Religion

How a Sabrina Carpenter song led to a priest’s demotion for mishandling church funds

Officials say Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello was disciplined for mishandling $1.9 million in parish funds. He faced scrutiny last year for letting Carpenter film a music video at his Brooklyn church.

How to bridge our political divide? A pastor’s answer: Do unto others

A Pennsylvania church just blocks from where then-candidate Donald Trump's would-be assassin lived created a sermon series on the Golden Rule to try to bridge political divisions in its congregation.

Pope calls for investigation into whether Israel’s actions constitute genocide

Pope Francis has called for an investigation to determine if Israel's military attacks on Gaza constitute genocide. It's the first time he's publicly suggested that Israel may be engaged in genocide.

This county is the most religiously diverse in the U.S.

This stretch of New Hampshire Avenue in Silver Spring, Maryland is so packed with houses of worship, it's been called the Embassy Row of Religions. But locals know it as the Highway to Heaven.

Federal judge blocks Louisiana law that requires classrooms to display Ten Commandments

The new Louisiana requirement that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public classroom by Jan. 1 was temporarily blocked Tuesday. The judge said the law is "unconstitutional on its face."

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby resigns over sex abuse scandal

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has resigned over accusations that he failed to report physical and sexual abuse to the police.

Paws and prayers: Hoover church’s furry congregation gets blessed

The recent service at Prince of Peace Catholic Church is part of honoring St. Francis of Assisi.

United Methodists lose one-fifth of US churches in schism driven by growing defiance of LGBTQ bans

Roughly half of churches in the United Methodist Church North Alabama Conference have voted to disaffiliate within the last year, according to new study.

In tornado-ravaged Selma, prayers of thanks

The Sunday after a tornado devastated much of the historic city of Selma, church congregations raised up prayers of gratitude for lives spared and gave prayers of comfort for lives lost elsewhere to the storm.

Remembering A Murdered Birmingham Priest For His Faith And Courage

This week marks 100 years since Father James Coyle was murdered in broad daylight in downtown Birmingham hours after he secretly married an interracial couple. He's remembered for his faith and courage during a time of religious intolerance, racism and xenophobia.

As The Pandemic Drags On, UAB Pastoral Care Head Finds New Ways To Connect

Eight months after we first spoke, we checked back in with Malcolm Marler, senior director of pastoral care at UAB Medicine.

Southern Baptists Apologize for Sex Abuse Coverups

In the last day of the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting in Birmingham, the nation’s largest Protestant denomination apologized for decades of sexual abuse and cover ups in the church.