This Week in Religion - 'Walk for Peace' arrives in Washington, D.C.

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A 15-week ‘Walk for Peace’ concludes with Buddhist monks’ arrival in Washington

Editor's note:

They made it. A group of Buddhist monks and their dog finally arrived at their destination after walking from Texas to Washington, D.C. – and inspiring millions along the way. The Associated Press’ Tiffany Stanley and Deepa Bharath documented the monks' arrival in the nation’s capital and the spectacle of thousands of supporters lining the streets to greet them and hear them speak. For the past 15 weeks, similar scenes have played out in Southern towns all along their 2,300-mile (3,700-kilometer) route. The Theravada Buddhist monks undertook a demanding trek for peace, and that simple message has resonated across the U.S. as a welcome respite from conflict and political divisions. 

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Religion News

Minneapolis Native communities fight fear of ICE with traditional ritual and prayer

In Minneapolis, many Native people say they are reluctant to leave their homes for fear of being detained by federal ICE agents. By Fiona Murphy/Religion News Service

Israel's president visits Sydney's Bondi Beach massacre site and meets victims' families

President Isaac Herzog started a state visit aimed at consoling grieving Australian Jews and improving bilateral relations by laying a wreath and stones at the site of a deadly antisemitic attack in Sydney. By Rod McGuirk/The Associated Press

As universities shutter DEI offices, progressive Christian groups open their doors

Several of these groups are connected with ZOE, an emerging network of progressive Christian student ministries. By Kathryn Post/Religion News Service

A Catholic cross like no other is a beacon of unity in Olympic host city Milan

The Cross of the Athletes has arrived in Milan for the Winter Games and holds pride of place beside the main altar in the Basilica of San Babila. By María Teresa Hernández/The Associated Press

Emerging artists push Christian genre boundaries with rap, Afrobeats and R&B music

A new wave of Christian artists from various backgrounds is drawing young audiences to faith-based rap, Afrobeats and R&B. By Charlotte Kramon/The Associated Press 

 

Commentary and Analysis

What is and isn't new about US bishops' criticism of Trump's foreign policy

The Catholic Church's teachings on 'just war' have guided leaders' long history of opposing many military interventions. By Gerard F. Powers for The Conversation

We must give Jewish youth an identity beyond the trauma of antisemitism

'If Jewish identity is built only on shared trauma,' said the Australian rabbi who led Chabad of Bondi, 'then we hand our children a burden and not a gift.' By Steven Burg/Religion News Service

Fifteen years after Egypt’s uprising, how faith and politics reshaped a generation

The 2011 revolution transformed religious life in unexpected ways – especially among some young Egyptians. By Nareman Amin for The Conversation

How women are reinterpreting the menstrual taboos in Chinese Buddhism

In some cultures, menstruation and childbirth are treated as polluting, not life-giving. One Buddhist text’s interpretation of ‘Blood Pond Hell’ shows how far such beliefs go – and how women respond. By Megan Bryson for The Conversation

 

Photos of the Week: Bulgarian saint of beekeepers feast, monks arrive in DC and more

Believers attend an Orthodox service for the 'sanctification of honey' at the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Church in the town of Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, marking the feast day of St. Haralambos, the Orthodox patron saint of beekeepers. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova)

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RNS Morning Report - Jeffrey Epstein and Steve Bannon's messages about the Vatican

Dear Friend, A real strength of our nonprofit newsroom is the community that gathers around this work. You are part of it, and we're grateful to have you with us.  On Tuesday, Feb. 24, we would like to invite you to a one-time, behind-the-scenes conversation with three RNS reporters. It is a chance to step back from the fast pace of the news, reflect on the year so far, and hear what they are watching as the months ahead take shape.  We're offering the gathering as a thank-you to those who choose to support our work. A gift of any amount will reserve your spot and help carry this reporting and this community into a year that is already proving to be demanding.  Join the conversation→ Top Stories Epstein files reveal ties to Catholic conservatives’ anti-Francis campaign VATICAN CITY (RNS) — The newly released Epstein files show that Jeffrey Epstein and Steve Bannon discussed opposition to Pope Francis, including a move that Bannon claimed would ‘take down Francis.’ ‘Jews against ICE’: Rabbis lead hundreds in mass Jewish protest outside ICE headquarters WASHINGTON (RNS) — ‘We know it from history, and we know it from God, what is demanded of us in this moment,’ Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum told the crowd. Wiley Drake, pastor who championed 1990s SBC Disney boycott, has died (RNS) — Drake, a fixture at SBC meetings, was a culture warrior, a biblical inerrantist and a fierce fighter for what he thought was right — including feuding with city officials who wanted to shut down the shelter his church outside LA ran. Photos of the Week: Bulgarian saint of beekeepers feast, monks arrive in DC   Leqaa Kordia returned to ICE detention after lawyers say she was ‘disappeared’ (RNS) — Lawyers for Kordia say the Department of Homeland Security denied multiple requests asking where she was hospitalized, raising concerns about the agency’s transparency and medical care. Opinion The US Catholic bishops have spoken out about racism. Have they spoken up for women? (RNS) — Are the bishops cowed into submission by the false notion that women do not image Christ? Why Christian clergy see risk as part of their moral calling (The Conversation) — Clergy sometimes place themselves in harm’s way for moral and religious reasons. A scholar of religious ethics explains when – and why. ICYMI As Walk for Peace reaches DC, Buddhist monks share interfaith message with thousands WASHINGTON (RNS) — Dominga Hobbs, who lives in Colombia and lost her husband in the past year, said, ‘I’m here for me, for my family, and to honor the monks for this extraordinary effort. My husband believed in peace, and I feel that he’s here with us.’ Charges dropped against some clergy arrested for protesting DHS in Chicago (RNS — The state attorney’s office of Cook County, Illinois, announced it was dropping charges against 19 of the 21 people who were arrested at a demonstration in Broadview, Illinois, in November. 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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WCC NEWS: Translation of “Hellenism and Christianity: The Meeting of Two Worlds” newly available

The World Council of Churches, in collaboration with the Volos Academy for Theological Studies, released a translation of Hellenism and Christianity: The Meeting of Two Worlds, by John D. Zizioulas, the late Metropolitan of Pergamon (Ecumenical Patriarchate).  H.E. Metropolitan of Demetrias Ignatios and the director of the Volos Academy, Dr Pantelis Kalaitzidis, handed to His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew the English version of the book, Theological School of Chalki, Türkiye, 6 February 2026, Photo: Volos Academy Thursday 12 February 2026 The publication has been translated by Fr Gregory Edwards and edited with an introduction by Dr Nikolaos Asproulis. As a delegation from the Holy Metropolis of Demetrias (Orthodox Church of Greece) and the Volos Academy for Theological Studies participated in the celebration of St Photius on 6 February at the Theological School of Chalki in Türkiye, H.E. Metropolitan of Demetrias Ignatios and the director of the Volos Academy, Dr Pantelis Kalaitzidis, handed to His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew the English version of the book.  The book, which falls within the framework of the series “Doxa & Praxis: Exploring Orthodox Theology,” provides the reader with a critical approach to the various issues related to the meeting of Hellenism and Christianity, with a particular focus on the first three formative centuries of the early church. “The problem of the historical origins of Christianity per se does not interest us here, but rather only as it relates to the broader purpose of our inquiry, which is the relationship between Christianity and Hellenism in the first three centuries,” reads the introduction. “Thus, the question of Christianity’s historical origins leads us specifically to the following series of questions: What role did Hellenism play in the initial historical appearance of Christianity? Was there any trace of the Greek spirit in this historical setting that aided in the emergence of the first Christian communities, together with their faith in the person of Jesus Christ? What was the relationship between Hellenism and Christianity at the historical origins of the latter?”   Read more about Hellenism and Christianity  Learn more about John D. Zizioulas, late Metropolitan of Pergamon (Ecumenical Patriarchate) Volos Academy for Theological Studies 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

RNS Weekly Digest: As universities shutter DEI offices, progressive Christian groups open their doors

RNS in the Media: Listen to our national reporter Jack Jenkins on the public radio show "The 1A," with Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe and Pittsburgh Seminary's Anne Marie Mingo. How religious leaders are responding to Trump’s immigration crackdown

As universities shutter DEI offices, progressive Christian groups open their doors

It’s a blustery Sunday evening in January and about a dozen students are splayed on couches in a church sanctuary a block away from Ohio State University. It looks like a movie night, but they’re here to worship with a student ministry called Jacob's Porch. The service begins with a collective breath, a prayer, and a song written by the group called “Be Here Now.” “We are together,” the students sing from their comfortable perches. “We are enough, we are now present, we are your own.” The informal setup reflects the ethos of the ecumenical Christian group, which, though founded in the Lutheran tradition, welcomes students who wrestle with faith — including those who are not religious. “Some of our students who are actually atheist and agnostic have said, ‘I never thought I’d find a place that would let me explore without pushing me to be a certain way,’” said the Rev. Taylor Barner, a campus minister at Jacob’s Porch. He said the group’s approachability could be part of why roughly 60% of the group, which serves about two dozen students from Ohio State University, is LGBTQ.  Religion & Politics Charges dropped against some clergy arrested for protesting DHS in Chicago 140 rabbis train in Washington on how to resist authoritarian governments, ICE Cardinal Cupich says feds stopped priests, demanded citizenship proof Photos of the Week: Bulgarian saint of beekeepers feast, monks arrive in DC Believers attend an Orthodox service for the "sanctification of honey," at the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Church in the town of Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, marking the feast day of St. Haralambos, the Orthodox patron saint of beekeepers. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova) In Opinion Mike Johnson versus the Bible I was radicalized by the abortion issue. It's made me stand up for anyone who is dehumanized. We must give Jewish youth an identity beyond the trauma of the situation And finally, As Walk for Peace reaches DC, Buddhist monks share interfaith message with thousands Thousands of onlookers gathered at Washington National Cathedral on Tuesday (Feb. 10) to see and hear from the venerable Buddhist monks who have completed a 108-day, 2,300-mile walking journey from Texas to the nation’s capital. Surrounded by leaders from several faith traditions, including Washington Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde, who began the gathering with a peace prayer from St. Francis, the monks talked about how the practice of compassion can transcend religious differences. “In front of you all, you can see all religions’ leaders here together for the same mission: peace,” said Venerable Bhikkhu Paññākāra, the monks’ leader, who spoke for a half-hour on a sunny day. “This is the first time to me, that we are working together. We are walking together on this path to find peace for ourself, to share that to our nation and the world.” At the event, called “A Sacred Stop on the Walk for Peace,” the 19 monks from the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth were welcomed by a cheering crowd of people young and old, some of whom had waited for hours to secure a spot close to the monks. Many held flowers or signs, while others sported homemade “Walk for Peace” garments.  Support our responsible reporting on religion Forward this newsletter to a friend Make a tax-deductible donation to our nonprofit newsroom here Or mail us a check: Religion News Foundation PO Box 1808 Columbia, MO 65205 Email membership@religionnews.com with a news tip or a comment Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Copyright © 2026 RNS, All rights reserved.