RNS Morning Report - SCOTUS allows deportations, clergy respond

Faith leaders grieve SCOTUS deportation ruling   A Supreme Court ruling released Thursday (June 25) allows the Trump administration to end temporary protected status for Haiti and Syria, leaving more than 350,000 Haitians and roughly 6,000 Syrians living in the U.S. vulnerable to deportation.   Many faith leaders denounced the ruling, telling RNS reporters Madhiha Anis, Kathryn Post and Fiona André that the decision could reshape communities that have spent years building lives in the United States.   The decision is “terrible,” said Bishop Nicolas Homicil of Voice of the Gospel Tabernacle church in Boston’s neighborhood of Mattapan, which is home to the largest Haitian community in the state.   “It’s from bad to worse, because there was already anxiety,” Homicil told RNS.         Top Stories As Supreme Court clears way to deport Haitians and Syrians, faith leaders grieve, prepare for what’s next (RNS) — The Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration can end temporary protected status for Haiti and Syria, leaving hundreds of thousands vulnerable to deportation. Pope Leo to convene cardinals to rethink war and peace in the age of AI VATICAN CITY (RNS) — At a gathering in Rome, Pope Leo XIV will place war and peace at the center of his young pontificate, pressing cardinals to imagine how the church can respond to a world shaped by violence, fear and technological power. Asbury Theological Seminary cut by United Methodist Church over same-sex marriage issue (RNS) — The decision was attributed to Asbury’s objections to the new version of the denomination’s social principles that no longer solely affirm heterosexual marriage. As some praise Texas’ proposed ‘Judeo-Christian’ curriculum, rabbis say it dismisses Judaism AUSTIN, Texas (RNS) — The phrase ‘Judeo-Christian’ was frequently heard this week in support of Texas’ revised public school curriculum, even as many Jewish testifiers distanced themselves from the term and the curriculum. Opinion How a mother’s love and Sikh wisdom are tackling a rare childhood disease (RNS) — Riaan, now 6 years old, is the first child in history to be treated with the gene therapy that Jo Kaur’s organization, Riaan Research Initiative, fundraised for and helped develop.  Looking for the ruler Trump most resembles? (RNS) — Try this Caesar. ICYMI Who belongs in America? Five faith leaders on immigration, identity and America’s 250th (RNS) Watch the new RNS video series in which prominent faith leaders and thinkers weigh in on the questions at the heart of the American experiment. Vatican blocks women’s homilies, testing Leo’s view of women in church VATICAN CITY (RNS) — A Vatican ruling that bars laypeople, including women, from preaching the homily at Mass is testing the limits of Pope Leo XIV’s early signals of openness to women’s leadership in the Catholic Church. Support Our Work As a nonprofit newsroom that covers all faiths, RNS sits uniquely at the intersection of freedom of the press and freedom of religion. News tips or feedback? Email comments@religionnews.com. Like the Morning Report? Share it with a friend. Forwarded this newsletter? Subscribe here. We rely on reader donations to power our reporting. Donate here. Or send a check to: Religion News Foundation PO Box 1808 Columbia, MO 65205

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This Week in Religion - Why saying 'namaste' is not cultural appropriation

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Lead story

Why it’s OK to say ‘namaste’ in yoga class

Editor's note:

Many yoga classes across the United States end with a ritualized "namaste," often followed by the phrase, "The divine in me bows to the divine in you." The practice has become controversial. Some critics accuse Western yogis of cultural appropriation – adopting a practice without fully understanding its history or context.

Jeremy David Engels, a scholar of yoga at Penn State, argues that it is not. Claims of cultural appropriation often assume that there is one authentic version of yoga that Westerners have stolen. But yoga traditions are diverse, with no one authentic lineage. Additionally, namaste is not the name of a deity, and does not play a central role in religious rituals. Rather, it is a commonly used greeting in South Asia.

Far from being an act of appropriation, he argues, saying "namaste" can acknowledge our interconnectedness. "When you bow to another person while saying namaste," he writes, "you are honoring something precious in them." In doing so, you are also honoring those same qualities in yourself.

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Religion News

Supreme Court rules Rastafari man can’t sue Louisiana prison officials who cut his dreadlocks

The justices condemned what happened, but ruled that a federal law designed to protect inmates' religious rights does not permit lawsuits for money damages. By Mark Sherman/The Associated Press

How women pastors became public enemy No. 1 in the SBC

Southern Baptists have long believed that only men can be pastors. But for decades, the denomination took no action to expel churches where women pastors served. Then, in the middle of an abuse controversy, it became a denominational crisis. By Bob Smietana/Religion News Service

These traditionalist Catholics are defying Pope Leo XIV, and embracing their outsider status

A breakaway group of traditionalist Catholics will challenge Pope Leo XIV’s authority next week by consecrating four bishops without his consent. By Nicole Winfield/The Associated Press

Philippine devotees honor St. John the Baptist with a mud-covered display of faith

Catholics in the Philippine village of Bibiclat gather before dawn for the annual Mud Festival, a tradition tied to the feast of St. John the Baptist. Participants cover themselves in mud and banana leaves before heading to Mass. By Joeal Calupitian, Aaron Favila and María Teresa Hernández/The Associated Press

Is Bethany’s break with LGBTQ+ people a bellwether for foster care?

LGBTQ+ advocates worry the change will mean fewer beds for foster youth. By Kathryn Post/Religion News Service

 

Commentary and Analysis

Why Mary, as the Immaculate Conception, became the patron saint of the US in the 1840s

Mary, as the Immaculate Conception, became patroness of the United States before the Vatican officially defined that belief as dogma. By Bridget Retzloff and Stephanie Shreffler for The Conversation

A Rastafarian's Supreme Court loss shows religious freedom depends on who you are

No matter how robustly our laws may appear to protect religious liberty, our rights are mediated, shaped and limited by a larger legal system that frequently fails to protect the most vulnerable. By Elizabeth Reiner Platt/Religion News Service

Bonfires, Maypoles and a saint’s day: How Europe celebrates the longest day of the year

Midsummer celebrations throughout Europe coincide with the solstice. Many blend pre-Christian and Christian traditions. By Thomas A. DuBois for The Conversation

What the Declaration of Independence does – and doesn’t – say about God

Debates about religion’s role in America often circle back to the country’s founding documents. By Thomas Tweed for The Conversation

 

Photos of the Week: Muharram, mud festival and more

A Shiite Muslim boy beats his chest with others in a ritual during a gathering for the mourning month of Muharram, in Peshawar, Pakistan, late on Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Muhammad Sajjad)

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WCC NEWS: Rev. Dr Lesmore Gibson Ezekiel: “Ecumenical movement needs to mitigate misuse of AI”

The World Council of Churches, along with ecumenical and civil society partners, are preparing for the first Global Dialogue on AI Governance, convened by the United Nations and being held in Geneva, 6-7 July. Participants in a symposium on "Our Common Future: Advocating for Digital Rights and AI Accountability" held in mid-April in Berlin reflected on some of the issues that will come to the fore in the Global Dialogue. Rev. Dr Lesmore Gibson Ezekiel. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 25 June 2026 Witnessing an increase in misinformation and disinformation on the African continent, Rev. Dr Lesmore Gibson Ezekiel, director of peace, ecclesial leadership, development, interfaith, and theology at the All Africa Conference of Churches, wonders how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used in a responsible and accountable manner. After seeing individual voices and images manipulated by AI, and even used to misrepresent people, he believes that addressing these issues ethically has become a matter of urgency and justice.  Lesmore reflected on why the ecumenical movement must work together, both globally and locally, on such moral and ethical issues, sharing that he believes action toward digital justice must be well coordinated on many levels. At the All Africa Conference of Churches, Lesmore has a unique lens on the pressing issues for people on the African continent—and he urged global networks and institutions to support local actions.  “This is essential because the ecumenical movement is not just an institutional movement—it’s the people's movement. And we expect that all those who are involved in the ecumenical movement are oriented by either Christian faith or some other faith, work for a just world where AI is developed, deployed and used responsibly for the common good. If we look at the ethical dimensions of the AI development, we think about leaving no one behind or about amplifying the voices of people who are not often heard,” said Lesmore.  The role of the church Lesmore acknowledged that, in Africa, many people already have challenges of accessibility, affordability, and availability of internet access. “There is a huge number of people who have no access to the internet and therefore have no idea whatsoever with regards to AI,” he said. And he has seen what he regards as an extractivist approach related to AI. “Innocent, vulnerable people who are in the community—their actions have been utilized as data sources to feed into this machine without their knowledge, without their consent,” he said.  People need to guard against data colonization and digital imperialism, Lesmore said: “It is frightening when a video is made of you and you were never involved, but it is in circulation and you say: Where is this coming from? There is fear and so we need to deal with that.” He noted, at the same time, that AI has benefitted healthcare delivery, education, agriculture, and other sectors of society. In other words, he said, AI can be deployed to enhance human well-being. “We need to engage with government agencies and institutions who have constitutional rights, and mandate for the protection of citizens, to put in place appropriate regulations, and policies that will safeguard and protect the people,” he added. Safeguarding human autonomy AI is not replacing human beings in Lesmore’s vision of a digitally just world. “We call for safeguarding human autonomy in terms of how human beings are involved in all of these processes of developing and deployment of AI,” he said.  Yet for Lesmore, it’s okay to embrace AI—as long as people embrace it wisely.  “We are mindful of the autonomous weapons that are used in warfare, robotic weapons that are deployed that have no conscience, that have no human feeling or emotion and can just bomb and destroy lives. We have to reject that openly—as it informs our prophetic engagement as churches.” See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 356 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa.  Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland