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The worldwide consultations for the global synod reflect Pope Francis'...
Pope Francis leads a prayer vigil at St. Peter's Square in Vatican City on Sept. 30, 2023.Antonio Masiello/Getty ImagesThe 16th Synod of Bishops, the first part of which will take place in Rome on Oct....
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The pope's new letter isn't just an 'exhortation' on the environment – for...
Pope Francis cleans the sky from pollution in graffiti by the artist Maupal, inspired by 'Laudato Si.'AP Photo/ Andrew MedichiniEight years have elapsed since Pope Francis released “Laudato Si,” his...
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Bison are sacred to Native Americans − but each tribe has its own special...
The American bison, or American buffalo as they are commonly called, were once close to extinction. Their numbers dropped from 30-60 million to around 500 because of overhunting in the 19th century.But...
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Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi, in prison for speaking up...
Narges Mohammadi, a jailed Iranian women's rights advocate, won the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize. Photo taken in 2021.Reihane Taravati / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP“Woman, Life, Freedom,”...
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Why Al-Aqsa remains a sensitive site in Palestine-Israel conflict
A view of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and its Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem's Old City.Ahmad Gharabli/AFP via Getty ImagesAs a scholar of global Islam, I teach an introduction to Islam course and...
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How 'nones' − the religiously unaffiliated − are finding meaning, purpose and...
An ayahuasca ceremony at a Hummingbird Church in Hildale, Utah, in 2022. AP Photo/Jessie WardarskiMore and more surveys point to decreasing membership in religious institutions and a corresponding rise...
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How Chicana women artists have often used the figure of the Virgin of...
Chicana artist Yolanda Lopez's artwork: 'Portrait of the Artist as the Virgin of Guadalupe.'Yolanda Lopez, CC BY-NC-NDIn 1975, Chicano artist Amado M. Peña depicted police brutality by showing the...
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From ancient Jewish texts to androids to AI, a just-right sequence of numbers...
The power of putting basic elements in just the right order is key to both Jewish mysticism and computer coding.WhataWin/iStock via Getty Images PlusIsaac Asimov’s iconic science fiction collection“I,...
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#UsToo: How antisemitism and Islamophobia make reporting sexual misconduct...
Six years after the #MeToo hashtag went viral, women in minority communities still face extra challenges addressing harassment and abuse.AP Photo/Ted S. WarrenOctober 2023 marks the anniversary of...
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Babe Ruth, patron saint of the home run, turned the ball field into a church...
The Sultan of Swat turned every stadium into a cathedral, and home runs into a sacrament.Bettmann via Getty Images“I’ve tried ‘em all, I really have,” Susan Sarandon’s character Annie Savoy says in the...
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Amish culture prizes peace − but you wouldn’t necessarily know it from a stop...
Gift items for sale in Walnut Creek, Ohio, in May 2023.Susan TrollingerOhio’s Amish Country, located in the northeastern part of the state, draws over 4 million visitors every year – second only to...
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COVID-19 vaccine mandates have come and mostly gone in the US – an ethicist...
Proof of COVID-19 vaccination was once required to access many venues during the pandemic.skaman306/Moment via Getty ImagesEnding pandemics is a social decision, not scientific. Governments and...
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Hamas was unpopular in Gaza before it attacked Israel – surveys showed Gazans...
Who speaks for the Palestinians of Gaza? Mohammed Abed/AFP via Getty ImagesAmid the escalation of the Israel-Hamas war, observers in the region and internationallycontinue to make assumptions about...
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A memorial in Yiddish, Italian and English tells the stories of Triangle...
Victims' names engraved in a metal overhang, part of the Triangle Shirtwaist Memorial, are reflected in mirroring panels along the sidewalk.AP Photo/Bebeto MatthewsThe 10-story Brown Building, site of...
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How 'La Catrina' became the iconic symbol of Day of the Dead
A girl dressed as a 'catrina' takes part in the Catrinas Parade in Mexico City to celebrate Day of the Dead.Yuri Cortez/AFP via Getty ImagesOn April 13, 1944, thousands of people clashed with police on...
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Hot-button topics may get public attention at the Vatican synod, but a more...
Delegates attend the opening of the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on Oct. 4, 2023, at the Vatican. Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty ImagesHigh-ranking Catholics from across the globe...
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From morgue to medical school: Cadavers of the poor, Black and vulnerable can...
Medical students look at cadaver parts being used for demonstration.Rick Madonik/Toronto Star via Getty ImagesEvery year, first-year medical students approach their human cadavers with a mixture of awe...
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Public schools and faith-based chaplains: Texas’ new combination is testing...
When public school counselors are in short supply, should chaplains be allowed to fill the gap?Vladimir Vladimirov/E+ via Getty ImagesIn 1996, a school board in eastern Texas created a program called...
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A Halloween party in Boston turned ugly when a gang hurled antisemitic slurs...
The Boston Globe detailed the Hecht House attacks in its Nov. 3, 1950, edition.Boston GlobeOn a chilly Halloween night in late October 1950, dozens of Jewish teenagers and their friends gathered for...
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Louisiana's 'In God We Trust' law tests limits of religion in public schools
When Louisiana passed a law in August 2023 requiring public schools to post “In God We Trust” in every classroom – from elementary school to college – the author of the bill claimed to be following a...
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