Articles by Kevin J. Jones
Columbus Diocese to close 15 churches; bishop calls for stronger Catholic engagement
May 26, 2023 / 15:40 pmAs part of a parish reorganization and merger plan, Bishop Earl K. Fernandes spoke of new possibilities for growth.
Cordileone on Serra statue case: Prosecutor signaled attacks against Catholics go unpunished
May 26, 2023 / 13:15 pm“It is clear to me that this course of action would not have been taken with anyone else,” Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco said Thursday.
Lawsuit alleges Boston’s Cardinal O’Malley failed to prevent abuse at Catholic high school
May 25, 2023 / 14:55 pmThree former students at a Massachusetts Catholic high school have filed a lawsuit against Boston’s Cardinal Sean O’Malley and other Church leaders.
Nebraska bans abortion at 12 weeks and sex change surgery for minors
May 24, 2023 / 14:30 pmOver 30 of Nebraska’s 49 senators joined the governor for the signing of the Let Them Grow Act, which bans abortion 12 weeks into pregnancy.
Illinois AG report says nearly 2,000 were victims of clergy sex abuse over 70-year span
May 23, 2023 / 15:27 pmThe report released May 23 covers allegations from 1950 through 2019 within Illinois’ six Catholic dioceses.
Survey: Fewer Americans confident about God’s existence, but many still pray
May 23, 2023 / 10:30 amOnly about half of Americans now say they are certain that God exists, but many Americans say they still pray several times a day.
Make nuclear disarmament a priority, Catholic bishops urge G7 Summit
May 19, 2023 / 16:30 pmFour Catholic bishops from the U.S. and Japan called for G7 leaders who are meeting in Nagasaki to take action against nuclear weapons.
Vatican withdraws World Youth Day 2023 stamp after criticism in Portugal
May 19, 2023 / 16:00 pmThe stamp’s design drew negative comments because it “recalls a colonial past very distant from Pope Francis’ message of universal fraternity.”
Catholic bishops to FDA: Don’t make ‘minipill’ contraceptive over-the-counter
May 16, 2023 / 14:10 pmFederal regulators should reject proposed over-the-counter use of the progestin-only “minipill” contraceptive, the U.S. bishops have said.
France’s Catholic clergy to carry ID cards proving they are in good standing
May 16, 2023 / 09:05 amThe French Bishops’ Conference announced the change as part of a large set of measures designed to “intensify the fight against sexual violence within the Church.”
Leading Catholics and rabbis agree: Help terminally ill, reject assisted suicide
May 15, 2023 / 07:30 amThe joint statement said the presentation reaffirmed “the dignity of every human being.”
Chicago’s Bishop Joseph N. Perry to lead U.S. bishops’ anti-racism committee
May 12, 2023 / 12:25 pmThe Chicago-born bishop brings extensive experience to the role, including his chairmanship of the USCCB Committee on African-American Catholics.
UK birth of ‘three-parent baby’ came at a high moral cost, Catholic bioethicists warn
May 11, 2023 / 14:50 pm“This is the destruction of two embryonic human individuals to create a third individual,” the Anscombe Bioethics Centre said.
Pope Francis revisits ‘very painful’ Jesuit abductions in 1970s Argentina
May 10, 2023 / 11:15 amA question about Budapest-born Father Jálics came during the first Jesuit pope’s apostolic visit to Hungary.
Canada replaces crosses in new Royal Crown with maple leaves and snowflakes
May 9, 2023 / 08:00 amThe new redesign intended to emphasize the “Canadian identity of the monarchy” was recommended by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Former Google scientist warns about the dangers of artificial intelligence
May 7, 2023 / 08:00 amA leading artificial intelligence researcher some call the “godfather” of AI says the technology is developing at a “scary” rate.
UPDATE: Feds back off demand that Catholic hospital extinguish chapel candle
May 5, 2023 / 10:25 amFederal government regulators backed off their demands that a Catholic hospital extinguish its chapel candle.
HHS orders Catholic hospital to snuff out chapel candle or lose its accreditation
May 4, 2023 / 07:43 amA Catholic hospital system in Oklahoma is contesting federal officials’ demand that it must extinguish an enclosed tabernacle candle in its chapel.
Can religion help treat America’s loneliness epidemic? Surgeon general says yes
May 2, 2023 / 14:30 pmLoneliness is a risk factor for many serious, even deadly, health conditions, and the antidote is social connection like that found in religious groups.
Hate speech bill advances in Ireland amid fears it would silence J.K. Rowling and the Church
May 2, 2023 / 10:30 amThe bill bars incitement to violence or hatred against persons on account of protected characteristics.