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East Brunswick, N.J. – A proposed Hebrew charter school has ignited a debate over the separation of church and state. The school, which would require Hebrew classes, has divided the local Jewish community and raised arguments about whether the school should run on taxpayer money. The founders argue their school would steer clear of religion…

Nazareth, Israel — Pope Benedict XVI spent the last full day of his week-long pilgrimage on Wednesday (May 14) urging reconciliation in the town where Jesus spent his youth but which is now beset by uneasy relations between Christians and Muslims. At a festive Mass in this hilly city in northern Israel, the pope focused…

SEATTLE – Father Patrick O’Donnell said in King County Superior Court he is sorry he molested at least 30 boys while part of the Seattle Catholic Archdiocese. While testifying Monday in court, the 66-year-old priest offered an apology to the two men who have accused him of molesting them during his 15 years as a…

First, the silver lining: people of faith are better citizens and better neighbors, and America is “amazingly” religious compared to other countries, says Harvard University professor Robert Putnam. Now, the cloud: young Americans are “vastly more secular” than their older counterparts, according to Putnam. “That is a stunning development,” Putnam said. “The youth are the…

Bethlehem, West Bank – Standing in the city of Jesus’ birth that’s now under Palestinian control, Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday (May 13) forcefully endorsed the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state. “Mr. President, the Holy See supports the right of your people to a sovereign Palestinian homeland in the land of your forefathers, secure…

JERUSALEM — Pope Benedict XVI on Tuesday (May 12) prayed at the Western Wall and visited the nearby Dome of the Rock, two disputed pieces of holy ground that are sacred to both Muslims and Jews, as controversy continued to overshadow the pope’s weeklong pilgrimage. Benedict paused in prayer after he inserted a written prayer,…

(RNS) Bishops in the United Methodist Church have voted themselves a pay cut after “recognizing the financial challenges facing the church.” The UMC’s 50 active U.S. bishops voted to give up their planned pay raises for next year and instead reduce their salaries to the 2008 level, dropping their annual pay from $125,650 to $121,000…

(RNS) The former Catholic archbishop of Milwaukee, who resigned amid a sex scandal in 2002, reveals his struggles with homosexuality and the church in a forthcoming memoir, according to Publishers Weekly. Archbishop Rembert Weakland headed the archdiocese of Milwaukee from 1977 until 2002, when a former Marquette University theology student disclosed that he was paid…

JERUSALEM (RNS) Churches in at least 20 countries plan to participate in the World Week for Peace in Palestine Israel organized by the World Council of Churches and leaders in Jerusalem. The fourth annual week of action, scheduled for June 4-10, encourages Christians from different denominations to work toward peace and justice in the Holy…

(RNS) While majorities of European Muslims say fellow Muslims are loyal to their country, significantly fewer members of the general public believe that, a new survey shows. More than 70 percent of Muslims in France, Germany and Britain say that Muslims living in their countries are loyal; less than 45 percent of the general public…
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