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Pope Leo XIV exalts first American saint Cabrini as a model for Christians for her care of migrants
World News
AP

Pope Leo XIV exalts first American saint Cabrini as a model for Christians for her care of migrants

  • By NICOLE WINFIELD and BRIAN HENDRIE - Associated Press
  • Updated

Pope Leo XIV holding up America's first saint, Mother Frances Cabrini, as a model for Christians today because of her care for migrants in need. Leo visited Cabrini's birthplace in Sant’Angelo Lodigiano near Milan. She is the patron saint of migrants. Cabrini is known for her work with Italian immigrants in the United States and was made the fist American saint in 1946. Leo has clashed with the Trump administration over its crackdown on migrants, including in his native Chicago.

World Cup squads showcase faith and unity amid deep social divisions at home
Sports
AP

World Cup squads showcase faith and unity amid deep social divisions at home

  • By DAVID CRARY - Associated Press

While many of the World Cup’s competing nations are wracked by social divisions, some of the teams offer strikingly positive examples of how players from different backgrounds and religious faiths can cooperate. The phenomenon is particularly notable among Western European teams. As those societies have increasingly diversified, so have the national team rosters. They feature Christian and Muslim players who are open about their faith. England’s team for the first time includes a Muslim. France’s roster has multiple players from Protestant, Catholic and Muslim backgrounds. Spain’s emerging superstar, 18-year-old Lamine Yamal, is a practicing Muslim. So is Sweden’s Yasin Ayari, who scored twice in a victory over Tunisia.

Pope honors Barcelona's Sagrada Familia as masterpiece of stone, color and light on Gaudí centenary
World News
AP

Pope honors Barcelona's Sagrada Familia as masterpiece of stone, color and light on Gaudí centenary

  • By JOSEPH WILSON and NICOLE WINFIELD - Associated Press
  • Updated

Pope Leo XIV has celebrated the Sagrada Familia Basilica as a masterpiece of “stones, colors and light.” He marked the centenary of the death of its architect, Antoni Gaudí, with a Mass. Leo called Gaudí’s unfinished temple, one of the world’s most visited monuments, a “sign of unity and harmony for all of Spain.” The service Wednesday was the highlight of Leo’s weeklong visit to Spain. It was the first visit by a pope in 15 years to the once-staunchly Catholic European country that, like many others, has experienced secularizing trends. The trip, though, has shown the country still has plenty of faithful Catholics who have turned out in droves to welcome the American pope.

Southern Baptists vote to advance a formal ban on churches with women pastors
National News
AP

Southern Baptists vote to advance a formal ban on churches with women pastors

  • By PETER SMITH - Associated Press
  • Updated

Thousands of Southern Baptists have voted overwhelmingly to advance a formal ban on churches with women pastors in the nation’s largest conservative evangelical denomination. The vote at their annual meeting sent a clear message that men alone should preach to congregations. They easily exceeded the two-thirds majority required to amend the Southern Baptist Convention’s constitution. The ban will require a similar vote at next year’s annual meeting to gain final approval. The amendment would tighten existing restrictions in the Southern Baptist Convention, which already has a faith statement opposing women pastors.

A Pentagon list overhaul puts Mormon church’s Christian identity back in the spotlight
National News
AP

A Pentagon list overhaul puts Mormon church’s Christian identity back in the spotlight

  • By DEEPA BHARATH - Associated Press
  • Updated

The Pentagon’s recent revision to its list of Christian religions has reignited a long-standing debate about whether The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a Christian denomination. Latter-day Saints identify as Christian. But some core beliefs, particularly involving the Trinity, differ from Catholic and mainline Protestant denominations. Utah U.S. Senators Mike Lee and John Curtis, both Republicans and Latter-day Saints, challenged the Pentagon’s exclusion of their faith from its list of Christian religions. The Pentagon removed the Christian label from 20 traditions, including Catholic and Lutheran, and stated the new rubric is not meant to question any faith’s legitimacy.

Mormon Church-Christian Debate
National News
AP

Mormon Church-Christian Debate

  • Rick Bowmer - AP
  • Updated

FILE - Members of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square perform during the twice-annual conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer,File)

Israel is tightening its grip on east Jerusalem with evictions and demolitions
National News
AP

Israel is tightening its grip on east Jerusalem with evictions and demolitions

  • By SAM MEDNICK - Associated Press
  • Updated

For decades, Israel has worked to expand the Jewish presence in annexed east Jerusalem. It's the beating heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and home to major Jewish, Christian and Muslim sites. Settlers have exploited discriminatory policies to evict Palestinians far from the front lines of the region’s wars. Activists say those efforts have gone into overdrive in recent years, as Israel is no longer constrained by U.S. pressure and attention has shifted to Gaza and other war zones. An Israeli rights group says over 260 homes and other structures were demolished in 2025, a 70% increase from three years earlier. Some neighborhoods have seen the most evictions in decades.