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ROME — Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected as Roman Catholic pontiff, the first ever pope from the United States and a possible bridge between the moderate and hard-line sides of the Church.

Prevost, 69, chose the name of Leo XIV for his pontificate and was greeted by thousands of cheering faithful as he stepped out onto a balcony ...Read more

SAN DIEGO — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has agreed in principle to settle more than 100 childhood sexual abuse lawsuits filed against it last year in San Diego and across California, according to recent court filings in the cases.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs and the Utah-based LDS church, often referred to as the Mormon ...Read more

Q: What do you as a rabbi want from the new pope? – (From F)

A: As it turns out, I want the same things from a new pope that I would want from a new rabbi – plus the ability to run a worldwide, multicultural, multi-billion-dollar institution representing more than a billion Catholics.

I want a pope who believes that Christ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: If God knows every thought we have – good or bad (especially the bad) – why is it necessary for us to tell Him what we’re thinking and how we’re feeling and behaving? – G.B.

A: There are no secrets from God. The Bible says, “You alone know each human heart” (1 Kings 8:39, NLT). Should...Read more

BALTIMORE — Sex abuse survivors scoffed at the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s claim of “charitable immunity” in bankruptcy court and encouraged others Wednesday to sue the church before financial damages face new limits next month.

“Just when you think you may be reaching the end of the Catholic Church’s road of hypocrisy, they find a ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: I’m in awe after getting a prayer answered, though I prayed without really believing God would answer my request. I had longed to go as a missionary to Ukraine after the war broke out. Many obstacles were put in my way, and every door I tried to open seemed to slam in my face. Greatly discouraged,...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: My grandmother keeps warning me not to make bad choices in life. I respect her as one who has always made good decisions, and our family has benefited greatly. But does God really care about the decisions we make, and if so, why? Isn’t the natural pathway of life to just live and learn from our ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: We live in dangerous times. Young people are committing suicide; the elderly and sickly consider the right to die. Is the breath of life in our hands to give and take? – L.B.

A: Ultimately, our lives are in God’s hands; even the next breath we take is a gift from Him. If He were to withdraw His...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: The media has revealed the president’s parenting rules to his youngest son. Is it right for parents to give kids rules? Giving our children freedom to make their own decisions and learn about life is how they learn. Isn’t that what the story of the prodigal son is all about? Besides this story, ...Read more

Many notes of reflection on the passing of the pope. This from my friend F in Wisconsin:

“When he was a teenager, he loved to play basketball. Then, in his 20s, he had life-threatening pneumonia and part of a lung was removed. No more basketball for that young man! He became a priest after being inspired by a priest. John Paul II made him...Read more

Q: Many Christian readers, fresh off their Easter Communion services, wrote to me to ask me about the actual Christian belief about the bread and wine turning into the body and blood of Christ. Thankfully, you don’t have to rely on a rabbi’s interpretation. C, from Walla Walla, Washington, helpfully wrote in with her understanding of this ...Read more

As Easter approaches and Passover fades away this week, I offer to you, dear readers, and your families, a two-word prayer to help each of us gain a measure of hope in these troubled times by taking the true meaning of our sacred stories into our lives.

A story from my tradition. The rabbis asked, “After the children of Israel ...Read more

Go figure! This old question about a dog taught me everything important I needed to know about Passover and Easter.

Q: I have a dilemma. Bo is my Labrador Retriever and he is always with me. He rides in my truck, comes on my boat and sleeps in my bed. My girlfriend says he smells and she is allergic to him and tells me that ...Read more

In this season of sacred holidays for Judaism (Passover), Christianity (Easter), Islam (Ramadan) and Hinduism (Holi) it seems to me like a good time to face the challenges of interfaith dialogue on a deeply personal level.

What are we to do when the challenges of understanding the faith of our neighbor is not the result of some ...Read more

As we prepare to welcome spring (March 20) and Passover (April 12) and Easter (April 20). I offer up a prayer for remembering how our spring holidays divide us and unite us and how springtime makes all our celebrations part of a renewal of hope.

Passover and Easter are ...Read more

I recently wrote about how the Golden Rule (“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”) is a part of every single world religion. This note lifts my spirits by showing me that it is also a part of the moral education of every compassionate family,

Q: My husband and I were raised ...Read more

Springtime brings us a wide variety of joyous and colorful celebrations in the cycle of sacred time. People do not realize that religions cannot only fill our lives and our years with stern limitations and restrictive rules, but that faith must also be fun.

The two weeks at the end of March and at the beginning of spring put us squarely in the ...Read more