Religion News Service

References to faith were a constant at last week's impeachment trial for former President Donald Trump, with Democrats appearing especially comfortable invoking religion when discussing the attack on the U.S. Capitol by insurrectionists on Jan. 6.

Most Black Americans attend predominantly Black congregations, but a majority think such congregations should welcome people of other races, a study from Pew Research Center shows.

Signs of the Times: After the Obama and Trump administrations, the Biden administration has been left to pick its way through a minefield regarding the Little Sisters of the Poor and the contraceptive mandate.

Since Biden's inauguration, the bishops' conference has been busy putting out press releases that for the most part welcome the new administration's policy initiatives, including those that reverse core policies of the Trump administration.

Germany's Catholic bishops are planning a set of conferences slated to address questions such as women's roles and LGBTQ acceptance, as the country faces another scandal of sexual abuse by clergy.

In a recent interview, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the second-highest official at the Vatican, addressed the institution's recent financial scandals, the pope's upcoming trip to Iraq and the Vatican's controversial deal with China.

Fantasy novel enthusiasts wish to turn the house of famed Catholic author J.R.R. Tolkien in Oxford, where he wrote "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit," into a meeting place for writers, screenwriters and filmmakers from all cultures and faith backgrounds.

U.S. Catholic bishops are getting ready to wage war on the new administration — and possibly each other — over the Catholic president's positions on abortion, gay rights and religious freedom.

The morning of Jan. 21, I received my first COVID-19 vaccination, which means that two weeks after my second shot, I will be free to leave my house. What will I do with that freedom?

A small but vocal minority wants to punish the new president for his support of legalized abortion, gay rights and birth control. These are the bishops who consider Biden a bad Catholic who should not be allowed to go to Communion. But even the late Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, no liberal, thought this was a bad idea and told his priests not to play cop at the Communion rail.

Faith groups and religious leaders are urging newly inaugurated U.S. President Joe Biden to steer away from hard-line policies that would make it difficult for migrants to seek asylum. 

The Rev. Kevin O’Brien said: As you live out this mission as servant leaders, I also remind you of the Lord’s promise ... "The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. .... Then the God of peace will be with you."

The Bible is so big — with a leather cover, metal clasps and 5 inches of thickness — that Jill Biden held it with two hands when her husband was sworn in as President Barack Obama's vice president.

"Joanne was a brilliant and accomplished musician, a wonderful advocate for the arts, and a dear friend to everyone in our organization," said the account of Fred Rogers Productions on Twitter.

Fr. Orazio Caputo's situation is complicated — while the priest is accused by Italian prosecutors of aiding and abetting a criminal conspiracy, the church has also charged him with allegedly violating the confidence assumed in the sacrament of confession. According to canon law, such a violation may result in excommunication.

Signs of the Times: Trump has been a national obsession since he began running for president in 2015. He consumes all the oxygen in the room. Every conversation eventually turns to him. There are few if any Trump-free zones in the country, even in church on Sunday.

Churches were some of the first to offer pushback to Trump supporters Jan. 6. But those who gathered to support Trump and repeat disproven claims of election fraud appeared undeterred by theological critiques.

Religion News Service asked scholars, faith leaders, activists and other experts to reflect on some of the forces they've seen on the religious landscape this year and what they anticipate for 2021.

We have been hit by a worldwide pandemic, economic collapse, to say nothing of political chaos. It has truly been a horrible year.

It's no news that 2020 will go down as one of the worst years in recent memory. Here are 11 stories that captured moments of resilience and perseverance, and even a few moments of celebration.