Faith & Family
Many U.S. Catholics are dismayed by Trump’s unprecedented broadside at the first American pope
A majority of U.S. Catholic voters supported Donald Trump in his 2024 presidential victory. Yet across the broad Catholic political spectrum - even among conservative-leaning bishops - there is dismay over Trump's unprecedented verbal assault on the Pope Leo XIV, the first American to lead their church.
Trump deletes image depicting himself as Jesus, says it actually showed him as a doctor
President Trump on Monday deleted a social media post that appeared to depict himself as Jesus after the image sparked a backlash from the Christian right.
Pope Leo XIV says he’s ‘not afraid’ of Trump as war of words escalates
Pope Leo XIV said Monday that he isn't afraid of President Trump and vowed to keep raising his voice against the Iran war, as the public disagreement between the two leaders escalates.
Pope visits Africa and calls for peace in Algeria against Iran war’s backdrop
Pope Leo XIV arrived in Algeria on Monday on a first-ever papal visit, calling for peace and the end of "neocolonial tendencies" in world affairs, while facing an extraordinary broadside by President Donald Trump over his criticism of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
Ethiopian Orthodox Christians in Washington mark Easter with prayer, joyful family celebrations
For the Ethiopian Orthodox, Fasika is the most important and revered time of the church calendar.
Antisemitic attacks in 2025 led to highest number of fatalities in 30 years, study finds
Last year saw the highest level of deadly violence against Jews in over three decades, with 20 people killed in antisemitic attacks, according to an annual study released by Tel Aviv University on Monday.
Pope Leo XIV says he does not fear Trump, citing Gospel as he pushes back in feud over Iran war
U.S.-born Pope Leo XIV pushed back Monday on President Trump's broadside against him over the U.S.-Israel war in Iran, telling reporters that the Vatican's appeals for peace and reconciliation are rooted in the Gospel, and that he doesn't fear the Trump administration.
The church where MLK gave his final speech is getting a $1.2 million renovation
Mason Temple, a church in Memphis where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his final speech, will be upgraded with a $1.2 million federal grant to preserve a treasured piece of the Civil Rights Movement, officials are expected to announce Monday.
‘Stop catering to the Radical Left’: Trump attacks Pope Loe XIV
President Donald Trump attacked Pope Leo XIV on social media on Sunday, saying the first American pope should "stop catering to the Radical Left."
Bible stories would be part of a new Texas public schools reading list drawing attention
Biblical stories like Jonah and the whale would be required reading for Texas public schools students under proposals that are putting the state at the center of another contentious wrangling over the role of religion in classrooms.
Russia and Ukraine say they’ll observe weekend ceasefire for Orthodox Easter holidays
Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a 32-hour ceasefire this weekend in connection with the upcoming Orthodox Easter holidays. The pause in hostilities with neighboring Ukraine will run from 4 p.m. on Saturday until the end of the day on April 12, the Kremlin said in a statement.
A president and a pope: The world’s most influential Americans are at odds over Iran
President Trump is accustomed to criticism from coast to coast -- Democrats, disaffected Republicans, late-night comedians, massive protests. Yet in his second presidency, Trump's most influential American critic doesn't live in the country but at the Vatican.
From ‘BuddhaBot’ to $1.99 chats with AI Jesus, the faith-based tech boom is here
For some evangelical Christians, faith is about having a personal relationship with Jesus. At $1.99 per minute, the tech company Just Like Me is taking that concept to a new level.
In Congo, an unconventional Christian movement has existential lessons for the troubled nation
The founder of one of Africa's largest independent churches spent 30 years in jail and died a prisoner, banished far from his home by Belgian colonial authorities who judged his activities to be dangerous.
Pope’s Africa trip takes him to a source of growth for the church, and critical challenges
When Pope Leo XIV pronounced himself a "son of St. Augustine" the night of his election, some Algerians took that to mean his ancestors hailed from the North African country where the 5th century saint lived and died.
Child exploitation rampant online while Big Tech blows chances to help nab predators
Social media has made a mess of child exploitation, spawning a massive increase in reports but leaving the major technology companies struggling to turn over the kinds of details investigators need to track down culprits and rescue victims, said a report Thursday by the Senate's senior lawmaker.
Abortions performed by Planned Parenthood hit record high amid defunding battle
Calls to defund Planned Parenthood surged with the release of its annual report showing that the number of abortions it performed hit a record high and federal funding continued to increase, even as cancer screenings and other services plummeted.
U.S. abortion opponents want Trump’s FDA to act on abortion pill restrictions
U.S. abortion opponents are increasingly frustrated with the lack of action by President Donald Trump's administration to stem the flow of abortion pills prescribed online that they view as undermining state abortion bans.
Births and fertility rate down nationwide in 2025
The number of U.S. births and the fertility rate of American women declined from 2024 to 2025, including for teens.
Greece moves to protect minors from social media with new ban for kids under 15
Greece became the latest European Union country to unveil plans for a total social media ban for kids 15 and under in a move the country's prime minister said aims to pressure the 27-member bloc into formalizing EU-wide age restrictions.
