Higher Ground
Hundreds of thousands turn out for Pope Leo’s Mass in Paris
The Vatican has estimated that 700,000 people have turned out for Pope Leo XIV's Mass at Paris' iconic Place de la Concorde, a sign of the Catholic Church's enduring appeal in the once staunchly Catholic but officially secular country.
Tim Tebow pauses relationship with Christian organization accused of using predatory sales tactics
Tim Tebow said Friday he is "pausing his relationship" with Life Surge, a Christian organization that's been accused of using predatory sales tactics to exploit its followers' faith and financial insecurity.
Thousands of victims, millions in reparations. How France handled mass church sex abuse
As Pope Leo XIV prepares to meet this weekend with survivors of sexual abuse by clergy in France, an independent body created to address decades of church abuse is wrapping up its work and taking stock.
Pope Leo XIV warns a ‘paradise of machines’ could undermine humanity as he opens France trip
Pope Leo XIV warned Friday that a "paradise of machines" risked undermining humanity as he opened a trip to France by posing fundamental questions about what it means to be human in the age of artificial intelligence, nuclear arms race and other threats to life itself.
Muslim Americans push back as Republican politicians stoke anti-Sharia rhetoric ahead of election
Some of the loudest cheers for Sen. Ted Cruz at the Republicans' recent midterm convention in Dallas came after the Texas politician targeted Muslim Americans and their faith's religious code.
Why women’s reaction to Lindsay Clancy should terrify us
The Lindsay Clancy case has exposed some truly horrific fractures in the American conscience, shedding disturbing light on gender gaps that seem to be only intensifying.
Americans increasingly believe in marriage before children
In a survey released in August, Gallup offered encouraging news for our nation's future -- particularly for our children.
How France handles its strict secularism as it prepares for a papal visit
A four-day visit by Pope Leo XIV beginning Friday that will feature large public gatherings, popemobile parades and an open-air Mass in Paris presents France with a balancing act under its strict approach to secularism, known as laicite.
Some climb for faith, others for the views. This Chinese sacred mountain draws them all
A banknote clasped between her hands, Liu Haiyan prayed to the protector of the Wudang mountains. The range in central China has long been considered sacred in Taoism.
Famed radio and TV priest Fulton Sheen to be beatified in St. Louis, a step away from sainthood
Decades after he was a fixture on American TV screens, the late Archbishop Fulton Sheen is back in a familiar place: the media spotlight.
Medieval ‘deepfakes’: Church officials cited a fake imperial decree for centuries
Searching for truth amid falsified documents is not limited to our current era; a skeptical eye about sources' authenticity was just as important in the 15th century as it is today.
Me and Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
History yields people whose influence extends far beyond their earthly lives.
God, Country and the American Story: Why God doesn’t always give us a miracle
Nick Vujicic was born without arms or legs, battled loneliness and hopelessness, and prayed for a miracle that never came. Billy Hallowell sits down with Mr. Vujicic to discuss his remarkable journey and his new film, "No Limbs, No Limits: The Nick V Story."
Hasan Piker’s remarks about American Jews cross into dangerous territory
In recent years, we have seen an avalanche of antisemitic screeds on social media, often in the guise of attacks on Israel.
Pope praises U.S. radio and TV preacher Fulton Sheen as an inspiration ahead of his beatification
Pope Leo XIV, who grew up listening to popular American television preacher Archbishop Fulton Sheen, praised his fellow Illinois clergyman as an inspiration on Wednesday on the eve of Sheen's beatification.
Pope Leo XIV will meet with the French abuse survivors as critics demand action
Pope Leo XIV, during his four-day visit to France beginning Friday, will meet privately with seven survivors of sexual abuse by priests and other Catholic personnel. The outcome will be closely watched by critics who say the church hasn't done enough to confront the problem.
Asbury is first seminary to end federal loans after Trump cuts aid to low-paying college programs
Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky has become the first confirmed collegiate ministry program to phase out federal student loans.
Meloni plans to ban burqas and niqabs in Italian schools, and cap foreign students in classrooms
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Sunday she'll soon introduce a measure to her government that would cap the number of foreign students in classrooms and ban the wearing of burqas and niqabs in schools.
Pope Leo XIV in France to find a secular country at odds with Catholic teaching on life
When an ailing Pope John Paul II visited the French shrine at Lourdes in 2004, on his last foreign trip, he delivered a forceful condemnation of abortion and euthanasia as he gasped for air during Mass.
How North Korea’s ‘Kimdom’ drew inspiration from founding dictator’s Christian upbringing
Christian symbolism, however, was no accident. Pyongyang was once dubbed "The Jerusalem of the East," and communist guerilla, Red Army captain and state founder Kim Il Sung was raised in a deeply Christian household.