| Putin meets pope and Berlusconi in Italy Posted: 25 Nov 2013 02:49 PM PST  VATICAN CITY (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin had a busy first day in Rome on Monday, going from the pope to a "Pussy Riot" protest to dinner at the palazzo of his old friend, Silvio Berlusconi.
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| Religious rights of companies in morning after pill case Posted: 25 Nov 2013 02:31 PM PST  Can a company deliberately exclude health insurance coverage of the morning after pill for its employees, in the name of freedom of religion? That's a question the US Supreme Court could take up on Tuesday when it decides whether to hear a case pitting a chain of craft stores against President Barack Obama's signature health care law. The Obama administration is challenging the refusal of Hobby Lobby Stores to underwrite coverage for certain contraceptive methods. "We believe that it is by God's grace and provision that Hobby Lobby has endured.
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| Putin meets pope and Berlusconi in Rome Posted: 25 Nov 2013 02:24 PM PST VATICAN CITY (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin had a busy first day in Rome on Monday, going from the pope to a "Pussy Riot" protest to dinner at the palazzo of his old friend, Silvio Berlusconi. |
| The 'Pope Francis Effect' Doesn't Really Exist in the U.S. Posted: 25 Nov 2013 01:48 PM PST  Cool Pope Francis is so rad at being Pope that some have started anticipating the start of a global "come to Jesus (or Francis) moment" among Catholics. Termed the "Pope Francis Effect," the theory goes that Francis is inspiring many Catholics to start becoming more active in the church again. And while one poll tracking church attendance in Italy seems to suggest that Francis is filling the pews, a new analysis of Catholic attendance in the U.S. suggests that the Francis Effect is not so much in effect in the States. According to Pew, Catholic identification and weekly Mass attendance has held steady since the Pope's election last spring. Source: Pew Research Center
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| Pope meets Putin, no discussion of church tensions Posted: 25 Nov 2013 12:30 PM PST  Pope Francis and Russian President Vladimir Putin met on Monday and discussed the Middle East and problems faced by Christians across the world, but did not touch on the strained relationship between the Vatican and the Orthodox Church. The 35-minute meeting at the Vatican was the first between Pope Francis and Putin, who met the pontiff's two immediate predecessors, Benedict and John Paul II. "It was quite a cordial and constructive meeting," Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi told reporters after the encounter. Putin had arrived around 45 minutes late because of transport problems. Relations between the Catholic Church and Russia have long been uneasy because of accusations that the Vatican has tried to poach believers from the Orthodox Church, a charge it denies.
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| U.S. justices to weigh corporate religious rights Posted: 25 Nov 2013 11:54 AM PST By Lawrence Hurley WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Supreme Court justices could decide on Tuesday to review religious objections made by corporations to a provision of the 2010 federal healthcare law requiring employers to provide health insurance that covers birth control. A 1993 federal law called the Religious Freedom Restoration Act made it easier for people to sue when a government action restricts their religious rights. On a 5-4 vote, the court endorsed broad First Amendment free speech rights for corporations in the campaign finance context in a case called Citizens United v. The Federal Election Commission. The ruling prompted a considerable backlash from liberal activists and was criticized by President Barack Obama. |
| Putin, Pope back negotiated solution to Syria conflict Posted: 25 Nov 2013 11:34 AM PST  The Vatican said Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pope Francis on Monday discussed the need for talks to resolve the Syria conflict, as international officials met in Geneva to discuss a date for a peace conference. Pope Francis has been a powerful voice against an armed international intervention in the Syria conflict and has voiced concern about the plight of Christian minorities there and in other parts of the Middle East. United Nations and Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi on Monday huddled with US and Russian officials in Geneva in a bid to set a date for a peace conference on the conflict in Syria, which is widely expected for January.
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| Putin shows faith, kisses Madonna icon at Vatican Posted: 25 Nov 2013 11:16 AM PST VATICAN CITY (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin showed off his religious side during a visit Monday to the Vatican, stopping to cross himself and kiss an icon of the Madonna that he gave to Pope Francis. But Moscow's improving relations with the Vatican went only so far: Putin didn't invite Francis to visit. |
| Billboard to update Christian, gospel charts Posted: 25 Nov 2013 06:34 AM PST NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Billboard is updating its Christian and gospel song charts, continuing a modernization process intended to reflect the use of the Internet on listening habits. |
