Mourners including all five living U.S. presidents attended the late President Jimmy Carter’s funeral Jan. 9 at the Washington National Cathedral, the first time they have all been in public together since 2018, and an increasingly rare occurrence in an era of bitter partisanship.
Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles has called for prayers as wildfires continue to sweep through parts of southern California, having killed at least five people and forced thousands to flee their homes.
President Joe Biden has canceled his upcoming trip to Italy, including an audience with Pope Francis, in order to “remain focused on directing the full federal response” in the wake of the devastating wildfires raging in California, the White House said.
President-elect Donald Trump Jan. 7 reiterated his call for some companies that make investments in the U.S. economy to bypass some environmental regulations.
Jimmy Carter’s legacy is firmly cemented in America and worldwide. It includes many accomplishments both during and after his presidency, all of which can be traced back to the foundation of his faith and the religious music that he cherished. Carter, who died on Dec. 29 at the age of 100, has been called the first “rock ‘n’ roll president,” and he certainly was, embracing friendships with artists like Willie Nelson, Gregg Allman, Charlie Daniels, Larry Gatlin, Johnny Cash, and Bob Dylan, to name a few.
Saying he carried with him the sorrow of the nation for a “horrific act of terrorism” on New Year’s Day that claimed the lives of 14 people on Bourbon Street, President Joe Biden told grieving families at an interfaith prayer service Jan. 6 at St. Louis Cathedral that they would one day be released from their shared pain.
With his appointment as new archbishop of Washington Jan. 6, Cardinal Robert W. McElroy’s term in the nation’s capital will begin shortly after President-elect Donald Trump begins his second stint in the White House, possibly creating flashpoints between the pair during their time in the nation’s capital over immigration and a host of other issues.
Cardinal Robert W. McElroy of San Diego has been appointed the next archbishop of the Archdiocese of Washington, following Pope Francis’ acceptance of the resignation of Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory, the first African American cardinal, the Vatican announced Jan. 6.
Several Catholic high schools are mourning former students among the victims of a Jan. 1 terrorist attack in New Orleans.
Pope Francis was “deeply saddened” to learn of deaths and injuries caused by the attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day, which killed 15 people.
