Religion and Faith

Pope Leo XIV calls for peace in Ukraine and Gaza, and offers a Happy Mother's Day
Pope Leo XIV has called for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza with the release of hostages and delivery of humanitarian aid. In his first Sunday noon blessing as pontiff, Leo said, “Never again war!” from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica to an estimated 100,000 people below.
Minnesota Catholics react as Robert Prevost elected first pope from U.S. in history
Catholics across Minnesota reacted with surprise and excitement after Cardinal Robert Prevost, who took the name Leo XIV, was named the next pope on Thursday afternoon.
Robert Prevost, first pope from U.S. in history of the Catholic Church, takes the name Leo XIV
Cardinal Robert Prevost, a missionary who spent his career ministering in Peru and leads the Vatican’s powerful office of bishops, has been elected the first American pope in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church. Prevost, 69, took the name Leo XIV. 
No pope chosen as black smoke billows from Sistine Chapel
Black smoke has again poured out of the Sistine Chapel chimney, indicating no pope was elected on the second or third ballots of the conclave to choose a new leader of the Catholic Church. The smoke appeared just before noon in the Vatican after morning voting sessions to elect a successor to Pope Francis.
The conclave to choose a new pope is about to begin
As more than a billion Catholics around the world await the election of a new pope, all eyes are on the Sistine Chapel, where 133 cardinals will begin the secretive process known as a conclave.
Altar acupuncture: A Minneapolis church brings well-being sessions to its migrant ministry
A Lutheran church in Minneapolis is taking practical steps to help its mostly Latino immigrant congregation deal with the uncertainty and stress of a Trump administration crackdown.
The next pope will inherit Pope Francis’ mixed legacy with Indigenous people
Whoever succeeds Pope Francis will inherit his momentous and controversial legacy of relations with Indigenous people throughout the Americas. Francis, who died April 21, apologized for the “catastrophic” legacy of residential schools in Canada.