Trump administration will join a prayer gathering criticized for promoting Christian nationalism
President Donald Trump and several top administration officials are joining with a cast of mostly conservative Christian clergy this Sunday on the National Mall in Washington for a prayer gathering billed as a “rededication of our country as One Nation Under God” upon America’s 250th birthday. But some critics call...
Rejecting church and state separation is on the wish list for Trump’s religious liberty commission
One member calls for a Presidential Medal of Freedom for a baker who refused to create a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. Another calls for court interventions by the Department of Justice on behalf of Amish parents fighting New York vaccine requirements and Catholic nuns challenging that state’s requirement...
Joni Lamb, who started of one of the largest Christian TV networks, has died
Joni Lamb, who with her late husband founded the Daystar Television Network and guided it to become one of the world’s largest Christian TV networks, died Thursday. She was 65. Lamb, the network’s president, had been suffering from serious health issues before sustaining a back injury that caused her health...
Cosmetic interventions are booming. Many say ethical conversations are lagging
LOS ANGELES — Shula Jassell is insecure about the size of her chin and has periodically considered getting filler to make it bigger. But when the 25-year-old from Southern California gives serious thought to the idea of repeatedly having to get the cosmetic procedure — it only lasts about a...
Does frequent worship lead to better mental health? Often, but not always, experts say
NEW YORK — Worldwide, the landscape of religion is not serene. Many denominations have been racked by divisions. In some regions, believers are targeted with violence. Countless faith leaders have betrayed their flocks via corruption or sexual abuse. Against this backdrop, there has been a long-running discussion about the role...
Inside ‘Scientology speedruns,’ the viral trend prompting the church to bolster security
LOS ANGELES — Ericka Buensuceso was walking along Hollywood Boulevard on Saturday when she came across an alien, two hot dogs and Jesus. The motley costumed crew was banding together with several others, united by the common goal of breaking into the nearby Church of Scientology information center and running...
Did Pope Leo find his voice in Africa? Or did the world finally hear him?
LUANDA, Angola — And in Africa, the lion roared. There is a case to be made that Pope Leo XIV, the careful, reserved, Midwestern Augustinian, found his voice on his epic trip through Africa, blasting the “handful of tyrants” and “chains of corruption” that have held parts of the continent...
Block party helps people discover ‘underappreciated treasure’ of the Maxo Vanka murals in Millvale church
While heads are often bowed in prayer inside churches, many were looking up in awe at a Millvale church on Sunday. For some, St. Nicholas Church was something like a man-made geode, its unassuming yellow brick walls containing a colorful treasure within. The treasure inside the 125-year-old Croatian church perched...
Diocese of Greensburg bishop joins clergy nationwide weighing in on Trump, Pope Leo XIV discourseVideo
Diocese of Greensburg Bishop Larry Kulick said Thursday that Pope Leo XIV is “speaking from his rightful position” in criticism of President Donald Trump and the Iran war. The polarizing debate between the president and the pope has pushed onlookers to opposing sides. But Kulick views Leo’s continued calls for...
What is the ‘just war theory’ that U.S. Speaker Mike Johnson invoked to defend Trump from Pope Leo?
Following recent social media disagreements between President Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV surrounding the Iran war, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday used the “just war theory” to defend the president’s criticism of the pontiff. But what exactly is the “just war theory”? Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, insisted...
Insulting, blasphemous, disgrace: Western Pennsylvania Catholics weigh in on public discourse between Trump, Pope Leo XIV
West Deer resident Sam Mayhan has only ever voted for one person for president: Donald Trump. But the 28-year-old Catholic is now “pretty perturbed,” finding himself torn between his political allegiance and his faith following the president’s recent social media attacks on Pope Leo XIV. “I don’t think the pope...
The Trump and Leo chronicles: A president and a pope square off over Iran and its aftermath
Pope Leo XIV, a studious and soft-spoken cleric, and Donald Trump, an unapologetically bellicose and pugilistic politician, have long been on a rhetorical collision course. Now their disagreement over the war in Iran has escalated in spectacular fashion, and their comments show how differently each see the conflict and its...
Pope Leo says he does not fear Trump, citing Gospel as he pushes back in feud over Iran war
WASHINGTON — U.S.-born Pope Leo XIV pushed back Monday on President Donald Trump’s broadside against him over the U.S.-Israel war in Iran, telling reporters that the Vatican’s appeals for peace and reconciliation are rooted in the Gospel, and that he doesn’t fear the Trump administration. “To put my message on...
Pope Leo XIV blasts ‘delusion of omnipotence’ fueling the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran
ROME — In his strongest words yet, Pope Leo XIV on Saturday denounced the “delusion of omnipotence” that is fueling the U.S.-Israel war in Iran and demanded political leaders stop and negotiate peace. Leo presided over an evening prayer service in St. Peter’s Basilica on the same day the United...
From ‘BuddhaBot’ to $1.99 chats with AI Jesus, the faith-based tech boom is here
CAMARILLO, Calif. — For some evangelical Christians, faith is about having a personal relationship with Jesus. At $1.99 per minute, the tech company Just Like Me is taking that concept to a new level. Users of the platform can join video calls with an avatar of Jesus generated by artificial...
Pope amplifies criticism of Iran war and says ‘God does not bless any conflict’
ROME — Pope Leo XIV amplified his condemnation of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran on Friday, saying that “God does not bless any conflict” and certainly doesn’t side with those who drop bombs. Leo spoke during a gathering of top bishops of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Iraq, an Eastern...
Greensburg diocese will participate in Pope Leo’s vigil for peace
The Diocese of Greensburg announced it will take part in an international prayer vigil Saturday. The event is part of a worldwide call for prayer in the Catholic Church and will coincide with a a vigil led by Pope Leo XIV in Rome. The local vigil will be at Blessed...
Good Friday is a unique and solemn day for Christians, with ancient prayers and fervent processions
MIAMI — Good Friday is a unique — and uniquely solemn — day in the Christian calendar. It commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus, ahead of what’s a central tenet of faith for believers — his resurrection two days later on Easter Sunday, according to the Gospels. This year,...
Catholic churches see a surge of new converts
People are joining the Catholic Church in surprising numbers. This Easter, the Archdiocese of Detroit will receive 1,428 new Catholics into the church, its highest number in 21 years. The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston will have its most in 15 years. In the Diocese of Des Moines, the count is jumping...
Catholic churches see a surge of new converts
People are joining the Catholic Church in surprising numbers. This Easter, the Archdiocese of Detroit will receive 1,428 new Catholics into the church, its highest number in 21 years. The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston will have its most in 15 years. In the Diocese of Des Moines, the count is jumping...
Jewish communities boost security and continue observances amid rise in hateful incidents
Law enforcement officials on Tuesday said they are taking steps to monitor and counter threats to Jewish and Muslim communities nationwide since the onset of war in the Middle East, multiple hate crimes and an attempted terror attack prompted increased security measures at places of worship and investigations into extremist...
Pete Hegseth’s Christian rhetoric draws renewed scrutiny after the U.S. goes to war with Iran
WASHINGTON — Since becoming defense secretary, Pete Hegseth has found no shortage of ways to bring his strand of conservative evangelicalism into the Pentagon. He hosts monthly Christian worship services for employees. His department’s promotional videos have displayed Bible verses alongside military footage. In speeches and interviews, he often argues...
After latest attack, some Jews wonder how much more security is possible
In the eight years since a gunman killed 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh — the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history — synagogues and other Jewish institutions across the country have gone to great lengths to fortify themselves. They have hired security guards, installed metal...
St. Agnes Church resumes fish fries after yearlong pause to renovate social hall
St. Agnes Church in North Huntingdon has its annual fish fries down to a science — at least that’s how volunteer Diane Pesarsick describes it. For four weeks leading up to Easter, more than 120 churchgoers get into a rhythm. Boxes of food — fish, french fries and ingredients for...
Hundreds attend Ash Wednesday services in Greensburg
Students from Aquinas Academy, an elementary school adjacent to Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Greensburg, were among hundreds of people to visit the cathedral for Ash Wednesday services....
