Vatican Approves Exorcist Association
The Vatican has formally recognized the International Association of Exorcists, a group of 250 priests in 30 countries who liberate the faithful from demons, according to the AP.
Christian
Pope says Communists are Closet Christians
Pope Francis said in an interview Sunday to mark the feast of Saints Peter and Paul that communists had stolen the flag of Christianity, according to Reuters.
Pope Francis Met Televangelists Kenneth Copeland and James Robison (Video)
A delegation of evangelicals led by televangelists Kenneth Copeland and James Robison met with Pope Francis for three hours last week at the Vatican.
World Vision Reverses, Recovers from Gay Policy Shift
World Vision’s decision to allow same-sex marriages for its own employees was short-lived after its supporters threatened to withhold any future donations, according to Religion News Service.
U.S. School Censors Christian Teacher
Last week, a magistrate judge for the Western District of New York issued a recommendation in the case of a Christian public school teacher who has been forced by her Cheektowaga Central School District superiors to remove any religious content from her classroom under threat of termination, according to an American Freedom Law Center press release.
Moravians Vote to Ordain Gay Clergy and Perform Same-Sex Marriages
The Moravian Church’s Northern Province approved a proposal Sunday to allow gays and lesbians to be ordained, to create a religious ceremony for same-sex couples and to revise the Northern Province’s Book of Order to reflect all these changes, according to Charisma News.
Pope Francis Has Most Influence on Twitter
Pope Francis has 14 million Twitter followers, nearly a third of U.S. President Barack Obama, however according to a study; the pontiff is considered the most influential on the social networking platform.
Presbyterian Church (PC-USA) Vote to Allow Same-Sex Marriages
The highest governing body of the Presbyterian Church(USA) voted Thursday, by a 3-to-1 margin, to allow its ministers to perform same-sex marriages wherever such marriages are legal, according to The Christian Post.
Supreme Court Maintains Ban on Graduations in Churches
The U.S. Supreme Court let stand a lower court ruling that a Wisconsin high school acted unconstitutionally when it held its graduation ceremonies in a local church, according to the Religion News Service.
School Prayer Case Settled, School Agrees to Limit Prayer, Religious Activity
A Missouri school district has agreed to restrict its faculty’s religious activities related to school groups.
Ten Commandments Should Be Removed From School Demanded Atheists
A traditionalist group held a rally Monday in support of a display of the Ten Commandments at a Pennsylvania school after atheists legally tried to remove it from public property, according to the Christian Post.
Pope Francis Condemns Fundamentalism and Christian Persecution
Pope Francis warned of the dangers of fundamentalism, the rise of Christian persecution, and the role of the Catholic Church during the holocaust in an interview with the Spanish language magazine “La Vangurdia.”
Southern Baptist Convention Confronts Same-Sex Marriages and ‘Transgenderism’
Tuesday the nation’s largest Protestant body voted against the “moral validation” of the transgendered since God’s original design was to create two distinct and complementary sexes, according to Christian Today.
Methodists Fear Split Over Same-Sex Marriage
Last month, a group of pastors and theologians called for an amicable split in the United Methodist Church over homosexuality, according to USA Today.
Berlin Prayer House Unites Jews, Christians and Muslims
The possibility of Christians, Muslims and Jews all praying under the same roof in a building so unusual that it doesn’t have an official designation is the hopeful project of a pastor, a rabbi and an imam, according to the Times of Israel.
Sermon to be Delivered by Transgender Priest at Washington National Cathedral (Video)
The Washington National Cathedral, an Episcopalian church, is hosting its first transgender priest celebrating “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender” Month, which President Obama issued by proclamation.
Denmark Passes Law That Forces Church to Perform Same-Sex Marriages
Denmark’s Parliament voted by a large margin to force State churches to conduct same-sex marriage ceremonies inside their sanctuaries.
Joel Osteen, in the Spirit of Ecumenism, meets Pope Francis (Video)
The International Foundation arranged for a 15-member delegation to visit the Vatican in the spirit of Ecumenism, which included mega-church speaker and author Joel Osteen, to meet with Pope Francis last Thursday.
Christians Hopeful After Egyptian Election
Egyptian Christians have welcomed the election of President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi in the hopes that the former field marshal will protect them from Islamic extremism, according to Barnabas Aid.
Ariz. Closes Church for Unpaid Taxes Despite Exemption
La Paz County is forcing a small church that helps the homeless to close its doors by June 15 unless it pays $68,000 in back-taxes and penalties that both state law and the Arizona Department of Revenue say the church doesn’t even owe, according to International Christian Concern.