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Carl Juste/Miami Herald/TNS

Coral Gables church protests Florida's record-breaking execution spree

Religion / Religious News /

On the eve of Florida’s first execution of 2026, churches and people of faith across Florida are speaking out against the death penalty, an issue they feel stands in opposition to their religious and moral beliefs.

“We are gathering to say that state sanctioned executions are wrong on many levels, and as persons of faith we urge restorative...Read more

Barry Williams/New York Daily News/TNS

NY Catholics welcome Archbishop Ronald Hicks as their new spiritual shepherd

Religion / Religious News /

NEW YORK — Archbishop Ronald Hicks was officially installed Friday as New York’s top Catholic leader, outlining a vision of a missionary church that would put people above politics.

“This is a call to be a missionary church not a country club,” Hicks said. “A club exists to serve its members. The Church exists, on the other hand, to ...Read more

After Minnesota church protest, Kentucky lawmaker wants to criminalize disrupting services

Religion / Religious News /

FRANKFORT, Ky. — A Kentucky lawmaker wants to make it a crime to interfere with a religious service following a controversial church protest in Minnesota and subsequent high-profile arrests last month.

State Rep. Mitch Whitaker, R-Fleming-Neon, is the primary sponsor of House Bill 540, filed Feb. 3, which would make it a Class A misdemeanor ...Read more

Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/TNS

Florida bill opens door for armed volunteers to secure houses of worship

Religion / Religious News /

MIAMI — Armed volunteers would be permitted to provide security services at houses of worship without having to obtain licenses that normally apply to professional security officers under proposed legislation that is advancing in the Florida Legislature. The bill passed unanimously through a Senate committee on Tuesday.

The bill, which has ...Read more

Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times/TNS

LA archbishop holds 'Mass for Peace' as students protest Trump immigration policies

Religion / Religious News /

Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez celebrated what he called a "Mass for Peace" at Our Lady of the Angels on Wednesday, stopping just short of a direct appeal to the Trump administration to draw down its aggressive immigration enforcement efforts as protesters gathered blocks away.

"We are united with everybody in our country praying for ...Read more

Pedro Portal/El Nuevo Herald/TNS

Faith leaders raise concerns over Florida bill about religious freedom in schools

Religion / Religious News /

MIAMI — Religious leaders and interfaith advocates from across the state are sounding the alarm on a bill aimed at protecting religious freedom and expression in Florida public schools, arguing that it could lead to special protections for the dominant religious groups — such as Christianity — and weaken the lines between church and state....Read more

Maria G. Ortiz-Briones/Fresno Bee/TNS

Collection basket goes high-tech. 'People wanted to give more'

Religion / Religious News /

FRESNO, Calif. -- Collection baskets at two Central Valley-area Catholic churches have gone high-tech, with credit card readers strapped to their sides so parishioners can tap in $20 or $40 donations as the baskets are passed down the rows of pews.

So far, only Fresno’s Holy Spirit Catholic Church and Visalia’s Good Shepherd Catholic Parish...Read more

Sarah A. Miller/Idaho Statesman/TNS

Senators craft legislation to prioritize protecting Christians globally

Religion / Religious News /

A group of U.S. senators say Christians are under attack throughout the world, and religious freedom needs to be reprioritized in the U.S. and abroad.

Idaho Sen. Jim Risch, a Republican who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduced a resolution that reasserts America’s role as a global leader for religious liberty.

...Read more