Religion News Service

A blog post from a senior fellow from the Council on Foreign Relations attacking the pope's diagnosis of the causes of African underdevelopment doesn't tell the whole story says Jesuit Fr. Thomas Reese.

Antarctica may be the most secular continent in the world, filled with scientists on missions of discovery. But for those who are looking for spirituality, there is a lot to be discovered there, too.

If people want to spend their millions promoting Jesus, they can, because the United States is a free country.

Most Catholics see the eucharistic prayer as centered on the consecration of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ. But the eucharistic prayer is addressed in thanks and praise to the Father, not to Jesus.

Today's Christian Eucharist is a combination of the Jewish synagogue service and Passover meal as adapted by the early Jewish Christians.

The Eucharist is not to make Jesus present so we can worship him, says Jesuit Fr. Thomas Reese. If you want to adore Christ in the Eucharist, go to Benediction, not to Mass.

Rain is beautiful and nourishing, to be appreciated and celebrated. Rain can also be inconvenient and destructive in our climate-challenged world. What is it that enables some people to see the same phenomenon as something to endure, while others see it as something to celebrate?

For two marketing classes taught at North Catholic High School in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, a career and college counselor at the school invited three owners of a local store to talk about how they run their small business. As part of their visit in December, the store owners offered each student a small crystal.

Critics are questioning whether the change is a full departure from the past or merely cosmetic.

Congress approved the transfer of the land at Oak Flat to Resolution Copper in 2014 in exchange for 6,000 acres elsewhere, but the Western Apache claim that the site has unique spiritual meaning.

Australian Cardinal George Pell was cowardly and disloyal in authoring an anonymous memorandum attacking Pope Francis.

So-called traditionalists have lost two icons in recent weeks, deflating opposition to reform on women's roles.

A new report looking at in-person worship attendance patterns found that a third of those surveyed never attend worship services, up from 25% before the start of the pandemic.

Vladimir Putin ordered Russian troops Jan. 5 to recognize a 36-hour truce throughout Ukraine during the Orthodox Christmas holiday weekend. The announcement came in response to an appeal by Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, who called for a cease-fire lasting from noon Jan. 6  through Jan. 7.

In the West, the Epiphany is about the Magi. In the East, it is about the baptism of the Lord. But it is also about the second coming of Christ.

The religious makeup of the new Congress bucks the trends seen in American religious life, a new report finds.

After the Second Vatican Council open discussion was suppressed by Joseph Ratzinger under the papacy of John Paul. If you did not agree with the Vatican, you were silenced.

Benedict XVI's great failing was surrounding himself with acolytes who would never challenge him and would insulate him from challenge.

Conservatives, reading the Second Vatican Council's documents like biblical fundamentalists, miss what it meant to participants.

Over 1,000 U.S. faith leaders are calling for a Christmas cease-fire in Ukraine 10 months after Russia invaded its neighbor. The leaders, who represent a broad range of faiths, said they hoped a temporary truce could lead to the negotiation of permanent peace.