Many religious ‘nones’ around the world hold spiritual beliefs

Gaza’s Christians refuse to abandon churches before Israeli attack
Al Jazeera: Two of Gaza City’s churches are in areas where Israel has ordered Palestinians to leave before a planned attack.

Pope Leo and Vatican insist on 2-state solution to end Gaza war during meeting with Israel president
The Associated Press: Pope Leo XIV and his top diplomats told Israel’s president Thursday that a two-state solution was the “only way out of the war,” as the Vatican called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages and entry of humanitarian aid to famine-stricken Palestinians there.

How religion declines around the world
Pew Research Center: From 2010 to 2020, the share of the population that was affiliated with any religion dropped at least 5 percentage points in 35 countries, according to a recent Pew Research Center study.

Vatican puts Pope Francis’ ecological preaching into practice with vocational farm center
The Associated Press: The Vatican is inaugurating an ambitious educational center inspired by Pope Francis’ ecological legacy, a 55-acre utopian experiment in sustainable farming, vocational training and environmental schooling for kids and CEOs alike on the grounds of the papal estate on Lake Albano.

The real housewives of church history
ARC: A conversation with Beth Allison Barr on how pastors’ wives use power and submission.

Many religious ‘nones’ around the world hold spiritual beliefs
Pew Research Center: Around the world, many people who do not identify with any religion nevertheless hold a variety of spiritual and religious beliefs, including the belief that there is life after death, but at lower rates than people who identify with a religion

‘We need each other’: How a Black church and a white church joined forces after Hurricane Katrina
The Guardian: After New Orleans was ravaged 20 years ago, two places of worship teamed up to offer a space for devastated residents.

Women ministers resist misogyny with mentors, training, resilience, study finds
Religion News Service: The report found that the kinds of discrimination women ministers face include gender bias, limited opportunities for leadership and adverse expectations related to pursuing work/family balance.

The MAGA influencers rehabilitating Hitler*
The Atlantic: A growing constituency on the right wants America to unlearn the lessons of World War II.

Pope Leo meets LGBTQ+ Catholic advocate and vows continuity with Pope Francis’ legacy of welcome
The Associated Press: The Rev. James Martin, a New York-based Jesuit author and editor, said Leo told him he intended to continue Pope Francis’ policy of LGBTQ+ acceptance in the church and encouraged him to keep up his advocacy.

Study: Gen Z now leads in church attendance*
Christianity Today: A new study, part of the State of the Church research initiative from Barna Group and Gloo, found a post-pandemic surge among Gen Z churchgoers over the age of 18.

Jewish musicians mourn Gaza’s suffering in Yiddish, a language nearly lost to genocide
Religion News Service: A recently released album, “Lider Mit Palestine,” features several artists and 17 original compositions — some modern, some mournful and all shaped by Yiddish and its history.

After Minneapolis shooting, security firms see influx of interest from faith groups
Religion News Service: “In respect to other faith-based groups, we are not waiting to get calls. We are making calls,” said Michael Masters, head of the Jewish security-focused nonprofit Secure Community Network.

Personal power v. socialized power: What Machiavelli and St. Francis can tell us about modern CEOs
The Conversation: In modern times, Machiavellian leaders abound in the corporate world. Perhaps more surprisingly, many other business leaders resemble Francis: humble and self-effacing, but by no means weak.

Texas AG Ken Paxton encourages students to recite Lord’s Prayer in latest test of church-state separation*
The Texas Tribune: The endorsement comes as Texas elected officials push for more Christianity in public life and as Paxton’s office fights a legal challenge to religion in education.