Religion

Rev. Russell Levenson, Jr. of St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston with former first lady Barbara Bush and former President George. H.W. Bush after a morning worship service. Levenson details his friendship with the Bushes and what he learned from them and how they lived their faith in his new book Witness to Dignity: The Life and Faith of George H.W. and Barbara Bush.

How faith guided former President George H.W. Bush, according to his pastor

5:00am December 27, 2022

by Wynne Davis

Rev. Russell Levenson, Jr. got to know former President George H.W. Bush and his wife over more than a decade. He said how they lived their faith can serve as a roadmap for anyone, religious or not.

Childhood friends. From left to right, Valeria Lemos, Daniel Molina Acosta, Paula Rueda, Paula Molina Acosta; bottom row, Carmen Molina Acosta, Veronica Lemos

Holidays are about tradition. What happens when everything starts to change?

10:49am December 25, 2022

by Carmen Molina Acosta

Carmen Molina Acosta shares a personal perspective on what the celebration of the Novena de Aguinaldos means for her Colombian community and how it has changed over the years.

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Pope Francis delivers the Urbi et Orbi (Latin for 'to the city and to the world') Christmas day blessing from the main balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on Sunday.

Pope Francis laments the 'icy winds of war' buffeting humanity at Christmas

7:48am December 25, 2022

by The Associated Press

Pope Francis used his Christmas message to make a plea for an immediate end to the fighting in Ukraine, which he decried as "senseless." He also addressed long-running conflicts in the Middle East.

Pope Francis presides over Christmas Eve Mass, at St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Saturday Dec. 24, 2022.

The Pope condemned the human 'hunger for wealth and power' at a Christmas Eve Mass

3:23am December 25, 2022

by The Associated Press

Recalling Jesus' birth in a stable, Pope Francis rebuked those "ravenous" for wealth and power at the expense of the vulnerable in a Christmas Eve homily decrying war, poverty and greedy consumerism.

U.S. Army Captain Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi poses in Times Square, New York, in 2010. Kalsi was the first Sikh in the U.S. Army, which allows Sikhs to serve while retaining their turbans and beards required by their faith.

Sikh men can serve in the Marine Corps without shaving their beards, court says

9:03pm December 24, 2022

by Halisia Hubbard

A federal court has ruled that the Marine Corps can't deny Sikhs because of their unshorn beards and hair.

Religion

With Christmas falling on a Sunday, Protestant pastors cancel services

4:10pm December 23, 2022

With Christmas falling on a Sunday, some Protestant pastors are canceling services to allow their congregation to spend time at home.

Beth Richman's menorah pierces the darkness outside of her Portland, Ore., home.

Hanukkah has become a 'frightening time' for many Jews in a polarized U.S.

1:14pm December 23, 2022

by Deena Prichep

With demonstrations by the Proud Boys and an increase in anti-Semitic rhetoric, some clinical therapists say they're noticing the stress and anxiety Jewish clients are feeling this year.

The White House Menorah can be seen in Cross Hall and is part of this year's "We The People"-themed holiday display. The Bidens will add the menorah to the permanent White House collection at a Hanukkah reception Monday evening,

As the Bidens mark Hanukkah, the White House gets its own menorah for the first time

8:43pm December 19, 2022

by Rachel Treisman

The menorah is made out of wood that was removed from the building during a Truman-era renovation, and becomes the first Jewish artifact to be added to the White House archives.

Frank Pavone, head of Priests for Life, has been defrocked by the Vatican for what it said were "blasphemous communications on social media" as well as "persistent disobedience" of his bishop.

Vatican defrocks an anti-abortion priest who once placed an aborted fetus on an altar

10:04am December 18, 2022

by The Associated Press

The priest, Frank Pavone of Texas, heads the anti-abortion group Priests for Life. The Vatican said he was defrocked for "blasphemous communications on social media" and "persistent disobedience."

Pope Francis looks at the Christmas tree inside the Paul VI hall as he arrives to meet with faithful during an audience granted to the donors of the Christmas tree and Nativity scene at the Vatican, on Dec. 3, 2022. Pope Francis has revealed in an interview that shortly after being elected pontiff in 2013 he wrote a resignation letter in case medical problems impede him from carrying out duties.

The Pope has revealed he has a resignation note to use if his health impedes his work

5:44am December 18, 2022

by The Associated Press

Pope Francis has revealed in an interview published Sunday that shortly after being elected pontiff in 2013 he wrote a resignation letter in case medical problems impede him from doing his duties.