Religion

These stories have become so routine that I almost only need to swap out the names of the pastor and the church. A Tennessee pastor has apologized to his congregation as the coronavirus has infected countless church members — including himself and his family members — weeks after the church resumed indoor worship services and also hosted a state convention …

KOMO News reports: An Alaska Airlines flight was forced to land Saturday evening after a male passenger threatened to kill all other passengers on the plane, airport officials say. Alaska Airlines Flight 422 left from Sea-Tac Airport at 11:10 p.m. en route to Chicago O’Hare, officials with the airline say. Alaska Airlines says the man became “extremely belligerent and physically …

The New York Daily News reports: A kinky Bronx priest with a reported taste for S&M turned up dead in the New Jersey home where he allegedly paid $1,000 an hour to cavort with a muscle-bound boyfriend, cops confirmed Friday. The body of Peter Miqueli, 57, was found Thursday inside his residence in Brick Township, N.J., according to local police. …

The Associated Press reports: The U.S. Roman Catholic Church used a special and unprecedented exemption from federal rules to amass at least $1.4 billion in taxpayer-backed coronavirus aid, with many millions going to dioceses that have paid huge settlements or sought bankruptcy protection because of clergy sexual abuse cover-ups. The church’s haul may have reached — or even exceeded — …

The Christian Post reports: More than a week after at least 51 members of Calvary Chapel of San Antonio in Texas got infected with COVID-19 since the congregation started meeting in person, the church’s pastor says he takes full responsibility. “I accept full responsibility. I’m the leader of the church,” said Pastor Ron Arbaugh, according to News 4 San Antonio, …

The Indianapolis Star reports: Rev. Theodore Rothrock from St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church in Carmel has been suspended from public ministry by Bishop Timothy Doherty Wednesday after calling Black Lives Matter organizers “maggots and parasites.” “The Bishop expresses pastoral concern for the affected communities,” the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana said in a statement Wednesday. “The suspension offers the Bishop an opportunity …

New York City’s Pix11 reports: St. Patrick’s Cathedral held indoor Mass on Sunday for the first time in three months, with precautions against the coronavirus in place. Cardinal Timothy Dolan led the 10:15 a.m. Mass. Capacity was limited to 25% and people had to follow federal health guidelines that include wearing face coverings and staying at least 6 feet apart. …

The Washington Post reports: The number of allegations of Catholic clergy sex abuse of minors more than quadrupled in 2019 compared to the average in the previous five years, U.S. church officials reported this week, in part the result of new church-run compensation programs for victims as well as survivors driven to come forward by several major clerical abuse scandals. …

The Times of Israel reports: The Tel Aviv-Jaffa municipality on Sunday said it would allow cohabiting couples to register their relationship and enjoy marital rights, in a protest of the government’s refusal to recognize same-sex couples or those not wed under the state’s religious authorities. Tel Aviv-Jaffa Mayor Ron Huldai said the move, coinciding with the country’s Pride Week, makes …

Reuters reports: The Vatican urged Catholics on Thursday to disinvest from the armaments and fossil fuel industries and to closely monitor companies in sectors such as mining to check if they are damaging the environment. The calls were contained in a 225-page manual for church leaders and workers to mark the fifth anniversary of Pope Francis’ landmark encyclical “Laudato Si” …

The Christian Post reports: A former housekeeper is suing the operator of Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, claiming the business engaged in religious discrimination by firing her because she refused to work on Sundays. Sonia Perez, 56, filed a lawsuit against Trump Ruffin Commercial Inc., the company that oversees the Trump hotels. She claims that the company required her …

Morning Consult reports: As President Donald Trump leans on religion to reconnect with his political base ahead of the November election, most Americans dismiss the notion that he himself is a man of faith. Only 27 percent of registered voters in a new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll said they somewhat or strongly agree that Trump himself is religious, while 55 percent …

Fox News reports: A Catholic archbishop said the “deep state” is “fiercely waging war against” President Trump amid the coronavirus pandemic and riots following the death of George Floyd. Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano of Rome urged Trump on Sunday to fight against the so-called “deep state,” mainstream media, and the “deep church” in an open letter. “In recent months we …

The Christian Post reports: The percentage of Democrat and Democrat-leaning voters who identify as Christian has sharply declined since 2008, according to a new report by the Pew Research Center. A report by Pew published in its U.S. Politics & Policy section found that while 73% of Democrat voters were Christian in 2008, by 2019 the percentage had dropped to …

Reuters reports: In his first public remarks on the U.S. protests, Pope Francis urged people not to “tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form” and called for “national reconciliation and peace.” “Dear brothers and sisters in the United States, I have witnessed with great concern the disturbing social unrest in your nation in these …

The Sacramento Bee reports: The Supreme Court late Friday rejected a California church’s challenge of the state’s new pandemic-related rules on worship services, with Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. joining the court’s liberals in the 5-to-4 vote. Roberts wrote that state officials such as California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) had leeway to impose restrictions to prevent the spread of …

“It’s offering time, glory to God. And Jesus is here, amen. Thank you, lord Jesus. There’s two times in every person’s life when they should tithe and give offerings. One is when he has the money and the other is when he doesn’t. Especially when he doesn’t. Amen. “Why, Brother Copeland, you think a poor person should give a tithe? …

The Los Angeles Times reports: Nine cases of COVID-19, the infection caused by the coronavirus, are now linked to the May 10 service held by the Assembly of God in the Mendocino County city of Redwood Valley. The service was livestreamed to congregants and included singing, county public health officials said today. Mendocino County health orders permit churches to produce …

UK-based Muslim news outlet 5 Pillars reports: The Iraqi Foreign Ministry has said homosexuality goes against “the noble morals of all divine religions” and that all missions in Iraq had to “adhere to the laws of the country,” after foreign embassies flew the rainbow LGBT flag in honour of the International Day Against Homophobia. The European Union, the World Bank …

Axios reports: 35 of the 92 people (38%) who attended services at a rural Arkansas church March 6–11 tested positive for the coronavirus, ultimately killing three, according to a case study released Tuesday by the CDC. Why it matters: Places of worship continue to be a problem for controlling the widespread transmission of the coronavirus, especially as some churches and …