Weekly religion news roundup (June 12-18, 2026)
Photograph by Utsav Srestha via Unsplash
Hannah Estifanos
A Russian barrage in Ukraine kills 11 and damages a landmark cathedral. A Russian bombardment of Ukraine’s biggest cities has set ablaze part of an Eastern Orthodox landmark and killed 11 people. (ABC News)
Israel takes control of Hebron’s Ibrahimi Mosque: What this means. Israel has seized planning and construction powers covering the Ibrahimi Mosque, on the site of a Jewish and Muslim shrine in the occupied West Bank, from Palestinian authorities, scrapping parts of an agreement in place since the 1990s, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Tuesday. (Al Jazeera)
Africa’s Ebola outbreaks complicated by victims who prefer traditional healers over hospitals. Many view the onset of hemorrhagic fever as a spiritual affliction and seek out herbs and prayers instead of going to the hospital. The virus continues to mystify many of the sick in Africa while turning religious leaders into first responders in a deadly emergency. (Associated Press)
New poll: 250 years in, Americans prefer religious diversity. According to a new poll by the Public Religion Research Institute, 64% of Americans do not want to live in a primarily Christian nation. Instead, they prefer an America of many faiths without a Christian majority. (National Catholic Reporter)
Trump’s meeting with Orthodox Christian patriarch sows confusion. The Greek Orthodox patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III, met with President Donald Trump earlier this month in the White House and awarded him one of the highest honors in the church, the Grand Cross of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre. In return, Theophilos came out of the meeting with an honor of his own, the suggestion of becoming a peacemaker in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, apparently backed by Trump, Israeli media reported. (The Christian Century)
Each week 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.
MLB Warns Giants Pitchers Who Wore Bible Verses on Caps During ‘Pride Night.’ Three Giants pitchers were issued a warning from Major League Baseball after they appeared in Friday’s game against the Cubs with Bible verses written on their Pride Night caps. The league notified the players that similar behavior would not be tolerated in the future. (Sports Illustrated)
JD Vance writes of journey to Catholicism in ‘Communion,’ his first book since ‘Hillbilly Elegy.’ Vice President JD Vance, a convert to Catholicism whose faith has been central to his adult life, writes about his religious journey in a new book that could ultimately serve as a sort of origin story for a future presidential campaign. (Religion News Service)
Hare Krishnas celebrate a 50-year milestone with a parade of chariots in Manhattan. More than 25,000 devotees of the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) attended the parade, according to organizers. (Religion News Service)
Supreme Court Halts Execution of Inmate Ministry Leader. Jeffery Lee’s supporters urged Alabama to “choose life” after he mentored other death row inmates through a Christian nonprofit. (Christianity Today)
‘Leviticus’ makes a demon out of desire in an auspicious debut for Adrian Chiarella. Named for the book of the Old Testament often used to justify homophobia, the movie explores the burgeoning relationship between two young men that is shattered when so-called “conversion therapy” — a scientifically discredited practice — unleashes a demon that stalks them. (Associated Press)
Hannah Estifanos is the copyeditor 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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