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Churches & Religion

Juan Castelli sits on a staircase at a square in Montevideo, Uruguay, Saturday, July 22, 2023. Castelli was raised in a Catholic household, but has been an atheist since the age of 15. Uruguay, has a long history of secularization that dates to the early 20th century. Today, more than half of its population identify as atheist, agnostic or religiously unaffiliated - the highest portion in Latin America.

In the pope’s homeland, more Argentines are seeking spiritual answers beyond the church

Juan Castelli sits on a staircase at a square in Montevideo, Uruguay, Saturday, July 22, 2023. Castelli was raised in a Catholic household, but has been an atheist since the age of 15. Uruguay, has a long history of secularization that dates to the early 20th century. Today, more than half of its population identify as atheist, agnostic or religiously unaffiliated - the highest portion in Latin America.

October 8, 2023, 6:00am Churches & Religion

CAPILLA DEL MONTE, Argentina (AP) — In the pope’s homeland, there’s a woman who believes in angels and calls them aliens. Another who proudly identifies as a witch. Read story

Copies of Pope Francis' latest encyclical letter on environment "Laudate Deum" are prepared for sale in a bookshop in Rome, Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023.

Point of no return: Pope challenges leaders at UN talks to slow global warming before it’s too late

Copies of Pope Francis' latest encyclical letter on environment "Laudate Deum" are prepared for sale in a bookshop in Rome, Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023.

October 4, 2023, 8:08am Churches & Religion

Pope Francis shamed and challenged world leaders on Wednesday to commit to binding targets to slow climate change before it’s too late, warning that God’s increasingly warming creation is fast reaching a “point of no return.” Read story

Delegates walk by the large Romanesque rood before which St. Francis of Assisi was praying when he is said to have received the commission from the Lord to rebuild the Church as they arrive for the opening session of the 16th General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops at The Vatican, Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023. Pope Francis is convening a global gathering of bishops and laypeople to discuss the future of the Catholic Church, including some hot-button issues that have previously been considered off the table for discussion. Key agenda items include women's role in the church, welcoming LGBTQ+ Catholics, and how bishops exercise authority. For the first time, women and laypeople can vote on specific proposals alongside bishops.

Pope Francis opens a big Vatican meeting on the church’s future and says ‘everyone’ is welcome

Delegates walk by the large Romanesque rood before which St. Francis of Assisi was praying when he is said to have received the commission from the Lord to rebuild the Church as they arrive for the opening session of the 16th General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops at The Vatican, Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023. Pope Francis is convening a global gathering of bishops and laypeople to discuss the future of the Catholic Church, including some hot-button issues that have previously been considered off the table for discussion. Key agenda items include women's role in the church, welcoming LGBTQ+ Catholics, and how bishops exercise authority. For the first time, women and laypeople can vote on specific proposals alongside bishops.

October 4, 2023, 7:40am Churches & Religion

Pope Francis said the Catholic Church was in need of repair to make it a place of welcome for “everyone, everyone, everyone,” as he opened a big meeting on the future of the faith that has sparked hope among progressives and alarm among conservatives. Read story

The angel Moroni statue atop the Salt Lake Temple is silhouetted against a cloud-covered sky at Temple Square in Salt Lake City in 2013. The Latter-day Saints have announced plans to build multiple temples in the U.S. — including one in Vancouver.

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to build temple in Vancouver

The angel Moroni statue atop the Salt Lake Temple is silhouetted against a cloud-covered sky at Temple Square in Salt Lake City in 2013. The Latter-day Saints have announced plans to build multiple temples in the U.S. — including one in Vancouver.

October 4, 2023, 6:03am Churches & Religion

Local members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have responded with joy to news that the church will build a new temple in Vancouver. Read story

The workspace for the the synod of bishops starting on Oct. 4, 2023, is set up inside the Paul VI Hall at The Vatican, Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. Pope Francis is opening a global gathering of bishops and laypeople to discuss the future of the Catholic Church, including some hot-button issues that have previously been considered off-limits for discussion. For the first time, women and laypeople can vote on specific proposals alongside bishops, a radical change that is evidence of Francis' belief that the church is more about its flock than its shepherds.

Things to know about the Vatican’s big meeting on the future of the Catholic Church

The workspace for the the synod of bishops starting on Oct. 4, 2023, is set up inside the Paul VI Hall at The Vatican, Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. Pope Francis is opening a global gathering of bishops and laypeople to discuss the future of the Catholic Church, including some hot-button issues that have previously been considered off-limits for discussion. For the first time, women and laypeople can vote on specific proposals alongside bishops, a radical change that is evidence of Francis' belief that the church is more about its flock than its shepherds.

October 3, 2023, 7:57am Churches & Religion

Pope Francis on Wednesday is opening a global gathering of bishops and laypeople to discuss the future of the Catholic Church, including some hot-button issues that have previously been considered off-limits for discussion. Read story

Tibetan Buddhist monk Nawang Shakga works on a sand mandala Monday at Clark College's Cannell Library. The mandala's creation began with the outline of a small orange circle at the very center, which was then filled with a soft pink.

Tibetan monks begin weeklong construction of sand mandala at Clark College

Tibetan Buddhist monk Nawang Shakga works on a sand mandala Monday at Clark College's Cannell Library. The mandala's creation began with the outline of a small orange circle at the very center, which was then filled with a soft pink.

October 3, 2023, 6:04am Churches & Religion Subscriber Exclusive

Enveloped in the studious silence of Clark College’s library, Tibetan Buddhist monk Nawang Shakga used delicate metal tools to create a small circle of fine, orange sand. Read story

FILE -- Maria Lia Zervino one of the first women chosen by Pope Francis to be on the Dicastery for Bishops poses for a picture during an interview with the Associated Press in Rome, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. For Zervino, who worked alongside the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio when both held positions in the Argentine bishops conference, the upcoming synod of bishops is a watershed moment for the church and quite possibly the most consequential thing Francis will have undertaken as pope. This edition is different because Francis has allowed women and other laypeople to vote alongside bishops.

Women’s voices and votes loom large as pope is set to open a Vatican meeting on church’s future

FILE -- Maria Lia Zervino one of the first women chosen by Pope Francis to be on the Dicastery for Bishops poses for a picture during an interview with the Associated Press in Rome, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. For Zervino, who worked alongside the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio when both held positions in the Argentine bishops conference, the upcoming synod of bishops is a watershed moment for the church and quite possibly the most consequential thing Francis will have undertaken as pope. This edition is different because Francis has allowed women and other laypeople to vote alongside bishops.

October 2, 2023, 7:57am Churches & Religion

A few years ago, Pope Francis told the head of the main Vatican-backed Catholic women’s organization to be “brave” in pushing for change for women in the Catholic Church. Read story

The Rev. Gustavo Castillo preaches to his congregation at the Iglesia Pentecostal Unida Latinoamericana in Columbia Heights, Minn., on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023. The federal government recently moved thousands of green card applications for vulnerable minors from Central America in the queue for religious workers, leading to long delays and thus putting ministers on temporary work visas like Castillo at risk of losing the ability to stay in the United States.

A green card processing change means U.S. could lose thousands of faith leaders from abroad

The Rev. Gustavo Castillo preaches to his congregation at the Iglesia Pentecostal Unida Latinoamericana in Columbia Heights, Minn., on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023. The federal government recently moved thousands of green card applications for vulnerable minors from Central America in the queue for religious workers, leading to long delays and thus putting ministers on temporary work visas like Castillo at risk of losing the ability to stay in the United States.

October 1, 2023, 1:06pm Churches & Religion

For more than two hours on a Sunday afternoon, the Rev. Gustavo Castillo led the Pentecostal congregation he’s been growing in this Minneapolis suburb through prayer, Scriptures, rousing music and sometimes tearful testimonials. Read story

Protesters opposing the City of Hamtramck's recent resolution banning the flying of LGBTQ+ flags, political flags, and flags symbolizing any race or religion on City property, demonstrate at City Hall on June 24, 2023, in Hamtramck, Michigan.

As Muslims’ status as political punching bag fades, some are fighting against LGBTQ+ acceptance

Protesters opposing the City of Hamtramck's recent resolution banning the flying of LGBTQ+ flags, political flags, and flags symbolizing any race or religion on City property, demonstrate at City Hall on June 24, 2023, in Hamtramck, Michigan.

October 1, 2023, 6:12am Churches & Religion

For months, hundreds of religious parents have regularly rallied outside a Maryland school board building, aghast at curriculum featuring books that portray LGBTQ+ families to elementary school kids. Read story

Maria Chirinos holds her son, Jhonder, 1, during mass before his baptism ceremony on Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023, at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Miami. Many of the children baptized were migrant refugees being welcomed into the church as part of an outreach effort by the Hermanos de la Calle, a organization that combats homelessness.

Migrant families lean on faith

Maria Chirinos holds her son, Jhonder, 1, during mass before his baptism ceremony on Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023, at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Miami. Many of the children baptized were migrant refugees being welcomed into the church as part of an outreach effort by the Hermanos de la Calle, a organization that combats homelessness.

September 30, 2023, 5:29am Churches & Religion

It took months of trekking across Central America to escape economic hardship in Venezuela and get to Miami for Karen Ugas, her husband and her five kids. Read story