Articles by Kevin J. Jones
Marquette professor recalls James Foley as 'bright light'
Aug 22, 2014 / 09:06 amExecuted journalist James Foley was fearless in his quest to advance justice in the world, and his courage inspired many students at his alma mater, a professor at his former university reflected.
LCWR may not be open to reform, commentator worries
Aug 20, 2014 / 06:50 amActions by the Leadership Conference of Women Religious at its latest annual assembly suggest that it may be closed to the possibility of reform, one writer on Catholic religious life has said.
Pope Francis backs intervention in Iraq to stop 'aggressor'
Aug 18, 2014 / 11:07 amPope Francis supports international intervention in Iraq and is willing to go to there personally if it will help end the violence against Christians and other religious minorities.
Pilgrimage to Czestochowa shrine in Indiana proclaims faith
Aug 17, 2014 / 05:02 amLast weekend, thousands of pilgrims walked more than 30 miles from a Chicago parish to an Indiana shrine dedicated to the famed Marian icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa, revered by Poles and Polish-Americans.
(Explicit) Planned Parenthood’s violent sex advice to minors draws criticism
Aug 14, 2014 / 23:00 pmAn undercover video showing a Planned Parenthood facility giving instruction in dangerous sexual practices to an apparently underage girl shows that the abortion provider should not be receiving taxpayer funds, a critic has said.
Aid to the Church in Need pledges $1m to aid Iraqi Christians
Aug 14, 2014 / 03:01 amThe U.S. branch of the Catholic pastoral charity Aid to the Church in Need has pledged $1 million to help persecuted Christians in Iraq and Syria, calling on all Christians to pray and to give financial support for those in need.
En route to Korea, Pope prays for journalists killed in Gaza
Aug 13, 2014 / 11:23 amAboard the papal flight to South Korea today, Pope Francis led an impromptu moment of silence to pray for a photojournalist who was killed in Gaza, and thanked journalists for their work.
Religious leaders urge Obama to help minorities in Middle East
Aug 11, 2014 / 16:37 pmAs persecution of religious minorities intensifies in Iraq, in the U.S. Christian, Jewish, and Muslim leaders have joined together to ask the Obama administration to work “urgently” to end religious persecution in the Middle East.
Working-class marriage rate hurt by weak church efforts
Jul 30, 2014 / 07:02 amA “national retreat” from marriage could worsen social divides between the married and unmarried and plummeting rates are partly due to religious groups failing to reach the working class, says one scholar.
LGBT foundation aims to counter Vatican family synod
Jul 29, 2014 / 23:01 pmAn LGBT activist foundation headed by a former Obama White House staffer gave a $200,000 grant to a dissenting Catholic coalition to target the upcoming Synod on the Family and World Youth Day.
Ariz. inmate's grueling execution lamented as preventable
Jul 29, 2014 / 03:02 amNot only could the nearly two-hour execution of an Arizona inmate last week have been avoided, but the number of botched deaths by lethal injection is increasing in the U.S., says one observer.
UN committee criticized for efforts to push abortion on Ireland
Jul 26, 2014 / 15:07 pmAssertions by members of the U.N. Human Rights Committee that Irish abortion law violates international human rights agreements is erroneous and exceeds its authority, one observer has said.
Catholic cultural renewal advocate Stratford Caldecott mourned
Jul 18, 2014 / 15:49 pmStratford Caldecott, a Catholic cultural thinker dedicated to literature, theology, and the “second spring” of Catholicism, passed away Thursday, weeks after Hollywood stars took to Twitter to support him in his struggle with cancer.
Despite Gaza violence, Catholic relief agency works for peace
Jul 18, 2014 / 10:32 amThough fighting has escalated between Israel and Palestinian militants based in the Gaza Strip, a Catholic Relief Services spokeswoman has stressed that the agency still aims to advance peace in the region.
Ramadan fasting ban in China draws criticism
Jul 17, 2014 / 11:06 amA Chinese province’s ban on the observance of the Ramadan fast among Muslim university students ignores the importance that religion can have for its followers, an American Muslim religious freedom advocate said.
Engage world with Catholic principles, author says
Jul 12, 2014 / 05:02 amCatholic involvement in civic life is necessary to defend human dignity and move society in a positive direction, says the author of a new book on Catholics principles in public life.
Calif. Muslims see religious liberty burden in butchering rule
Jul 10, 2014 / 03:07 amProposed California food safety rules for butchering animals have raised concerns among the state’s Muslims, who say the rules would prevent them from practicing their religious beliefs.
Okla. civic center defends black mass with sex offender
Jul 7, 2014 / 05:15 amA spokeswoman for the Oklahoma City Civic Center Music Hall defended a black mass being planned there by a convicted sex offender, even though it might involve the desecration of an actual consecrated host.
Life is not ours to end, Canadians say against suicide bill
Jun 27, 2014 / 01:02 amThe Quebec National Assembly on Thursday passed legislation creating a right to assisted suicide in some circumstances, drawing criticism from pro-life advocates who argue that life is sacred.
Sacred art evangelizes hearts, Catholic experts say
Jun 23, 2014 / 03:01 amTwo sacred art experts have stressed the importance of the Catholic visual arts in the new evangelization, saying the arts have the potential to change individual lives, and cultures as a whole.