Churches & Religion

Pilgrims carry a portrait of Roman Catholic Archbishop Oscar Romero to Romero's beatification ceremony in San Salvador, El Salvador, Saturday, May 23, 2015. Romero was beatified by Roman Catholic officials in a ceremony elevating the once-controversial cleric to the ranks of the blessed 35 years after his assassination.

Salvadorans rejoice over beatification

May 23, 2015, 5:00pm Churches & Religion

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador -- Archbishop Oscar Romero was beatified by Roman Catholic officials Saturday in an emotional ceremony elevating the once-controversial cleric to the ranks of the blessed 35 years after his assassination. Read story

Associated Press files
Pope Francis arrives May 29 for his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican. Francis is issuing an encyclical on the environment and climate change by the end of June.

Catholics prepare for pope’s climate stance

May 22, 2015, 5:00pm Churches & Religion

NEW YORK — There will be prayer vigils and pilgrimages, policy briefings and seminars, and sermons in parishes from the U.S. to the Philippines. Read story

Survey finds atheists are made, not born

May 19, 2015, 5:00pm Churches & Religion

WASHINGTON -- The Pew Research Center on Tuesday released a massive, 35,000-person survey on the state of religion in America. The topline findings of this year's release are the twin trends of declining adherence to Christian religions, and the rise of the religiously unaffiliated. Read story

The outreach team at Memorial Lutheran Church holds a retirement tribute to Gary Schonberger, right, in mid-April. Schonberger has stepped down as the leader of the church's food ministry and daily soup kitchen.

Rose Village charity looking for new help as volunteers grow older

May 19, 2015, 5:00pm Churches & Religion

Gene Scott, spry and wiry at 79, doesn't plan on slowing down. But he allowed that it may be somewhat inevitable. Read story

Pope Francis arrives Sunday to celebrate a canonization ceremony of four new saints in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican. Among them are Arab nuns Sts.

Pope canonizes 2 saints from 19th-century Palestine

May 16, 2015, 5:00pm Churches & Religion

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis canonized two nuns from what was 19th-century Palestine on Sunday in hope of encouraging Christians across the Middle East who are facing a wave of persecution from Islamic extremists. Read story

Cost-sharing ministries offer alternative to Obamacare

"Medi-Share has been a blessing for our family," said Melissa Mira, of Tacoma, with daughters Jael, left, and Sienna.

SEATTLE -- When Melissa Mira suffered sudden heart failure at the end of her second pregnancy last year, she worried first about her health and her baby — then about the more than $200,000 in medical bills that began rolling in. Read story

Study: Americans becoming less Christian, more secular

NEW YORK -- The number of Americans who don't affiliate with a particular religion has grown to 56 million in recent years, making the faith group researchers call "nones" the second-largest in total numbers behind evangelicals, according to a Pew Research Center study released Tuesday. Read story