1+ hour, 25+ min ago (622+ words) BEIRUT, Lebanon (RNS) " Pope Leo XIV left Turkey on Sunday (Nov. 30), for the capital of Lebanon, Beirut, where he met with government officials in the conflict ridden and financially troubled country, home to one of the largest Christian communities in the Middle East. The war in Ukraine is also a main concern for the Vatican, which has been actively involved with offering aid and support to civilians on the ground. Leo told reporters he had that, given Erdogan's personal relationship with the leaders of Ukraine, Russia and the United States, "he might be able to help promote dialogue, a ceasefire and a way to resolve this conflict." After landing in Beirut, the pope met with the political leaders of Lebanon, a country plagued by a crippling financial crisis, mass displacement, widespread unemployment and conflict with Israel. In January 2025, after years…...

23+ hour, 7+ min ago (166+ words) This week on The State of Belief, host Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush is joined by the Very Rev. Winnie Varghese, the first female dean of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. As a queer Episcopal priest born to Indian immigrants, she brings a unique perspective to the challenges and opportunities facing faith communities today. In this episode, we dive deep into her journey, the significance of her role, and the current state of faith in America. Here are three key takeaways that resonated with me: Don't miss this enlightening conversation that challenges us to rethink our roles in our communities and the broader society. More About the Very Rev. Winnie Varghese: Rev. Winnie is the first female dean of the largest cathedral in the United States, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New…...

1+ day, 6+ hour ago (605+ words) ISTANBUL, Turkey (RNS) " Pope Leo XIV and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople met at the patriarchal seat in the ancient Phanar quarter on Saturday (Nov. 29) to sign a joint declaration affirming their commitment to achieving communion between the two churches. "We continue to walk with firm determination on the path of dialogue, in love and truth, towards the hoped-for restoration of full communion between our sister Churches," the declaration read. While seeking theological rapprochement, the two Christian leaders charted a parallel path to unity through practical peacemaking and environmental work. The statement also recognized personal relationships, prayer and "joint work in all those areas where cooperation is already possible" as ways to advance mutual understanding. The joint declaration made an impassioned appeal for peace, urging world leaders "to do everything possible to ensure that the tragedy of war ceases immediately,…...

1+ day, 9+ hour ago (697+ words) ISTANBUL, Turkey (RNS) " Pope Leo XIV removed his shoes and entered Istanbul's Blue Mosque for a moment of silent reflection on Saturday (Nov. 29), accompanied by the head of Turkey's powerful department for religious affairs, the Diyanet, in what observers called a small but necessary step toward deepening dialogue between the Catholic Church and Islam. The pope took the tour of the mosque "in a spirit of reflection and listening, with deep respect for the place and for the faith of those who gather there in prayer, according to an official Vatican statement. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque, large enough to accommodate 10,000 worshippers, is named for a 17th century Ottoman ruler, but is widely referred to as the Blue Mosque for the more than 20,000 brightly colored Iznik tiles that adorn its walls. Built in 1609, it is a monument to the Muslim sultans' dominance…...

2+ day, 2+ hour ago (494+ words) (RNS) " The Maha Kumbh Mela of 2025 " the Hindu festival marking a full orbital revolution of Jupiter around the sun, occurring once every 144 years " drew an estimated 660 million pilgrims to Prayagraj, India, from around the world, making it among the largest gatherings of people in history. Yakub Mathew, an Indian Christian and longtime New York City financial adviser, was among those making the pilgrimage, which took place over six weeks in January and February. With 18 of his friends and his wife, Mathew celebrated his 60th birthday at the Kumbh's site of Triveni Sangam, the confluence of the three holiest rivers in Prayagraj." The Maha Kumbh happens once in 144 years. Otherwise, the Kumbh happens every 12 years. People write thousands of books on the Kumbh, but nobody's written a multi-faith book. So I took the Kumbh as a sort of a manifestation and used…...

2+ day, 3+ hour ago (492+ words) As you might imagine, objections have been raised by the usual suspects." "This is state-sponsored religious indoctrination dressed up as history," harumphed"Annie Laurie Gaylor, president of the FFRF Action Fund. "Lawmakers should be ensuring Ohio students receive an honest education about the diverse influences on American democracy " not mandating they be spoon-fed a Christian nationalist fairy tale." In fairness to Gaylor, the bill does seem a bit one-sided. Stating that its purpose is to encourage "instruction on the positive impacts of religion on American history," it offers a list of teachable subjects that might have been taken from a lecture by evangelical pseudo-historian David Barton. Such as: "Benjamin Franklin's appeal for prayer at the constitutional convention and the hiring of chaplains that followed." (The convention ignored Franklin's appeal, and Congress did not hire chaplains until two years after it…...

2+ day, 7+ hour ago (641+ words) (RNS) " This September, 15 students began online classes at a new university in California that hopes to become a "Catholic MIT" or "Catholic CalTech," according to its founder, Jennifer Nolan. Catholic Polytechnic University, which offers a bachelor's and master's degree in computer science, is being billed as a place "where your faith meets your STEM career." Nolan, a homeschooling mom and neuroscientist, couldn't find a tech school where she could be sure her kids wouldn't be "talked out of their faith." So she started her own. Catholic Polytechnic will be focused on science and tech, but also on Catholic identity and practice. All faculty are practicing Catholics and will weave faith, ethics and virtue into their coursework, Nolan said." "I think in this day and age people who choose to be Catholic"like all of these Catholic converts that are on…...

2+ day, 15+ hour ago (411+ words) In issuing a permanent injunction in a lawsuit filed in June, Raleigh County Circuit Judge Michael Froble on Wednesday said children of families who object to the state's compulsory vaccination law on religious grounds will be allowed to attend school and participate in extracurricular sports. Froble ruled that a state policy barring parents from seeking religious exemptions violates the Equal Protection for Religion Act signed into law in 2023 by then-Republican Gov. Jim Justice. West Virginia was among just a handful of states that granted only medical exemptions from school vaccinations when Republican Gov. Patrick Morrisey issued an executive order in January allowing religious exemptions. But the state Board of Education voted in June to direct public schools to ignore the executive order and instead follow long-standing school vaccine requirements laid out in state law. After Wednesday's ruling, the board said…...

2+ day, 18+ hour ago (134+ words) A playful deep-dive into angels, ghosts, fairies, and why even rational people still crave the mystical. The post Best of SBTC: A Ross Douthat Guide to Fairies, UFOs " and Church appeared first on RNS. Exploring the mystical, the skeptical, and the spiritually surprising with Ross Douthat. What's your woo level? In this episode, Katelyn and Roxy run through their most mystical instincts'angels, ghosts, manifesting, energies, astrology'and ask whether modern Christians have grown a little too allergic to spiritual experience Then New York Times columnist and noted UFO enthusiast Ross Douthat joins to talk about the persistence of the supernatural, why he thinks religion is still the most rational bet, and the dangers of patchwork spirituality A funny, curious, and unexpectedly grounding conversation about what might be lurking just beyond the empirical....

3+ day, 2+ hour ago (540+ words) ANKARA (RNS) " Pope Leo XIV landed in the capital of Turkey, and on Thursday (Nov. 27) met with state representatives of the Sunni Muslim majority country, including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, during which he made a plea for peace amid growing tensions and conflict. After a stop at the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, the pope entered the presidential palace alongside Erdogan to the sound of ceremonial cannons and the Turkish national anthem. "Today, more than ever, we need people who will promote dialogue and practice it with firm will and patient resolve," Leo said in a speech to diplomatic and civil authorities in the country, warning that the world is "marked by a heightened level of conflict on the global level, fueled by prevailing strategies of economic and military power." Referring to his predecessor Pope…...