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LONDON – The Church of England’s governing body, seeking to bridge stubborn differences over allowing women to become bishops, was expected to vote Wednesday on a compromise that would let traditionalist parishes be overseen by men. Though bitterly torn over homosexuality, the 77 million-member worldwide Anglican Communion has lived with differences about women as priests…

When the Rev. Joseph Lowery rose to offer the closing prayer at President Obama’s swearing-in ceremony, he knew which hymn he would borrow to start his prayer. “God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, thou who has brought us thus far along the way,” he prayed, invoking the third verse from “Lift…

New York – A rare trove of 11,000 Hebrew books and manuscripts went on display at Sotheby’s this week as the auction house seeks to find a buyer for what is considered the greatest collection of Judaica in private hands. The Valmadonna Trust Library includes documents of unparalleled significance including a copy of a 16th-century…

The Presbyterian Church (USA) has tapped a 13-member committee to investigate the place same-sex unions should have in Christianity and wider society and issue a report in 2010. The Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow, who is currently serving a two-year term as the church’s moderator and who chose members of the panel, said it is composed of…

GRAND JUNCTION, Colorado – A secularist group is observing the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin with billboards that urge people to “Evolve Beyond Belief.” The Freedom From Religion Foundation placed “Praise Darwin” billboards in Grand Junction; Dayton, Tennessee; Dover, Pennsylvania; and Whitehall, Ohio. They feature stained-glass designs and a picture of the evolutionary theorist born…

BATON ROUGE, La. (RNS) Officials at a Louisiana prison, already under fire for allegedly denying Catholic and Muslim inmates access to religious materials, have agreed to remove a biblical reference from a monument outside the prison gates. Cathy Fontenot, a spokeswoman at the maximum-security State Penitentiary at Angola, said officials submitted work orders to have…

VATICAN CITY (RNS) In the latest consequence of more than two weeks of international outcry, a Holocaust-denying bishop who was recently readmitted to the Catholic Church has been dismissed as head of an Argentinean seminary. “Statements by Monsignor (Richard) Williamson in no way reflect the position of our congregation,” said a statement announcing the dismissal,…

CARACAS, Venezuela – As President Hugo Chavez intensifies his anti-Israel campaign, some Venezuelans have taken action, threatening Jews in the street and vandalizing the largest synagogue in Caracas – where they stole a database of names and addresses. Now many in Venezuela’s Jewish community fear the worst is yet to come. Chavez has personally taken…

WASHINGTON (RNS) The U.S. Senate defeated an amendment to the economic stimulus bill Thursday (Feb. 5) that would have allowed federal funding for renovations at college buildings that are used for religious activity. Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., proposed the amendment after voicing criticism of a stimulus provision that says funds for colleges and universities could…

VATICAN CITY — After two weeks of international outcry over the pope’s decision to readmit a Holocaust-denying bishop, the Vatican’s top leaders are engaged in an extraordinarily severe — and rare — round of public criticism. Jewish groups were outraged when Pope Benedict XVI lifted the 1988 excommunications of Bishop Richard Williamson and three other…
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