufactured charges.

On June 20, before Mass had even begun, St. Anthony Catholic Church's parishioners broke into applause. It was the first time the congregation had gathered inside their sanctuary for Sunday Mass since the pandemic.

Faith groups and participants in the 'Economy of Francesco' project played a key role in shareholder actions in May targeting Exxon and Chevron.

The Lutheran World Federation has elected the first woman to head its global communion of churches. The Rev. Anne Burghardt, an Estonian theologian, was chosen June 19 by the LWF Council as the next general secretary of the federation, which includes 148 denominations in the Lutheran tradition from around the globe.

Signs of the Times: It was a mistake for Vice President Kamala Harris to not meet with Catholic bishops during her visit to Central America in the first days of June. 

Sixty Catholic Democrats in the House of Representatives, including Reps. Rosa DeLauro and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, released a "statement of principles" Friday calling on U.S. bishops to avoid "weaponizing" the Eucharist.

A group of Catholic Democrats in the House of Representatives is preparing a "statement of principles" that taps into ongoing debate regarding Communion and politicians who back abortion rights.

Signs of the Times: This week, Catholic and Baptist leaders meet to deal with issues facing their churches. While the two Christian churches are very different from each other, they do face similar problems.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles has issued new guidelines for its more than 300 parishes, which, beginning June 19, are set to fully reopen.

Religion News Service asked more than 180 members of the U.S. Catholic bishops' conference their position on denying Communion to Catholic politicians who back the right to an abortion, a practice the church condemns. Few offered a firm yes-or-no answer.

When the bishops gather virtually for their June 2021 meeting, all the attention will be focused on whether pro-choice Catholic politicians will be banned from Communion.

"A new papal document reforming the Curia — the Vatican bureaucracy, mostly composed of priests and bishops — will soon be published. I'm sure Pope Francis’ heart is in the right place, but I expect to be disappointed," writes Fr. Thomas Reese.