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Faith leaders get COVID-19 shot to curb vaccine reluctance

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than two dozen clergy members from the capital region rolled up their sleeves inside the Washington National Cathedral and got vaccinated against the coronavirus Tuesday in a camera-friendly event designed to encourage others to get their own COVID-19 shots. The interfaith “vaccine confidence” event targeted in particular Black, Latino and other communities of color, with the aim of overcoming reluctance among populations disproportionately hit by a pandemic that has killed more than a half-million people in the country. “Over 50% of all cases and ...

Vatican cardinal defends gay union blessing ban amid dissent

ROME (AP) — A cardinal close to Pope Francis defended a recent Holy See pronouncement that priests cannot bless same-sex unions as the Vatican faced outright dissent from some Catholic clergy and questions about the pontiff’s role in approving the document. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, head of the Vatican’s laity office, concurred with the pronouncement that a “blessing” is a sacramental action related to the sacrament of marriage, which the Catholic Church teaches can only be celebrated between a man and woman. Farrell said that even though civil unions are not “marriages” ...

Pope weighed Iraq virus risk but believes God will protect

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE — Pope Francis said Monday he weighed the risks of a high-profile trip to Iraq during the coronavirus pandemic, but said he decided to go ahead with it after much prayer and belief that God would look out for the Iraqis who might get exposed. Francis described his ...

Faith Matters: Reflections for renewal

A poem I received at a women’s retreat almost a decade ago showered light on the activity of this past year. Selected below are four parts of Rev. Dr. Alla Bozarth-Campbell’s 16 verses of “Passover Remembered” with my thoughts interjected between the phrases. I hope other readers can relate as well to this subtitled “Mandate for Ministry” from one of the first female Episcopalian priests. “Pack Nothing.” I have not traveled in almost a year! “Bring only your determination to serve… Surrender to the need of the time — to love justice and walk humbly with your ...

Footsteps to Follow: Great things come in small packages

Proverbs 30:24-28 states, “There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise: The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer; The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks; The locusts have no king, yet ...

A month of holy days and festivals

Worshippers burned aromatic incense sticks beneath red and yellow paper lanterns to celebrate the Lunar New Year outside a famed Taoist temple in Hong Kong. A holy man lay on the ground before an image of the Hindu goddess of learning during the Magh Mela festival in Prayagraj, India, ...