Pope Francis Names 17 New Cardinals, Including 3 Americans
By Laurie Goodstein, New York Times
Pope Francis on Sunday named 17 new cardinals, including three Americans, adding prelates from developing countries to give them a greater voice in selecting the next pope. Francis’ American appointments elevate moderates in the church hierarchy, bypassing doctrinal conservatives from large archdioceses.
Tobin to be cardinal, formed by and called advocate of women religious
By Dawn Araujo-Hawkins, National Catholic Reporter
When Pope Francis named Indianapolis Archbishop Joseph Tobin as one of three U.S. bishops to be elevated to cardinal next month, Catholic sisters around the country rejoiced — especially the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Monroe, Michigan.
The Immoral Economy and Donald Trump’s Tax Returns
By Jennifer Butler, Patheos
In response to public outcry over his newly revealed tax return, Trump responded that it was a smart move on his part to take advantage of a tax benefit for real estate investors that allowed him to write off twenty years in taxes, paying himself a handsome salary while stiffing his workers.
Credibility Gap? Troubling Rationale from Trump’s Catholic Advisors
By John Gehring, Commonweal Magazine
Conservative Catholics on Donald Trump’s Catholic advisory committee are facing a test of conscience, and failing. The revelation last week that Trump used crude and demeaning language to boast about sexual assault in 2005 wasn’t enough to convince a Catholic priest and others advising Trump to step away from a campaign wading in the fetid waters of misogyny and xenophobia and playing on white resentment.
By Andy Crouch, Christianity Today
Just because we are neutral, however, does not mean we are indifferent. We are especially not indifferent when the gospel is at stake. The gospel is of infinitely greater importance than any campaign, and one good summary of the gospel is, “Jesus is Lord.”
As outrage mounts, Trump’s Catholic problem gets worse
By Rhina Guidos, Crux
Already struggling to attract Catholic voters, Donald Trump’s recent troubles certainly haven’t helped, with some Catholic leaders saying they feel they have no choice but to stick with the GOP over life issues, and others either backing away or outright abandoning the Republican nominee.
The religious right makes a deal with the devil
By Dana Milbank, Washington Post
The late Jerry Falwell, leader of the Moral Majority and founder of Liberty University, built the religious right into a major political force. His son Jerry Jr. is well on his way to destroying it.
Why do evangelicals prefer Donald Trump to Hillary Clinton?
By Rachel Zoll, Associated Press
Cracks have appeared in evangelical support for Donald Trump over the video of his sexually predatory comments about women. But backing from some of his most high-profile conservative Christian endorsers, such as Liberty University president Jerry Falwell Jr., is holding.
By Rachel Laser, Medium
Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, is a challenging holiday. Jews are commanded to fast and to own their sins so they can atone for them. On this day of introspection and deliberate discomfort, I, a white American, am asking myself the following uncomfortable question: Should I include racism in my confessions?
InterVarsity authors and alumni protest policy terminating employees who support gay marriage
By Jonathan Merritt, Religion News Service
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship USA (IVCF), a large ministry operating on 667 college campuses nationwide, faced widespread backlash after it announced last week it would begin “involuntarily terminating” employees who hold a theological position supporting gay marriage.
By Jeanette Steele, San Diego Union-Tribune
[A] Temecula-based nonprofit group is part of a nationwide circle of Christianity-based programs focused on post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, as a generation of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans suffer the aftermath of combat.Deep Dive of the Week
Hillary Clinton opens up a commanding 11-point lead over Donald Trump
By Public Religion Research Institute/The Atlantic
Hillary Clinton has opened up a commanding 11-point lead over Donald Trump, finds a new PRRI/The Atlantic Survey—with field dates (October 5-9) spanning the fallout from a tape of Donald Trump making lewd comments about women. Nearly half (49%) of likely voters report they are currently supporting or leaning towards supporting Clinton, while fewer than four in ten (38%) likely voters favor Trump.