Author: Peter Smith
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Pope in Canada honors grandparents after Indigenous apology
EDMONTON, Alberta • Pope Francis celebrated his first big Mass in Canada on Tuesday as reverberations echoed from his historic apology for the Catholic Church’s role in severing generations of Indigenous family ties by participating in Canada’s “catastrophic” residential school system. About 50,000 people filled Commonwealth Stadium and a smaller nearby venue for the Mass.…
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Bishops OK Communion document, avoid direct rebuff to Biden
BALTIMORE (AP) — U.S. Catholic bishops overwhelmingly approved a long-anticipated document on Communion on Wednesday that stops short of calling for withholding the sacrament from politicians such as President Joe Biden who support abortion rights but offers plenty of tacit justification for individual bishops to do so. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ first major…
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Southern Baptists vote to debate sex abuse investigation
NASHVILLE, Tenn. • Delegates at the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to have a floor debate on a proposed investigation into the denomination’s handling of sexual abuse. The SBC’s business committee had planned to refer the proposal to its Executive Committee — the same entity alleged to have failed in its response…
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65 years ago, Altoona, Penn., was Billy Graham’s crucible
In the fall of 1949, the Rev. Billy Graham led an eight-week series of revival meetings in Los Angeles, drawing multitudes and making converts of celebrities and commoners. He rocketed into the headlines and hasn’t left them since, even today at age 95 and in frail health. But there almost was no Los Angeles, no…