Tuesday's News & Ideas - 3/4/2025

What Oscar-winner ‘Conclave’ gets right — and wrong — about the Vatican
Religion News Service: “There are some movies that are more pious, but, I think, less faithful to the drama of Catholicism,” said Vatican expert Massimo Faggioli.

The story of Richmond’s “cathedral of the Confederacy”*
The Christian Century: Christopher Graham’s book focuses on the racism of one Virginia congregation. It will challenge all those who cause harm in the name of virtue.

Ukrainians feel betrayed by allies, grateful to church as war enters fourth year
Religion Unplugged: Sergey Shupishov, minister for a Church of Christ just north of Kyiv, marked the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion by sending a message to Christians in the U.S. — a message of thanks.

Christian, Catholic share of population declining in New England, study says*
Boston Globe: People in Massachusetts and across the country are less likely to identify as Christian than they were 10 years ago, although the national decline may have plateaued in recent years, according to a new study from the Pew Research Center.

Saudis’ new Hajj system is making the pilgrimage safer, if less accessible
Religion News Service: The changes are not only sensible but, after last year’s massive loss of life at the Hajj, necessary.

The Spark

How Dolly Parton’s husband, Carl Dean, inspired ‘Jolene’
She wrote the hit 1973 song* after a bank teller caught the eye of Dean, who died on Monday. She attributed its success to its simplicity and the universal emotions it evokes, The New York Times says.

*access is limited for nonsubscribers