Religion

A Mongolian boy has been declared an important leader for Tibetan Buddhists

7:56am April 01, 2023

by Scott Simon

A Mongolian boy has been named a top leader of Tibetan Buddhism. NPR's Scott Simon talks with Julian Dierkes of the University of British Columbia on the implications for Mongolian-Chinese relations.

Pope Francis autographs the plaster cast of a child as he leaves the Agostino Gemelli University Hospital in Rome on Saturday.

Pope Francis has been discharged from hospital following treatment for bronchitis

5:33am April 01, 2023

by The Associated Press

Pope Francis was discharged from the Rome hospital where he was treated for bronchitis, quipping to journalists before being driven away: "I'm still alive."

Kentucky state Sen. Karen Berg, who lost her transgender son to suicide in 2022, is consoled by former state legislator Patti Minter, left, and Rep. Tina Bojanowski after SB 150 passed the Senate on Feb. 16, 2023, in Frankfort, Ky.

Grief and tangled politics were at the heart of Kentucky's fight over new trans law

5:01am April 01, 2023

by Divya Karthikeyan

This week, GOP lawmakers overruled Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear's veto and passed a sweeping law limiting the rights of transgender youth across the state, both at school and in their personal lives.

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Pope Francis will be discharged from the hospital on Saturday

1:11pm March 31, 2023

by Sylvia Poggioli

The pope will leave the hospital on Saturday, three days after he was hospitalized for respiratory problems. He was diagnosed with bronchitis. Francis will be present for Palm Sunday ceremonies.

Pro-abortion rights advocates march in Boise, Idaho following the publication of a leaked U.S. Supreme Court draft opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade in May 2022.

Idaho lawmakers pass a bill to prevent minors from leaving the state for abortion

6:27pm March 30, 2023

by James Dawson

The first of its kind in the country, the Idaho legislature has passed a bill allowing criminal charges for those who help a minor get an abortion out of state. The bill now goes to Gov. Brad Little.

People protest as Pope Francis meets young people and elders at Nakasuk Elementary School Square in Iqaluit, Canada, last July. The Vatican on Thursday formally repudiated the "Doctrine of Discovery." The theory is backed by 15th century papal decrees that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands and form the basis of some property laws today.

The Vatican repudiates 'Doctrine of Discovery,' which was used to justify colonialism

1:38pm March 30, 2023

by Bill Chappell

The doctrine, with origins in the 15th century, was invoked as a legal and religious standing by Europeans who "discovered" new lands and violently seized it from people who had been living there.

Pope Francis blesses a guest on March 29, 2023 during the weekly general audience at St. Peter's square in The Vatican.

Pope Francis has been hospitalized after having breathing trouble, the Vatican says

4:11pm March 29, 2023

by Sylvia Poggioli

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni's second statement said that hospital tests showed Francis is suffering from a respiratory infection, but they ruled out COVID.

Religion

During Ramadan, Muslims opt for pre-dawn comfort food

9:44am March 29, 2023

For some observing Ramadan, 24-hour diners make a good option for a pre-dawn meal.

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Parishioners are salvaging what they can from their 100-year-old church after tornado

5:17pm March 27, 2023

by Maya Miller

A 100-year-old church in Rolling Fork, Miss., was decimated by tornados. Parishioners are already in the process of rebuilding their congregation.

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The Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Colleyville, Texas was the site of an attack by British national Malik Faisal Akram, who was in a 10-hour hostage standoff with law enforcement. A new report by the Anti-Defamation League says antisemitic incidents in the U.S. rose 36% in 2022.

Antisemitic incidents are at an all-time high, the ADL reports

9:24pm March 23, 2023

by Vanessa Romo

The annual report says instances of harassment, assault and propaganda are all on the rise. It warns public officials and social media stars have helped normalize longstanding antisemitic tropes.