RNS Morning Report: Pope's charitable fund weighed by financial scandals

Top Stories Pope’s charitable fund still weighed by financial scandals, costs of Curia (RNS) — Peter’s Pence, a fund dedicated to the pope’s charitable works, has been at the heart of a Vatican financial scandal.   California again seeks to pass human composting bill as Catholic bishops oppose it (RNS) — Burial, cremation and alkaline hydrolysis are the only death care choices currently available in California.   Rolland Slade, SBC Executive Committee chair: seeking ‘to make a wrong right’ ANAHEIM, Calif. (RNS) — ‘I think the one thing that surprised me more than anything was the list,’ said Slade of a recently revealed list of convicted abusers.   Slideshow: Wrapping up the SBC annual meeting   Disney’s ‘Lightyear’ banned in Muslim world for lesbian kiss DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) —“Lightyear” includes a female character voiced by actress Uzo Aduba briefly kissing her female partner in one scene in the $200 million film.   In Yemen, child soldiering continues despite Houthi promise CAIRO (AP) — Houthi officials said the rebels recruited several hundred children including some as young as 10 over the past two months.   UK sanctions Russian Orthodox head; decries forced adoption LONDON (AP) — Truss also targeted children's rights commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova, who has been accused of enabling the taking of 2,000 vulnerable children from the Luhansk and Donetsk regions in eastern Ukraine and facilitating their forced adoptions in Russia.   Ruth Ozeki’s ‘Book of Form and Emptiness’ wins Women’s Prize LONDON (AP) — A professor of English at Smith College in Massachusetts, Ozeki is also a filmmaker and Zen Buddhist priest, and her novel was inspired in part by Buddhist philosophy.   Thousands march in Bangladesh over comments about Islam DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — At least five Arab nations have condemned the remarks and lodged official protests against India. RNS Opinion A humanitarian is wrongly convicted of helping besieged Palestinians in Gaza (RNS) — The case against El Halabi has dealt a blow to the Israeli justice system.   The eternal truth behind the SBC presidential vote: Location, location, location (RNS) — Conservative Baptists may be looking ahead to getting on home turf next year.   Why Muslim countries condemn defamation but ignore violations against minorities (The Conversation) — A scholar of Islam writes about how widespread authoritarianism in the Muslim world shapes governments’ foreign policy toward Muslim minorities abroad.   Why A. B. Yehoshua matters He was my first Israeli literary crush. Here is why. ICYMI Southern Baptists apologize to abuse survivors and urge criminalizing pastoral abuse ANAHEIM, Calif. (RNS) — For the second day in a row, Southern Baptists meeting in Anaheim called for action to address the issue of sexual abuse after years of delay.   Patriot Front member arrested at Idaho Pride event tied to church led by ex-lawmaker (RNS) — The pastor and former lawmaker claimed white nationalists arrested in Idaho were ‘antifa,’ but at least one attended his own church. In Other News How a religious sect landed Google in a lawsuit School flying BLM, LGBTQ flags can’t call itself Catholic, bishop says 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. Yes, I support the work you're doing! Forward this email to a friend

RNS Morning Report: Texans plan interfaith protest at Houston NRA Convention

Quote of the Day “I believe in the power of prayer deeply, and that’s why it offends me so much when it’s used as simply a soundbite. I think when we pray about gun violence, we are not always open to hearing what God has to say.” – Taylor Schumann, author of ‘When Thoughts and Prayers Aren’t Enough.’ Top Stories Texans plan interfaith protest at Friday’s NRA convention in Houston (Interfaith America) — The protest, the organizers said, is meant to send a message to politicians who receive donations and support from the gun rights group.   Shooting survivor shares why Christians need to offer more than thoughts and prayers (RNS) — ‘If God’s answer to our prayers is one that requires personal sacrifice, are we willing to hear that?’ said Taylor Schumann, author of ‘When Thoughts and Prayers Aren't Enough.’   Pelosi now barred from Communion in at least four dioceses (RNS) — Some of the bishops, all belonging to a small but vocal group of conservatives, seemed to point to an article of church law that they said compelled them to follow each other’s lead.   AME Church alleges former retirement services exec embezzled tens of millions (RNS) — After an independent investigation, the denomination concluded that Harris deposited funds from the plan into his personal checking account.   Poll: White evangelical support for Israel higher than any other Christian group (RNS) — The survey of 10,441 US adults found that two-thirds of Americans express at least a somewhat favorable view of the Israeli people. Americans under 30 are more supportive of Palestinians.   J.D. Hall, pastor and founder of Pulpit&Pen, admits fabricating story about trans activist (RNS) — Hall, a firebrand pastor and polemicist, is known for his attacks on evangelical preachers and authors he claims have become liberal.   Dispute over mosque becomes religious flashpoint in India NEW DELHI (AP) — A group of Hindus seeks access to pray inside the Gyanvapi mosque, arguing it was built on top of the ruins of a medieval-era temple that was razed by a Mughal emperor.   Despite 2022’s cluster of religious holidays, multifaith understanding slow to evolve (RNS) — Unlike race, which has become an urgent topic for Americans to discuss and educate themselves (and others) about, faith remains a relatively siloed practice. RNS Opinion We’ll pray for Uvalde. But as gun deaths mount, there’s too much to pray for. (RNS) — We’ll pray for understanding of God’s grace, but also for an end to a culture of destructiveness.   Pelosi vs. Cordileone isn’t only about abortion. It’s about women and bishops. (RNS) — The list of reasons Catholic women stopped listening to bishops is a long one. ICYMI Texas faith leaders accompany Uvalde community, decry gun culture after school rampage (RNS) — ‘What happened yesterday is one more expression of how we leaders have failed,’ San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller said.   Uvalde school shooting: Faith leaders offer comfort, call for reform of gun laws (RNS) — With the news of 19 children and two others killed in a school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, religious leaders from across the spectrum express their sorrow, with many saying now is the time for a new approach to gun control. In Other News Top Texas Catholic endorses new gun regulations after Uvalde massacre Southern Baptist leaders covered up sex abuse, kept secret database, report says 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. Yes, I support the work you're doing! Forward this email to a friend

RNS Morning Report: How the Southern Baptist report almost

Quote of the Day “Southern Baptists are going to have to start asking some very difficult questions, including, and probably most importantly, how could this have gone on for so long?” – Rachael Denhollander, a survivor and activist who advised the SBC’s abuse task force Top Stories How the ‘apocalyptic’ Southern Baptist report almost didn’t happen (RNS) — A recently released report detailed how Southern Baptist leaders mistreated abuse survivors and tried to protect their institutions. The investigation that led to the report almost died numerous times.   SBC Executive Committee, repenting for handling of abuse, disowns lawyer’s 2006 letter (RNS) — At a meeting Tuesday (May 24), Executive Committee members promised to lament, listen and learn as they respond to a report on abuse.   Bishop Mildred Hines, first AME Zion female bishop, dead at age 67 (RNS) — ‘We will miss her powerful preaching, her electrifying teaching, her dynamic leadership, and her loving spirit,’ her fellow bishops said of the first and only female bishop in the denomination.   Vatican legal expert says the Vatican ‘is learning’ when it comes to penal trials (RNS) — At the Vatican megatrial, Pope Francis' legal and financial reforms are in some sense in the dock. RNS Opinion If Nancy Pelosi is denied Communion, why not William Barr? (RNS) — Punishing one and celebrating the other, some Catholic leaders act like mere partisans.  ICYMI Alleged assault by former SBC president may be most damaging part of explosive report (RNS) — Johnny Hunt, former president of the Southern Baptist Convention and longtime Georgia megachurch pastor, has denied the allegations he sexually assaulted another pastor's wife.   40 years in the making: A timeline of the Southern Baptists’ sexual abuse crisis (RNS) — Controversy over the Southern Baptist Convention’s handling of sexual abuse began long before 2000, when a new, scathing report takes up the story. In Other News Southern Baptist leaders say they will release list of alleged sex abusers When your job fills in for your faith, that’s a problemv 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. Yes, I support the work you're doing! Forward this email to a friend