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VATICAN CITY (RNS) Masses in honor of the late Pope John Paul II will be celebrated every Oct. 22 starting this year, but only in Rome and Poland for now, the Vatican announced on Monday (April 11). The decree establishing a feast day for John Paul, who will be beatified by Pope Benedict XVI on…

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (RNS) Jurors were urged Monday (April 11) to weigh the overwhelming evidence against a white man who is charged with a federal hate crime for allegedly torching a black church on the evening of President Obama’s election. Michael F. Jacques is the only one of three accomplices to stand trial for the Nov.…

JERUSALEM (RNS) An Israeli-Canadian journalist believes he may have tracked down two of the iron nails used to crucify Jesus to the cross. Or at least objects that “could be” the long-lost relics. While researching a segment for the History Channel series Secrets of Christianity, host and producer Simcha Jacobovici learned something that startled him:…

(RNS) Is the Bible good for your sex life, but bad for a sex ed class? A Boston biblical scholar challenges widely held beliefs about the Bible and sex in her new book, arguing Scripture cannot and should not be a guidebook for sexual morality. The Bible is a complex compendium of human experience including…

WASHINGTON (RNS) U.S. Catholic bishops announced Monday (April 11) that sexual abuse accusations against Catholic clergy increased in 2010, and auditors found 57 dioceses do not follow church guidelines on child protection. The number of clergy accused of abuse increased last year from 286 to 345, the bishops conference reported in its annual survey of…

TRENTON, N.J. (RNS) Of all those targeted in what became the biggest FBI sting operation in New Jersey history, Rabbi Mordchai Fish was among the most secretive. He changed cell phones constantly, worried aloud about electronic bugs and had cash couriers all over Brooklyn. On Friday (April 8), the tearful 58-year-old Orthodox rabbi pleaded guilty…

(RNS) On the eve of the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War, a long-lost letter has surfaced that describes President Abraham Lincoln’s belief in God. The Raab Collection of Philadelphia plans to sell a recently discovered letter written in 1866 by William Herndon, a Springfield, Ill., lawyer and Lincoln confidant. “Mr. Lincoln’s…

(RNS) As newlyweds, Cokie and Steve Roberts wanted to host a Passover seder that could be enjoyed by her devout Catholic family, his secular Jewish clan, and friends from a range of backgrounds. Faced with limited options for interfaith families during those early years of married life, their professional instincts as writers kicked in: they…

BERLIN (RNS) The number of Germans leaving the Roman Catholic Church rose dramatically in 2010 as Pope Benedict XVI’s homeland wrestled with reports of systematic sexual abuse of minors and attempted cover-ups, according to a study by a German newspaper. About 180,000 Catholics officially ended their church affiliation in 2010, a rise of 50,000 (or…

WASHINGTON (RNS) The U.S. ambassador to Malta, who helped rally Catholic support for President Obama’s 2008 campaign, has spent “considerable time” writing on topics beyond the mission of his office, particularly about matters of faith, according to a new State Department investigation. The report from the department’s Office of Inspector General said Ambassador Douglas Kmiec’s…
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