Churches & Religion

Pastor Ronald J. Rozniak greets parishioners at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church in Ridgewood, N.J., on Sunday.

Pope’s message generates mixed reaction

September 27, 2013, 5:00pm Churches & Religion

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- Mary Jean Sawey and Lucia Tirone are both devout Roman Catholics, but they don't see eye to eye on Pope Francis. Read story

Pope Francis, left, meets Pope emeritus Benedict XVI in Castel Gandolfo on March 23.

Benedict emerges and defends his abuse record

September 23, 2013, 5:00pm Churches & Religion

VATICAN CITY -- Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI has emerged from his self-imposed silence inside the Vatican walls to publish a lengthy letter to one of Italy's most well-known atheists. In it, he denies having covered up for sexually abusive priests and discusses everything from evolution to the figure of Jesus… Read story

Rick Kemmer holds a seed pod from a moringa tree.

Vancouver couple promote ‘miracle tree’ to those in need

September 17, 2013, 5:00pm Churches & Religion

The world is going to be hearing a lot about the moringa tree in years to come. A couple from Vancouver is helping the moringa earn its place in the spotlight. Read story

Clark County Commissioners David Madore, from front, Steve Stuart and Tom Mielke pause for prayer before the start of a commissioners meeting at the Clark County Public Services Center earlier this year.

Prayers at county meetings express some diversity

September 14, 2013, 5:00pm Churches & Religion

Since instituting prayer at their weekly meetings, Clark County commissioners have heard invocations from 16 Christian representatives, one Baha'i chairperson, one Buddhist abbess, one Jewish rabbi and one Messianic Jewish pastor. Read story

Retired Seattle archbishop has stroke

September 12, 2013, 5:00pm Churches & Religion

SEATTLE (AP) -- The Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle says retired Archbishop Alexander J. Brunett suffered a stroke Thursday and underwent surgery at Overlake Hospital in Bellevue. Read story

Soccer-loving pope cheers Messi, other players

Pope Francis is applauded by Italy goalie Gianluigi Buffon, left, and Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi during a private audience at the Vatican on Tuesday.

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis cheered fellow Argentine Lionel Messi and other soccer stars Tuesday as he led a morality-focused pep rally of sorts at the Vatican for Argentina and Italy's national teams ahead of their eagerly awaited friendly match. Read story

Argentina’s ‘slum priests’ focus on helping

A mural decorates a wall in the slums of Buenos Aires, Argentina, in July.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- They call the slums villas miserias, or little cities of misery. Instead of names, most have been assigned numbers by the Argentine government. Father Carlos Olivero lives in a small concrete church in the middle of Villa 21-24. Read story

Christianity discreetly grows in China

Jing Jianmei, facing camera, right, a pastor at the Hongde Tang Church in Shanghai, China, leads a Sunday worship service on March 3, 2013. Hongde Tang is one of about 25 official Christian churches in Shanghai.

SHANGHAI -- In a trendy coffee shop in Shanghai's glittering financial district, five people cram into a tiny, dimly lit back room with two tables. By day, these five are white-collar workers, eagerly climbing the corporate ladder as China's economy booms. By night, once a week, they're huddled over their… Read story