Pew survey: most U.S. Catholics support death penalty (CNA) One recent survey shows a majority of U.S. Catholics supporting use of the death penalty for murder convicts. The poll numbers follow a 2018 update to the Catechism that the death penalty is “inadmissible.” According to a survey of 5,109 U.S. adults by the Pew Research Center, conducted from April 5 to 11, 2021 and published in June, a majority of U.S. Catholics either “strongly” or “somewhat” support use of the death penalty for murder convicts…
Cellphone hacking, tracking cases illustrate growing lack of privacy (CNS) Every subscriber of digital services and smartphones which access personal information should be aware that their actions are no longer “private” — even despite the best efforts and intentions of service providers. That is the opinion of Brett Robinson, director of communications and Catholic media studies at the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame. He talked with Catholic News Service in light of reports of the global Pegasus spyware cellphone scandal targeting human rights activists, journalists and state officials, as well as the resignation July 20 of the general secretary of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops…
Michigan lawsuit: face mask mandate violates religious freedom (The Washington Post) The arguments against mask mandates are plentiful. Those opposed to the public-health measure say it restricts people’s freedom, represents government intrusion and — falsely — that it distorts science. Officials at a Catholic school in Michigan are making a less-common claim: Forcing students to wear masks, they say, is a violation of religious freedom…
Missionaries take Christ to the streets of Baltimore (OSV) For years, the city of Baltimore has faced terrible problems of violence, drug abuse and homelessness. At the heart of the city’s downtown is America’s first cathedral, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. From this place, one priest has founded a community of missionaries aiming to bring Jesus Christ to heal a hurting community…
New book examines Sting’s Catholic imagination (The Salt Lake Tribune) Back in 2000, sociologist Andrew Greeley wrote a book called “The Catholic Imagination,” in which he looked at the enduring power of Catholic stories, images and sensibilities in shaping the experiences of artists through the ages — from the 16th-century Italian sculptor Bernini to the film director Martin Scorsese. Now there’s a new addition to that corpus: the British rock star Sting. Evyatar Marienberg, a historian of religion at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has written a book about Sting’s Catholic imagination and how it fueled his creativity…
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