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Washington archbishop removes priest as exorcist after comments on UFOs and demons

The Catholic archbishop of Washington has removed a well-known priest who said UFO sightings were the work of demons.

 

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ADL reports a sharp drop in US antisemitic incidents in 2025, driven by a steep fall on campuses

The number of antisemitic incidents in the United States tallied by the Anti-Defamation League declined by 33% in 2025 — the first drop in five years — due in large part to what the ADL said was a dramatic decrease of incidents on college campuses.

 

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Does frequent worship lead to better mental health? Often, but not always, experts say

There is a long-running discussion about the role that religion can play in enhancing personal well-being and lowering the risk of mental health problems.

 

China raises pressure on underground Catholics to join official church, Human Rights Watch finds

Human Rights Watch, in a detailed new report, says Chinese authorities are increasing pressure on underground Catholic communities to join the state-controlled official church while tightening surveillance and travel restrictions on all of China’s estimated 12 million Catholics.

 

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Many US Catholics are dismayed by Trump’s unprecedented broadside at the first American pope

A majority of U.S. Catholic voters supported Donald Trump in his 2024 presidential victory. However, there is dismay in Catholic ranks over Trump’s verbal assault on Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope.

 

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Trump administration agencies post Easter messages celebrating Christ’s resurrection

The Trump administration has taken a new tack in celebrating Easter. On social media, several key Cabinet departments openly embraced the core Christian tenet of Christ’s resurrection.

 

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US Jews grapple with a surge in attacks and bitter rifts over Israeli policies

For many U.S. Jews, following current events these days can be emotionally tumultuous. Simultaneously, there is widely shared anger at the upsurge of attacks targeting their communities, and deep divisions within those communities over whether to support or oppose various policies and actions by Isr

 

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US faith leaders supporting targeted immigrants brace for a tough year ahead

Faith leaders across the United States face challenges as they support anxious immigrants. Haitians, Afghans, and Somali Americans fear policy changes under the Trump administration.

 

White House rebuffs Catholic bishops’ appeal for a Christmas pause in immigration enforcement

Florida’s Catholic bishops have appealed to President Donald Trump to pause immigration enforcement during the Christmas holidays.

 

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US Jewish groups urge heightened security at public events after Hanukkah attack in Australia

Leading Jewish groups in the United States are urging all Jewish organizations to ratchet up security at public events following the weekend’s mass shooting attack on a Hanukkah celebration on a beach in Australia.

 

Riveting images of faith and spirituality: 30 of AP’s best religion photos of 2025

From a bird’s-eye view high above St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, a stunning photograph shows the estimated 250,000 mourners who gathered for the funeral of Pope Francis.

 

As US debates gender roles, some women in male-led faiths dig in on social and political issues

The U.S. feminist movement’s perpetual quest for gender equality has suffered notable setbacks during President Donald Trump’s second term.

 

Divided Jewish leaders react with warnings and hope as New York elects Zohran Mamdani as mayor

Within hours of Zohran Mamdani’s election as New York’s first Muslim mayor, there were swift and harsh reactions from his Jewish critics.

 

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New York’s Jewish community divided, anxious over Mamdani, an Israel critic

New York City’s Jewish community — the largest in the United States — is abounding with anxiety and friction a day ahead of an election that could give the city its first Muslim mayor.

 

Fear and vigilance rise as attacks on houses of worship intensify worldwide

Statistically, attending a weekly worship service is a remarkably safe thing to do. Global annual attendance totals many billions; the number of people killed in attacks on individual houses of worship in any given year is generally less than a few hundred.

 

First female Archbishop of Canterbury still an outlier among world’s top religious leaders

For the first time, a woman will serve as the Archbishop of Canterbury, following the 105 men who have held the role since St.

 

Monitoring group says appeals court in Qatar overturns conviction of the Baha’i community’s leader

An appeals court in Qatar has overturned the conviction of Remy Rowhani, leader of the country’s small Baha’i community.

 

Some admirers of Charlie Kirk hope response to his death signals start of a religious revival

With Vice President JD Vance calling Charlie Kirk “a martyr for Christianity,” some Kirk admirers suggest his assassination will galvanize throngs of people — notably young conservatives — to become more engaged in evangelical and Catholic churches.

 

For many US Jews, High Holy Days will be a mix of anxiety and determination

For Jews worldwide, the High Holy Days are always a compelling mix of celebration and repentance. For many Jews in the United States, the holiday season this year will be more charged than usual.

 

Takeaways from AP’s report about the importance of faith-based support for Scouting America

For the Boy Scouts of America — renamed Scouting America — recent years have been challenging. Opening its programs to gay people and later to girls angered some critics.

 

How faith-based support is helping Scouting America stabilize

For the Boy Scouts of America — recently renamed Scouting America — the past 12 years have been challenging.

 

Qatar sentences the country’s Baha’i leader to 5 years for social media posts

The leader of the small Baha’i community in Qatar has been sentenced to five years in prison on charges alleging that posts on Baha’i social media accounts “cast doubt on the foundations of the Islamic religion.”

 

With growing urgency, more US Jews urge Israel to ensure ample food deliveries to Gaza

A growing number of Jewish Americans are urging Israel to ensure humanitarian aid reaches Gaza, though the ongoing war with Hamas remains a tension point.

 

Trump’s religious rhetoric clashes with Canada’s secular politics

Throughout his new term, President Donald Trump has said he was “saved by God” to make America great again.

 

Qatar’s arrest of Baha’i leader signals Iran’s influence

The Baha’i faith fits comfortably into the religious spectrum of most countries, but in several Middle East nations, followers face repression that is drawing criticism from human rights groups.

 

How many Americans believe in astrology and rely on fortunetelling? A new survey has answers

A lot of American adults — about 3 in 10 — make use of astrology, tarot cards or fortunetellers at least once a year.

 

From the left and right, US Catholics hope new pope fulfills their hopes

News that the global Catholic church would get its first-ever U.S.-born pope was welcomed by Catholics across the ideological spectrum in Pope Leo XIV’s homeland, raising the question of whether he might be able to ease some of the deep divisions within its ranks.

 

A 2012 video shows comments from new pope that disappoint LGBTQ activists

Pope Leo XIV in 2012 made comments critical of what he called the “homosexual lifestyle” and the role of mass media in promoting acceptance of same-sex relationships that conflicted with Catholic doctrine.

 

These are the US cardinals who will vote for the next pope

The United States is home to 10 of the 133 cardinals eligible to vote for the next pope. That’s more than any other nation except Italy, home to 17 of the electors who will gather at the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel on Wednesday for the conclave that will choose a successor to Pope Francis.

 

Pope Francis sought to make LGBTQ+ people more welcome, but church doctrine didn’t change much

The papacy of Pope Francis ended with the same core doctrine for LGBTQ+ people that he had inherited.

 

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