Articles by Jonah McKeown
Pope Francis hears young people’s confessions in Lisbon
Aug 4, 2023 / 10:30 amPope Francis on Friday heard the confessions of three young people in the Jardim Vasco da Gama, renamed Reconciliation Park for World Youth Day.
Generation Xers’ church attendance drops to millennial levels, survey suggests
Aug 3, 2023 / 13:30 pmChurch attendance has dropped off since the pandemic for Generation X more sharply than for other age groups since the pandemic, according to a new survey.
Tree of Life synagogue shooter handed federal death penalty
Aug 3, 2023 / 10:30 amRobert G. Bowers is the first person to be condemned to death under the Biden administration, which placed the federal death penalty under moratorium in 2021.
Florida bishops request clemency for death row inmate
Aug 2, 2023 / 13:00 pmJames Phillip Barnes is scheduled to die Thursday, but bishops in Florida have appealed to Gov. Ron DeSantis for a stay.
World Youth Day 2023: Lisbon patriarch greets attendees at opening Mass
Aug 1, 2023 / 14:55 pmWorld Youth Day 2023 kicked off in Lisbon, Portugal, Aug. 1 with an opening Mass attended by hundreds of thousands of people.
St. Louis parishes dodge closure by appealing to the Vatican
Aug 1, 2023 / 11:30 amSeven parishes plan to send appeals to the Vatican, putting the mergers planned for the parishes on hold until the Dicastery for the Clergy issues a ruling.
Biden administration to pay fee for attempted exclusion of NFP methods from insurance
Aug 1, 2023 / 08:45 amAlliance Defending Freedom announced July 27 that a federal court has ordered the Biden administration to pay $65,000 in attorneys’ fees.
UPDATE: Missouri death row inmate to be executed Tuesday
Jul 31, 2023 / 16:00 pmCatholics in St. Louis and across Missouri, as well as Pope Francis himself, had advocated for a stay of Johnny Johnson’s execution.
Catholic blogger remains detained in Belarus after criticizing regime
Jul 31, 2023 / 08:20 amAlready three years into his 15-year prison sentence for criticizing the country’s regime, Ihar Losik has not been heard from since February.
Parish named for Sts. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus keeps the faith on Chicago’s South Side
Jul 29, 2023 / 02:30 amA parish under the three siblings’ patronage celebrates unity as it marks the July 29 feast day of the three friends of Jesus.
Missouri death row inmate granted stay of execution following Catholic advocacy
Jul 26, 2023 / 13:30 pmCatholics across Missouri had advocated for a stay of Johnny Johnson’s execution, citing the Church’s teaching on the admissibility of the death penalty.
UPDATED: Which U.S. dioceses have declared bankruptcy? Here’s a map
Jul 24, 2023 / 11:15 amMore than two dozen U.S. dioceses, including two in U.S. overseas territories, have entered into bankruptcy proceedings, the vast majority in the past decade.
How AI is helping to translate the Bible into rare languages
Jul 18, 2023 / 07:00 amA team of researchers is seeking to put AI to use for a different and more noble purpose — the translation of the Bible into extremely rare languages.
Young podcaster emulates media priest Father Mike Schmitz with ‘Kid’s Bible in a Year’
May 6, 2023 / 04:00 amTeddy Howell, 9, is the creator of a new podcast, launched March 12, that helps kids encounter the Lord in the Bible.
A guide to the Christian — and Catholic — symbolism in King Charles III’s coronation
May 5, 2023 / 10:00 amAs the new monarch of England is crowned, the ceremony’s many symbols and traditions are rooted in history.
Archbishop Coakley: Respond with love to those with gender dysphoria without compromising truth
May 4, 2023 / 08:00 amArchbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City in an interview this week called for responding to those experiencing gender dysphoria with empathy.
Advocates for persecuted Christians in Nigeria question U.S. report that portrays Fulani as victims
May 2, 2023 / 07:25 amAdvocates for persecuted Christians in Nigeria are criticizing a new report prepared by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.
Assisted suicide in the United States: Where is it legal?
Apr 29, 2023 / 09:00 amWhile euthanasia is still illegal in the U.S., 10 states now allow assisted suicide, and at least a dozen are currently considering legislation to legalize it.
Vatican preparing text for divorced and remarried couples, Cardinal Farrell says
Apr 25, 2023 / 15:50 pmThe Dicastery for the Laity, Family, and Life will prepare the text at the request of Pope Francis.
Lay ministry must be done in service to others and not become ‘self-referential,’ Pope Francis says
Apr 25, 2023 / 14:50 pmPope Francis emphasized the importance of lay ministers working in service to others rather than as a way to inflate their egos.