Thursday's News & Ideas - 1/5/2023

Faithful mourn Benedict XVI at funeral presided over by pope
Associated Press: Pope Francis joined tens of thousands of faithful in bidding farewell to Benedict XVI at a rare requiem Mass Thursday for a dead pope presided over by a living one, ending an unprecedented decade for the Catholic Church that was triggered by the German theologian’s decision to retire.
The New Yorker: Benedict XVI’s most powerful influence on the Catholic Church came before he was Pope*

Prayers for Damar Hamlin show bond between football and faith*
The New York Times: Christianity is embedded in N.F.L. culture in a way that goes beyond most sports; “Lord, I need you, please be by my side.”

How mainline Protestants help build Christian Nationalism
Religion & Politics: Christian nationalism, which seeks to fuse religious and national identities to preserve the power of a narrowly defined Christianity within American society, didn’t merely break into the Capitol on Jan. 6; it had already been invited in as part of the official business of Congress.

How a retired L.A. television executive became publisher of the National Catholic Reporter*
The Los Angeles Times: As publisher of the 59-year-old National Catholic Reporter, where liberal voices have long held sway, Ferullo will have a front seat to the unfolding historic drama that could affect the church for years to come.

Making sweat feel spiritual didn’t start with SoulCycle — a religion scholar explains
The Conversation: Can fitness really be a religion? Given the difficulty of defining religion, it’s an almost impossible question to answer.

The Spark

See the chilling beauty of winter on Mars
NASA images reveal frost, geysers and intricate frozen patterns on the Red Planet, says Smithsonian Magazine.

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