Weekly religion news roundup (July 18-24, 2025)
Photograph by Utsav Srestha via Unsplash
Rev. Dr. Anna Piela
France to recognise Palestinian state at UN general assembly, says Macron. The French president Macron published a letter sent to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas confirming France's intention to press ahead with Palestinian recognition. (The Independent)
US cuts short Gaza ceasefire talks, blaming Hamas. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff said Thursday the U.S. is cutting short Gaza ceasefire talks and bringing home its negotiating team from Qatar for consultations, after the latest response from Hamas “shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.” (Associated Press)
That idea about US taking over Gaza isn’t gone yet. U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to evict Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and have the U.S. take it over seemed laughable when he first proposed it in February. Now, he appears to have Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on his side, and the odds of this happening are increasing. (Baptist News Global)
Trump administration arrests ‘Interfaith Imam,’ setting off protests. Tensions are boiling over in Ohio as immigration authorities continue to detain Imam Ayman Soliman, a former Cincinnati Children’s Hospital chaplain whose asylum status was revoked last month. (Baptist News Global)
LA pastor on hunger strike to protest ICE’s detainment of Iranian Christians. Pastor Ara Torosian’s congregants fled Iran to escape persecution due to their Christian faith. Now, they are being held in immigration detention. (RNS)
US-funded contraceptives for poor nations to be burned in France, sources say. U.S.-funded contraceptives worth nearly $10 million are being sent to France from Belgium to be incinerated, after Washington rejected offers from the United Nations and family planning organisations to buy or ship the supplies to poor nations, two sources told Reuters. (Reuters)
Each Friday in The Christian Citizen, we publish a Religion News Roundup with summaries of religion news stories and links for those who want to read more.
Late Jesuit global leader didn’t stop known child molester from becoming priest – court documents. Pedro Arrupe is a candidate for sainthood, but an abuse victim’s lawsuit turned up evidence that he didn’t prevent child molester Donald Dickerson from being ordained after learning of allegations. (The Guardian US)
In Immigration Court, Christians Show Up to Fill the Back Benches. Some asylum seekers face arrest at their hearings under a new ICE tactic. Now clergy are learning how to be witnesses in those moments. (Christianity Today)
Who Won in the Supreme Court’s ‘Paxton’ Decision? Kids. The decision gives states the green light to require adult websites to verify the ages of their users. (Christianity Today)
The King’s College Permanently Shuts Down Following Financial Woes. The King’s College, the private four-year Christian school based in downtown Manhattan, will permanently close after failing “to secure the support necessary,” the school said on its website. (Religion Unplugged)
Spanish airline denies reports that passengers were removed from a plane for being Jewish. Several dozen French passengers were removed from a flight leaving the Spanish city of Valencia for Paris for what Spanish police and the airline on Thursday described as unruly behavior. (Al Arabiya English)
Rev. Dr. Anna Piela is senior writer at American Baptist Home Mission Societies and assistant editor of The Christian Citizen.
The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of American Baptist Home Mission Societies.
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