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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