Tuesday's News & Ideas - 1/14/2025

Faith organizations have a complex relationship to disaster relief
National Catholic Reporter: Churches, synagogues, mosques, and other houses of worship are well positioned to gather resources and mobilize quickly. In rural communities in particular, local churches are natural communal focal points, providing social structure and a trusted information network.

Despite growing consensus, many Jewish and Christian groups loath to admit genocide in Gaza
Religion News Service: Christian and Jewish groups that do call out genocide often find resistance for even bringing it up.

Gay men can train as priests but must be celibate, say Italian bishops
The Guardian: The move marks a shift in views but sexually active gay men will not be admitted to Roman Catholic seminaries.

Archbishop of Canterbury no longer world Anglican leader in shake-up plan*
The (London) Times: There are proposals for a ‘rotating’ leadership of the global Anglican Communion, with the archbishop sharing duties with foreign church leaders
UnHerd: Anglican Church reforms signal Britain’s fading power

How religion’s brand became unpopular in Canada
The Conversation: Organized religion — and especially Christianity — is in decline. Secularization is advancing apace. Most sociologists of religion agree on this. What they disagree about, however, is why.

The Spark

An illustrator dies, his last book unfinished. In steps his son.
A beloved illustrator* died in the middle of a project. His son, who had been drifting away from art for years, was given the chance to finish the work, The New York Times says.

*access is limited for nonsubscribers