Chinese Documents Detail Crackdown on ReligionSeven top-secret Chinese documents detailing government plans to crack down on religion were smuggled out of China and published on Feb. 11. The government documents, issued between April 1999 and October 2001, detail the goals and actions of China&rsquo

Young Adult Catholics Know Little About ReligiousYoung adult Catholics generally have a positive opinion of men and women religious, but many do not know a great deal about them, according to a new national study. Only one-third of those surveyed, for example, said they knew the difference between d

In Assisi, Religious Leaders Call Violence, Religions IncompatibleViolence and terrorism are incompatible with the faith and belief of all the world’s religions, more than 200 spiritual leaders said during a meeting with Pope John Paul II in Assisi on Jan. 24. Since the terrorist attacks in Ne

Marchers Come to Washington to Tell The Truth About Abortion’In the shadow of the Washington Monument, tens of thousands of marchers gathered to hear a diverse collection of political and religious leaders speak about one goal. We are here to tell America the truth about abortion, said Nellie

Israeli Cabinet Votes to Halt Construction of Nazareth MosqueThe Israeli Security Cabinet voted 4 to 1 in favor of halting construction on a mosque adjacent to the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth [see Am., 2/12/01]. Meeting on Jan. 9, the cabinet instructed one of its members, Natan Sharans

War on Terrorism Unjustifiable, Say Some Catholic LeadersThe current war on terrorism is unjustifiable, says a group of leaders from Catholic institutions and religious congregations. Using the criteria laid down in the Catholic just war theory, they say, “the strong moral requirement of immun

Pope Says Peace Must Include Justice as Well as ForgivenessIn his strongest statement since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, Pope John Paul II said countries had a right to defend themselves against international terrorists. But he said true peace could not be achieved without justice and that for

Doctrinal Congregation Takes Over Priestly Pedophilia CasesUsing a new set of norms, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has taken juridical control over cases of sexual abuse of minors by priests, classifying it as one of several graver offenses against church law. The move represents a

Outcry on Cloning and Prenatal SelectionThe Vatican condemned the cloning of human embryos by U.S. scientists, rejecting claims that the research produced simple cells and not human individuals. Despite the scientists’ stated humanitarian aims, the research represents a new form of discriminat

Trappists in South Carolina Open New Library to the Ecumenical CommunityOn Sunday, Nov. 11, the Trappist community at Mepkin Abbey, outside Charleston, S.C., dedicated the new Clare Boothe Luce Library. Located near the burial site of the Congresswoman, ambassador, journalist and playwright, the $3