SANTA ROSA, Calif. – California’s Sonoma County has ordered officials to remove angels, stars and other religious symbols from Christmas trees in county buildings over concerns they violate the Constitution. County Administrator Chris Thomas issued the order Monday to managers of all 26 county departments, saying it is not the government’s role to endorse religion.…

VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI on Monday described a visit to Israel’s Holocaust memorial as a disturbing encounter with hatred, days after his decision to move the controversial World War II-era pope closer to sainthood angered Jewish groups. The German-born Benedict signed a decree Saturday on the virtues of Pope Pius XII, who has…

GENEVA (RNS/ENI) Faith groups have expressed disappointment and anger over the outcome of the United Nations talks on climate change that have ended in Copenhagen, pledging to continue to press for climate justice. “With a lack of transparency, the agreement reached this past week by some countries was negotiated without consensus but rather in secret…

TULSA, Okla. – Evangelist Oral Roberts was remembered Monday as a charismatic leader who deftly used television to spread the message of Christianity throughout the world. Thousands packed an arena at Oral Roberts University for the memorial service for the man who founded the evangelical liberal arts school. Roberts died of complications from pneumonia at…

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