2+ day, 13+ hour ago (419+ words) The fall-winter holiday season harks back to an America that was always rooted in man's permanent sources of meaning....

2+ day, 20+ hour ago (642+ words) Many Americans may have lost faith in organized religion, but according to recent data, they still love the Good Book. As of September, Bible sales were up 11% this year over 2024, part of a continuing boom in Bible sales. That includes 2.4 million sold in September as part of a surge that coincided with the death of conservative Christian activist Charlie Kirk, according to data from Circana, a company that tracks book sales. All told, more than 18 million Bibles have been sold so far this year. While publishers can track how many Bibles are sold, they don't have demographic details of the buyers. But Tim Wildsmith, a former college campus minister turned author and Bible YouTuber, wonders if the tumult of the last five years, from the COVID-19 pandemic to the current political polarization, is playing a role. With the world going…...

2+ day, 20+ hour ago (752+ words) BEIRUT "When Pope Leo XIV visits the Middle East this week, he comes to a conflict-weary region struggling to find peace even as the specter of war stalks it once again. In his first international trip since assuming the papacy in May, the Chicago-born pope will travel Thursday to Turkey, where he will celebrate the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, where the Nicene Creed a foundational declaration of Christian belief and unity was written in AD 325. But perhaps the real test of Leo's international debut lies in Lebanon. His coming fulfills a promise to visit the country made by his boldly charismatic predecessor Pope Francis, who raised the papacy's international profile with dozens visits abroad and a propensity for frankness in his commentary that endeared him to the faithful, especially in the Middle East. But Christians estimated to be…...

2+ day, 20+ hour ago (752+ words) BEIRUT "When Pope Leo XIV visits the Middle East this week, he comes to a conflict-weary region struggling to find peace even as the specter of war stalks it once again. In his first international trip since assuming the papacy in May, the Chicago-born pope will travel Thursday to Turkey, where he will celebrate the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, where the Nicene Creed a foundational declaration of Christian belief and unity was written in AD 325. But perhaps the real test of Leo's international debut lies in Lebanon. His coming fulfills a promise to visit the country made by his boldly charismatic predecessor Pope Francis, who raised the papacy's international profile with dozens visits abroad and a propensity for frankness in his commentary that endeared him to the faithful, especially in the Middle East. But Christians estimated to be…...

3+ day, 19+ hour ago (168+ words) The Shroud of Turin Experience at Christ Cathedral uses AI and digital technology to tell the story of Jesus and the mysterious linen burial cloth that believers say wrapped his body after the crucifixion. What is the Shroud of Turin experience? The Shroud of Turin Experience at Christ Cathedral uses AI and digital technology to tell the story of Jesus and the mysterious linen burial cloth that believers say wrapped his body after the crucifixion. Deborah Netburn covers faith, spirituality and joy for the Los Angeles Times. She started at The Times in 2006 and has worked across a wide range of sections including entertainment, home and garden, national news, technology and science. Tom Carroll is a content creator for the Los Angeles Times. Before joining The Times in 2022, he created, produced and hosted the web series "Tom Explores Los Angeles....

2+ week, 20+ hour ago (604+ words) When millions of European immigrants came to the United States in the 19th century only to be scorned by mainstream society, it was the Catholic Church that embraced them, taught that keeping the customs of one's native lands was not bad and created systems of mutual aid and education for the newcomers that didn't rely on the government. Catholicism is the faith I was baptized in, the one I embraced as a teen and that's the bedrock for my moral code of comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable. My work desk covered with statues and devotional cards of Jesus, Mary and the saints is a physical testament to this. But I'm also one of the 72% of U.S. Catholics that a Pew Research Center survey from earlier this year. found don't attend weekly Mass, which we're obligated to do. I stopped going…...

2+ week, 20+ hour ago (604+ words) When millions of European immigrants came to the United States in the 19th century only to be scorned by mainstream society, it was the Catholic Church that embraced them, taught that keeping the customs of one's native lands was not bad and created systems of mutual aid and education for the newcomers that didn't rely on the government. Catholicism is the faith I was baptized in, the one I embraced as a teen and that's the bedrock for my moral code of comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable. My work desk covered with statues and devotional cards of Jesus, Mary and the saints is a physical testament to this. But I'm also one of the 72% of U.S. Catholics that a Pew Research Center survey from earlier this year. found don't attend weekly Mass, which we're obligated to do. I stopped going…...

2+ week, 4+ day ago (617+ words) A Christian missionary father and his daughter were killed when a small plane bound for a hurricane relief mission in Jamaica crashed in a South Florida neighborhood. Christian ministry organization Ignite the Fire identified the two victims of the Monday morning crash as the group's founder, Alexander Wurm, 53, and his daughter Serena Wurm, 22. The pair were bringing humanitarian aid to Jamaica, according to the organization, when the Beechcraft King Air plane they were flying in crashed into a pond in a residential area of the Fort Lauderdale suburb of Coral Springs, narrowly missing homes. As of Tuesday morning, investigators had not reported any other victims. Ignite the Fire is "dedicated to empowering youth through missions and evangelism across the Caribbean," according to the organization's website. A statement on the group's social media described the Wurm family as passionate about humanitarian…...

2+ week, 4+ day ago (617+ words) A Christian missionary father and his daughter were killed when a small plane bound for a hurricane relief mission in Jamaica crashed in a South Florida neighborhood. Christian ministry organization Ignite the Fire identified the two victims of the Monday morning crash as the group's founder, Alexander Wurm, 53, and his daughter Serena Wurm, 22. The pair were bringing humanitarian aid to Jamaica, according to the organization, when the Beechcraft King Air plane they were flying in crashed into a pond in a residential area of the Fort Lauderdale suburb of Coral Springs, narrowly missing homes. As of Tuesday morning, investigators had not reported any other victims. Ignite the Fire is "dedicated to empowering youth through missions and evangelism across the Caribbean," according to the organization's website. A statement on the group's social media described the Wurm family as passionate about humanitarian…...

2+ week, 5+ day ago (324+ words) ROME'The Vatican said Monday it was investigating a possible antisemitic incident, in which a Swiss Guard allegedly made a spitting gesture toward two Jewish women. The alleged incident occurred during a papal audience Oct. 29 at the entrance to St. Peter's Square. The audience that day was dedicated to marking the anniversary of a 1965 declaration on the church's relations with Jews and other non-Christians. The alleged victims were part of an international Jewish delegation attending the papal audience, during which Pope Leo XIV reaffirmed Catholic-Jewish relations and vowed to fight antisemitism. One of the Swiss Guards hissed the phrase "Les Juifs," or "the Jews," in French as they passed, Govrin said in a written statement. "We were totally shocked," she added. "Such an incident of Jewish hatred inside the Vatican?! In contrast to the Pope's important words strongly condemning anti-Semitism and…...