As Pope Leo makes headlines for his outspoken views on global conflicts and immigration, a subtler transformation is unfolding in the pews: a surge of new converts, many of them young. Source link
For more than two decades, the numbers told a story of decline. Adult conversions to Catholicism had been falling steadily since the early 2000s, according to data compiled by Georgetown University. Weddings, baptisms, and even funerals registered fewer and fewer Catholic participants. The church appeared to be losing its hold on American life. Then something … Read more
Can the low-key pontiff from Chicago make a difference in an era of raw power politics? Source link
The river runs jade until the Coast Guard comes. Water ruffles up white against the boats as they gather speed. A black vessel – open-air, with an armed crew of three – is new to the Rio Grande, where it patrols the international boundary near McAllen, Texas. Petty Officer 1st Class Markus Graham grips the … Read more
The streets were eerily quiet elsewhere on Sunday as businesses, schools and universities shut their doors. Opponents of the regime, who turned out in the thousands for protests that faced a brutal crackdown in January, largely stayed off the streets on Sunday, perhaps heeding advice from U.S. President Donald Trump and former Crown Prince Reza … Read more