Lead story
Editor's note:
The National Prayer Breakfast is under new management. After decades of being run by the secretive “The International Foundation,” better known as “The Family,” the breakfast, which typically features a speech from the sitting U.S. president, will be hosted by the new National Prayer Breakfast Foundation. The annual breakfast, whose origins date back to President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s administration, has been dogged by controversy for decades, including an espionage scandal. Additionally, the event has come under fire from secular organizations who see it as blurring the line between church and state. This year’s breakfast, less formal and significantly smaller under the new organization, was held today, Thursday, February 2. Still, not everyone is convinced the changes mark a significant shift, with some critics concerned they are merely “cosmetic,” and the new leadership still tied to the old, write RNS reporters Jack Jenkins and Adelle M. Banks.
Religion News
Pope consoles Congolese victims: ‘Your pain is my pain’
Pope Francis urged Congo’s people to forgive those who have harmed them as he presided over a Mass before an estimated 1 million people in a country wracked by decades of violence. By Nicole Winfield, Christina Malkia and Jean-Yves Kamale/The Associated Press
Reconstructionist Jews call for reparations, embark on racial justice pilgrimages
The denominational resolution calls for a ‘deep reflection on the ways in which we have participated in or benefitted from racial injustices in our communities.’ By Yonat Shimron/Religion News Service
In Mexico City, it is the busy season for the craftsman who can repair Catholic families' beloved but broken baby Jesus figurines. They need to be in good condition for their annual pilgrimage to church for a blessing for Candlemas. By Maria Teresa Hernandez/The Associated Press
Church helps mining community evolve on remote Norwegian Arctic island
Social life in the Norwegian village of Longyearbyen — on a remote Arctic island — has long revolved around its only church. Founded for and by coal miners, Svalbard Kirke is literally a beacon in the dark – especially in winter, when the sun never rises so close to the North Pole. By Giovanna Dell’Orto/The Associated Press
‘Rosary beads? Yes. But crystals, no.’: Catholic school counselor loses her job
An employee who invited three Wiccan high priestesses to speak to marketing students did not believe that the crystals they handed out nor their religion would cause a stir. By Heather Greene/Religion News Service
Commentary and Analysis
It was in the 1990s that the idea of Christian environmental stewardship disappeared from the rhetoric of the religious right, paving the way for the anti-environmental position it holds today. By Neall Pogue for The Conversation
Fierce debates about visual depictions of the sacred have existed for centuries. An art historian explains the controversies in the Byzantine Empire over images of Christ. By Paroma Chatterjee for The Conversation
Mormon men seem no more prone to abuse than men of other faiths. The failure comes after abuse is reported. By Jana Riess/Religion News Service
Catholic leaders' attitudes toward LGBTQ people have shifted dramatically – but the actual theology behind them, not so much. By Steven P. Millies for The Conversation
Worshippers burn their first joss sticks of the new year as they offer prayers at the Wong Tai Sin Temple, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023, in Hong Kong, to celebrate the Lunar New Year, which marks the Year of the Rabbit in the Chinese zodiac. (AP Photo/Bertha Wang)
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- This Week in Religion is a publication of the Global Religion Journalism Initiative, a collaboration among the Religion News Service, The Associated Press and The Conversation U.S.
- The three news organizations work to improve general understanding and analyze the significance of developments in the world of faith.
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