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Shortly after white smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel chimney, the May 8 announcement from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican rocked the world: Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost — born in Chicago and raised in south suburban Dolton — became the first American pope in the church’s 2,000-year history.

The ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: I try to witness to my family whose history is stained with suicide. They tell me to stop talking about the horrific blood of Christ that covers sin. They get angrier when I turn their words around: It’s the precious blood that covers our horrific sins! They walk away in disgust. When they go ...Read more

As Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets with Pope Leo XIV this week, Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski said he hopes the two leaders can move forward on one issue of particular interest to South Florida: humanitarian aid to Cuba.

The meeting came amid an escalating conflict in the Middle East and an increasingly public feud between President ...Read more

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican to discuss the conflict in the Middle East, following a public clash between the pontiff and President Donald Trump in recent weeks.

Rubio and the pope spoke about “topics of mutual interest in the Western Hemisphere,” the State Department said in a statement Thursday. “...Read more

Q: Many years ago in your God Squad column you wrote that Catholics weren’t meant to be happy. Your reasoning made sense to me then but now I can’t remember what it was. Can you please explain that to me because a friend of mine recently brought the subject to my attention. Thank you. – (From J in New York)

A: When Father Tom ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: Why do Christians stick their heads in the sand and go on about Jesus speaking only truth and Satan being a liar? I reject such ideas, and it shows ignorance on the part of otherwise smart people. While I’m not a follower of Jesus or Satan, I disagree that Jesus is cool and Satan is hot. – T.D. ...Read more

CHICAGO — It was a class reunion like no other.

Ten 1969 graduates of St. Mary of the Assumption school on the city’s Far South Side traveled to Vatican City to reconnect with a fellow alum whom they now call Holy Father.

Pope Leo XIV, once a choir boy and top student at the now-defunct church, embraced his grammar schoolmates from more ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: I’ve heard that we are living in the post-truth era, where there’s a war on truth and growing deception. This is a scary thing because while I don’t believe everything I hear or read, I see this in action. It’s very hard to know truth when you hear it. Is this because we are naturally ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: I wish I could go back to the old days when the world was more peaceful and more kind. Is there any turning back, or do we simply accept the inevitable? The news carries the headlines of bombs falling in Ukraine, the idea of nuclear bombs wiping out the world, and bunker bombs that detonate other ...Read more

In the early 2000s, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were the most Republican-leaning religious group in the country.

Those days are over, a new study found. Between 2007 and 2025, the percentage of Mormons who reported leaning Republican dropped by 12%, according to an analysis by market research firm YouGov of data ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: I was deeply moved to watch a state funeral and hear the words of the song “Amazing Grace.” Thousands raised their voices singing the tune and the words, “that saved a wretch like me,” many having no idea of what it means. How can this be? – C.M.

A: Before the world was established, ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: If I’m not organizing the neighborhood picnic or attending a corporate dinner, I’m at work. When I rush off to my weekly Bible study and listen to God’s call to “rest,” it frustrates me, because I really don’t know how to do that. I work hard to stay ahead of tomorrow. Yet I know that ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: While visiting a friend, I poured my heart out, going from one thing to another, carelessly telling her that my favorite activity was spending two or three hours at night on Facebook. I also told her how miserable I was. She challenged me to read some Bible passages each morning and pray each night....Read more

Q: Your insights through your column are thought-provoking and often generate fascinating discussion within our family. One thing I have always wondered about is why God would tolerate, let alone encourage at times, the sacrifice of innocent human and animal life. Our modern sensibilities are shocked by activity of that type. Can you help us...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: Are people deceived if they say they are Christians because of the humanitarian work they do? Others say they are Christians but do not do any humanitarian work. Who is the real Christian? – R.C.

A: Through the ages, people have debated the doctrines of faith and works. Which should come first? ...Read more

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A new ordinance allowing a religious blade inside Sacramento City Hall went into effect Tuesday, and members of the Sikh community who carry the article of faith packed the council chambers for the occasion.

Some members of the Sikh community carry five religious items as a formal recognition of their religion. One of ...Read more

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – Growing up on a farm in Pearl Lake, John Wicker went to Holy Cross Catholic Church every Sunday.

He attended the church’s parochial school, played softball on the parish’s ballfield and still raises money for the annual fall fish fry. And he’s already purchased his plot in the parish cemetery.

But now that church —...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: Religion is a contentious thing. Many smart and savvy people can agree that religion can be good; others scream louder that it is the epitome of escapism. Many are living in a fantasy that they can think up themselves, ignoring the desperate state of the world. Aren’t religion and escapism merely ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The Hollywood Walk of Fame is known for its colorful cast of characters. But even by those standards, the scenes of Jesus Christ and Sonic the Hedgehog racing past security guards employed by the Church of Scientology in recent days were a little bizarre.

On Saturday afternoon, someone dressed as the Christian messiah was among ...Read more