RNS Morning Report: Village of Lily Dale reopens for believers and doubters alike

Top Stories Summertime spirits: Village of Lily Dale reopens for believers and doubters alike (RNS) — The 140-year-old village, a mecca for spiritualism and mediumship, will draw regulars and curious first-timers to cross paths after a hiatus of three years.   UCC elects first woman — and first woman of African descent — to lead denomination (RNS) — That Thompson is the first woman to lead the denomination may be surprising given the denomination’s progressive stances on women’s rights and many other issues.   Pope Francis ‘outraged and disgusted’ by burning of Quran (RNS) — The pope commented after a man in Sweden publicly kicked a Quran and put bacon on it before burning it.   Thousands protest in Iraq for a second day over burning of Quran in Sweden BASRA, Iraq (AP) — The protests came a day after hundreds of protesters briefly stormed the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad.   Pope meets with wife and family of Julian Assange, who says pontiff ‘concerned’ by his suffering VATICAN CITY (AP) — The visit came as Stella Assange has been seeking to drum up political support for her husband’s cause, including a visit to his native Australia last month.   Pope appoints bishop from his native Argentina to lead Vatican office that enforces church doctrine VATICAN CITY (AP) — Francis named Monsignor Victor Manuel Fernández, the archbishop of La Plata, Argentina, as the prefect, or chief, of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.   Vatican reports income boost in charitable fund, even as donations dip following financial scandals (AP) — The Vatican on Friday reported that the pope's charitable fund, Peter's Pence, doubled its income in 2022 to more than $166 million, even as donations dipped slightly following years of scandal over financial mismanagement at the Holy See. RNS Opinion The note that I put into the Western Wall Do I believe that God lives in the Western Wall? No. Do I not believe it? Also, no. It’s complicated.   How the Supreme Court’s conservative majority is making new rules for minorities (RNS) — If the Constitution is what five Supreme Court justices say it is, who controls the presidency and the Senate really matters. ICYMI Smithsonian Folklife Festival on National Mall explores often-unfamiliar spirituality WASHINGTON (RNS) — The lead curator of the 'Creative Encounters' program hopes it will give the public a chance to 'pull back the curtain' on spiritual practices.   Police charge 23-year-old with hate crime at historically Black Maryland church (RNS) — The police department also announced other arrests in a string of 'recent hate crimes involving vandalism to places of worship.' In Other News Streaming: Godland and the best priests in cinema As a rabbi, i’ve had a privileged view of the human condition   Talk to Us We want your feedback on the RNS Morning Report — what you think we're doing right and what we should be doing differently. Send us an email at Comments@ReligionNews.com Subscribe to other RNS Newsletters. Forward this email to a friend. View the archive of past newsletters. Religion News Service is free to read, but it's not free to produce. If you value our reporting, please consider making a donation today at religionnews.com/donate. If you prefer to mail a donation, please address to: Religion News Foundation, PO Box 1808, Columbia, MO 65205.