Religion News Service

 "There was a request for clergy to show up" at the scene, said one Minneapolis minister. "I was out the door."

The Trump administration does not even pretend to care about democracy, human rights, political refugees or victims of natural disasters.

Defenders of the Johnson Amendment hope to block a proposed legal settlement that would allow churches to make partisan statements during worship services.

"Playing havoc with Leo's appointment to replace Dolan looks like a disruptive move by those who realize that the U.S. church is at last aligning with Francis' and Leo's priorities," writes Steven P. Millies.

Clergy, churches and other religious organizations wrestle with how to mark one of the most important Christian holidays while also serving an immigrant population in crisis.

The prophet would ask why we continue spending billions of dollars for weapons and tax cuts while cutting aid to the hungry, the sick, the unemployed, and victims of wars and climate disasters.

Faith leaders and religious advocates in New Jersey are calling for accountability and compassion following the death of a 41-year-old Haitian man after a reported medical emergency while he was detained at Delaney Hall, an immigration detention facility in Newark.

Many people, including Catholics, look on the archbishop of New York as the leader of the U.S. Catholic Church. With this appointment, the pope has picked an archbishop who could lead the archdiocese until at least 2042.

After two years of war and heartbreak, the ceasefire — despite violations — has given some hope that the war will end in the foreseeable future. While residents recognize hostilities could escalate, the atmosphere in Jerusalem and Bethlehem is palpably more festive for the holidays this year, with a full schedule of public holiday bazaars, concerts and events.

As the Vatican unveils its crèches, Pope Leo XIV marks his first Christmas with a calmer tone and a forceful call against antisemitic violence.

As Christianity compels us, we need to put aside our arrogance and partisanship on health care and do what is best for the nation and its people. And, if Congress is incapable of reforming the health care system, we should take away their generous health care plan and put them on Medicaid. That should wake them up.

The anniversary offers an opportunity to reflect not just on what the document says, but on the young papacy of Leo XIV.

Sixty percent of Catholics under 18 identify as Hispanic, but Latinos are underrepresented at Catholic universities. Latinos are also a minority among campus ministers and make up less than 10% of theology students. Experts worry that this lack of access will mean fewer Latinos becoming priests, sisters and others serving the church, even as the church works to transform its institutions to reflect its changing demographics.

Somalis have come, like generations of immigrants before them, to build dreams for those who will follow.

For the past five years, the decline of religion in America has stalled, after years of decline.

"Being rooted in faith is what leads us to be resilient," said the president of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament on Xavier’s Founder’s Day.

Preparing for ICE agents' presence in the city, an interfaith coalition shared best practices for dealing with law enforcement at houses of worship.

But not all schools that attract traditionalist students are avoiding financial challenges or the demographic cliff of fewer college-bound students after Generation Z.