Saturday, April 1, 2023

This Week in Religion - Cesar Chavez's 'pilgrimage' for worker rights

Lead story

A man stand with his hand raised surrounded by a group in front of microphones.

Editor's note:

I'd never really thought of religion and the labor movement being particularly comfortable bedfellows. But the labor rights leader Cesar Chavez, whose birthday is celebrated every March 31, found room for wafers and wine among the bread and roses. His faith was at the very heart of mobilizing efforts, argues Lloyd Daniel Barba, an expert on faith and the labor movement at Amherst College.

Barba explains how Chavez's celebrated march to Sacramento in support of striking farmworkers in 1966 was framed from the outset as a "religious march" and became, at Chavez's urging, an interfaith endeavor supported by rabbis, Catholic priests and Protestant clergy alike.

It was not, Barba argues, "simply a 'march' or 'protest' ... rather, it was a 'pilgrimage,' and to overlook the religious dimensions is to fundamentally misunderstand what Chavez was trying to achieve."

A portrait of Matt Williams, Senior Breaking News and International Editor at The Conversation U.S.
 

Religion News

Poll: Religious service attendance a bit down after pandemic 

A “stable share” of Americans has participated in religious services in some way – virtually or in person – during the coronavirus pandemic, but in-person attendance is slightly lower than it was before the COVID-19 outbreak, according to a new report from the Pew Research Center. By Luis Andres Henao/The Associated Press 

‘Prayer is our only weapon’: Monks at Kyiv monastery resist planned eviction

The monastery’s fate has been in question since Russia’s invasion in February 2022 has brought a series of crackdowns on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which has historical ties to Moscow. By Meagan Saliashvili/Religion News Service

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has launched a $25-million national ad campaign against antisemitism. The ads will be featured during popular television programs such as “The Voice” and during the NFL draft, and NBA and NHL playoffs. By Deepa Bharath/The Associated Press 

Amid crisis and political feuds, hope abounds in East Palestine

‘We have this chance to build something new,’ said the Rev. Fritz Nelson, pastor of First United Presbyterian Church in East Palestine. By Kathryn Post/Religion News Service

Doctor Loredana Moretti, right, jokes with Riccardo Mure' inside the Chicco community of L'Arche.

Shattered: Catholic community confronts its founder's lies 

An internationally lauded federation that provides community care for people with intellectual disabilities is grappling with revelations that its late founder perverted Catholic doctrine to justify his sexual abuse of women. By Nicole Winfield/The Associated Press 

 

Commentary and Analysis

Joseph Smith encouraged early Latter-day Saints to pool their resources. Two centuries later, one of the results is an investment portfolio estimated at $100 billion. By Benjamin Park for The Conversation

Mindfulness is everywhere in pop culture today, but that doesn't mean people agree on what it means. By Kevin C. Taylor for The Conversation

Waco has been used as a rallying cry for decades, two scholars of domestic extremism explain. By Art Jipson and Paul J. Becker for The Conversation

This week, millions will mark the birth of one of the most iconic figures in global lore. By Murali Balaji/Religion News Service

 
Indonesian Muslims praying together.

Indonesian Muslims perform an evening prayer called 'tarawih,' marking the first eve of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, at Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday, March 22, 2023. Millions of Muslims in Indonesia are gearing up to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan, with traditions and ceremonies across the world's most populous Muslim-majority country amid soaring food prices. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)

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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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