Faith & Family
Food and Drug Administration expects decision on abortion pill in March
The Trump administration said it expects to complete a study of the abortion pill in December and draft a report on the results by March, as it tries to decide how the drug should be made available.
Baltimore Archdiocese reports largest priest numbers in 50 years after abuse settlements, bankruptcy
The Archdiocese of Baltimore plans to ordain its largest number of priests in 50 years.
Pope Leo XIV opens status check on Pope Francis’ contentious opening to civilly remarried Catholics
Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday urged Catholic leaders to courageously accompany families in their weaknesses and failures, as he embraced one of Pope Francis' most contentious teachings about welcoming Catholics in second marriages and otherwise "irregular" unions.
Abortion, gay marriage and felon voting referendums add a twist to midterm ballot in Virginia
Virginia voters will decide on the November ballot whether to safeguard access to abortion and same-sex marriage, as Democrats attempt to insulate the state from a conservative U.S. Supreme Court.
What 1,000 years of golden roses tell us about popes’ authority and influence, from Leo IX to Leo XI
Almost every ceremonial object or ornament of the medieval papal monarchy has disappeared or lost its original purpose. Yet one survives: the golden rose.
Columbus’ own writings reveal how tightly religion and conquest were intertwined from the start
Columbus told a powerful tale. He believed that God had endowed him with remarkable intelligence, despite enemies' allegations that he was "an uneducated man, an uninformed sailor, an ordinary person."
Jim Bakker, who lost his ‘PTL Club’ televangelism empire in sex and money scandals, dies at 86
Jim Bakker, who along with his first wife Tammy Faye built an evangelical empire around the hugely successful "The PTL Club" TV show, only to lose it all over a sex scandal and financial crimes, has died. He was 86.
Pope Francis’ diaries to be published next month, revealing reflections on Vatican years
Journal entries kept by Pope Francis before and during his papacy will be published this fall for the first time.
A reckoning on social media addiction came late for many kids. Will AI safety be different?
Years after the risks of social media for kids first became apparent, U.S. states this summer reached an accord hailed as a turning point for child safety. Meanwhile, a new generation of children has begun engaging with an even more potent technology: artificial intelligence.
On a remote Greek island, empty classrooms signal a crisis across Europe
Chryssa Ntalaka's classroom has become an object lesson in subtraction.
Trump administration’s proposal could make it easier to suspend or expel Head Start students
It was sometime around Xavier Rogers' second birthday that his mom and Early Head Start teachers noticed a shift in his demeanor. Xavier, usually a happy baby, now mostly wanted to play alone and would sometimes bite and hit other kids in his class.
Immigration, religion and AR-15s on Supreme Court’s early docket as justices open new term
God, guns, global warming and immigration dominate the early cases as the Supreme Court kicks off its new term Monday.
Mormon leader decries explosion in sports gambling, prediction markets
A leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints warned Saturday that an explosion in gambling driven by online prediction markets and sports betting is fostering greed, particularly among youths, while producing "nothing of value."
Supreme Court will hear dispute over a Kentucky church’s plan to build a shrine on residential land
The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to consider whether a religious institution has a right to build a shrine to the Virgin Mary on residential property next to its Kentucky church.
Pope Leo seeks status update of Francis’ divisive opening to divorced and remarried Catholics
Ten years after Pope Francis sent shock waves through the Catholic Church with his outreach to divorced and civilly remarried Catholics, Pope Leo XIV is inviting church leaders to Rome next week to understand how Francis' document has been implemented.
Donor revives fraud claims against Christian worship leader Sean Feucht over a $250,000 donation
Sean Feucht, a Christian worship leader who attained rock star status after his large rallies in defiance of pandemic-era regulations, is facing allegations of fraud from a Southern California donor.
Child marriage to be completely illegal in California starting in 2027
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation into law banning child marriage in the state by eliminating previous provisions that allowed it if a parent consented.
Hegseth creates Office of Religious Affairs with direct line to chaplains
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's fiery speech to troops at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia included the creation of the Office of Religious Affairs, providing a direct channel between chaplains and top officials at the Department of Defense.
U.S. can deport the leader of Wisconsin’s largest mosque on national security grounds, judge rules
The U.S. can deport the leader of Wisconsin's largest mosque - an outspoken advocate of Palestinian rights - on the grounds that he is a threat to national security, an immigration judge ruled Wednesday.
‘Brahmacharya’: What the Eiffel Tower controversy reveals about a Hindu monastic practice
A visit to the Eiffel Tower by a delegation of monks representing a global Hindu religious denomination on Sept. 5, 2026, has raised broader questions about accommodating religious observances in public spaces.