Monday’s News & Ideas - 9/15/2025
- Pope’s first interview
- Utah church after assassination
- 1 in 6 U.S. parents reject vaccines
- Americans on assisted suicide
- Palestinian Christians at conference
- Saint Christopher
In first interview, Pope Leo XIV takes on billionaires, polarization and war
Religion News Service: Pope Leo XIV reflected on the legacy of Pope Francis and whether he sees himself as more US American or Peruvian.
Crus: In interview with Crux correspondent, Pope talks Ukraine, synodality, polarization, World Cup
A Utah church embarks on a healing journey in the aftermath of the Kirk assassination
NPR: People gathered at CenterPoint church for the first Sunday services since conservative activist Charlie Kirk was killed during a speaking event at nearby Utah Valley University.
Why 1 in 6 U.S. parents are rejecting vaccine recommendations*
The Washington Post: A wide-ranging Washington Post-KFF poll details who tends to reject vaccine recommendations and their reasoning.
Americans remain divided as more states legalize assisted suicide
Religion Unplugged: Half of Americans believe a terminally ill person should be able to ask a doctor for help in ending their life. Legal approval has outpaced the growth in public support.
Palestinian Christians at Chicago conference ask fellow believers to stand against Gaza war
Religion News Service: The Church at the Crossroads conference, organizers said, is aimed at moving US Christians from feeling bad about the war in Gaza to taking action to end it.
The Spark
Christopher, the dog-headed saint
Although the tradition has largely faded in the Western church, Saint Christopher sported a canine head through much of Christian history, JSTOR says.
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