Ahead of Papal Visit, Iraq Closes Houses of Worship Due to COVID

Less than three weeks from Pope Francis’ highly anticipated trip to Iraq, the local government on Feb.14 announced new restrictions to try to curb the spread of COVID-19, which includes the closure of all houses of worship until the last day of his March 5-8 visit.

Biden Revives White House Office for Faith-Based Organizations

Responding to requests from religious communities and organizations, U.S. President Joe Biden signed an executive order Feb.14 to reestablish a White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships created under the Bush administration and revamped during the Obama years.

Leaked Audio Has Cuomo’s Top Aide Admitting Nursing Home Numbers Cover-Up

Governor Andrew Cuomo’s secretary, Melissa DeRosa, admitted the Cuomo administration withheld the state’s nursing home death toll out of fear that the numbers would “be used against us” by the Department of Justice in an investigation, according to an audio recording obtained by the New York Post.

Black Religious Orders Broke Racial Barriers in the U.S.

When it comes to the earliest orders of Black Catholic religious sisters in the United States, Shannen Dee Williams wants people to recognize the perseverance, struggle, and commitment to God they put forth to make religious life possible for Black women and girls in the United States — something she considers overlooked.