Religious Liberty Commission examines imperiled Native American sacred site, mandatory reporter law June 17, 2025By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Religious Freedom, World News Key religious liberty challenges facing Americans include the threat of the destruction to an Apache sacred site by a copper mining giant, as well as a new law in Washington state requiring clergy to report child abuse or neglect without exceptions for clergy-penitent privilege, said witnesses at the inaugural meeting of the Department of Justice’s Religious Liberty Commission on June 16.
Pope Leo XIV’s diplomatic efforts may impact U.S. foreign policy, analyst says June 16, 2025By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: Conflict in the Middle East, News, Vatican, War in Ukraine, World News In a little over a month since his election to the papacy, Pope Leo XIV has appeared to embrace his role as a head of state to promote Catholic principles about peacebuilding, an analyst told OSV News. His actions as a head of state could also impact U.S. diplomacy.
House Republicans advance bill to repeal FACE Act June 12, 2025By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: News, Respect Life, U.S. Congress, World News The House Judiciary Committee voted June 10 to repeal a federal law crafted to protect access to reproductive health facilities by prohibiting actions such as obstructing the entrance to an abortion clinic.
Bishops urge lawmakers to protect Medicaid as Senate considers Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ June 11, 2025By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: Bishops, Feature, News, U.S. Congress, World News As the Senate began its consideration of a sweeping package for President Donald Trump’s agenda, the U.S. bishops and other Catholic leaders urged lawmakers not to cut programs such as Medicaid or SNAP.
Washington state bishops ask court to block mandatory reporter law without Catholic confession protections June 9, 2025By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: News, Religious Freedom, World News, Worship & Sacraments The Catholic bishops of Washington state asked a federal court to block a new law requiring clergy to report child abuse or neglect without exceptions for clergy-penitent privilege.
Expectant mom seeking political asylum in U.S. urges protection of birthright citizenship June 9, 2025By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: Immigration and Migration, News, World News An asylum-seeker in the U.S. from Cuba told OSV News that she is spending the final part of her pregnancy on bedrest amid anxiety about her unborn child’s future due to an executive order signed by President Donald Trump that would bar her child from U.S. citizenship.
As first U.S.-born pontiff, Pope Leo may be ‘more attuned’ to polarization issue, analysts say June 6, 2025By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News Pope Leo XIV, as the first U.S.-born pope, may bring unique insight to the problem of polarization in the U.S. and in the U.S. church, analysts told OSV News.
Supreme Court rules in favor of Wisconsin Catholic agency over religious exemption June 5, 2025By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Religious Freedom, Supreme Court, World News The U.S. Supreme Court on June 5 unanimously ruled in favor of the Catholic Charities Bureau of the Diocese of Superior, Wisconsin, which had asked the high court to overturn a decision by the Wisconsin Supreme Court the agency argued discounted its religious identity.
Analysts: Trump’s action on Harvard, Columbia could have implications for religious groups June 5, 2025By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: Colleges, Feature, News, World News Some of the steps the Trump administration has taken toward secular universities could also have long-term implications for religious universities and organizations, analysts told OSV News.
FBI memo with ‘anti-Catholic terminology’ said to be distributed to over 1,000 FBI agents June 4, 2025By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Religious Freedom, Uncategorized, World News Amid an investigation into a controversial and retracted FBI memo that suggested some “radical traditionalist” Catholics pose threats of racial or ethnically motivated violence, a GOP senator alleged the FBI distributed the memo that “used anti-Catholic terminology” more widely than previously known.
Trump administration revokes Biden-era abortion directive for emergency rooms June 4, 2025By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: Feature, Health Care, News, Respect Life, World News The Trump administration announced June 3 that it would revoke Biden-era guidance to the nation’s hospitals directing them to perform abortions in emergency circumstances even in states that banned the procedure.
Dolan: N.Y. lawmakers ‘may conclude that some lives aren’t worth living’ June 2, 2025By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: News, Respect Life, World News Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York urged Empire State lawmakers to reject legislation that would legalize physician-assisted suicide.
