Faith World News

International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry emphasized that “the policy we have announced is based on science.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced a new policy to protect women in sports, under which only “biological women” — and not “biological men” who self-identify as women — will be permitted to compete in the women’s category.

The new policy, announced on March 26, will take effect starting with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games and, according to the organization’s website, “will not be retroactive.”

Kirsty Coventry, an IOC member and two-time Olympic swimming champion, stated in a video that she is “aware that this is a very sensitive issue” and that, as a former athlete, she “firmly believes…

Archbishop Timothy Broglio said: “The chaplain serves as a reminder of the holy and the dignity of the human person and leads worship.

The Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, expressed its approval of a plan for military chaplains to display insignia on their uniforms that reflects their religious faith as opposed to their military rank.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on March 24 that he will sign a memo that directs military chaplains, all of whom are officers, “to replace the rank insignia on their uniforms with their religious insignia.” Chaplains will retain their rank, but it will not be shown.

“This speaks to the difficult balance of the duality of a military chaplain,” Hegseth said in his announcement, posted on X.

“A…

Nine Catholic pilgrims will travel more than 2,000 miles across the country with the real presence of Jesus Christ during the 250th anniversary of the U.

Nine young adult Catholic perpetual pilgrims will walk with the Eucharist this summer during the National Catholic Eucharistic Pilgrimage spanning more than 2,000 miles.

In celebration of the United States of America’s 250th anniversary, the 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage’s theme is “One Nation Under God.” Pilgrims will journey on the St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Route to honor the first American citizen to be canonized.

“The real beauty in ‘One Nation Under God’ is the great humility that it takes to truly believe that … there’s nothing more healing than God’s divine mercy and love, which is open and available to…

CRS said it plans to share its experience of aiding communities with developing climate-smart agriculture, accessing nutritious foods, and strengthening local government.

Catholic Relief Services has joined a coalition dedicated to using sustainable means to eradicate hunger and poverty around the world.

“CRS is delighted to join the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty,” said Sean Callahan, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) president and CEO, in a press release. “Ending hunger and poverty requires more than goodwill. It requires a sustained commitment to strengthening the systems that shape opportunity.”

The Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty has over 200 members from more than 100 countries and about 20 international organizations. It was founded in 2024 at the behest of the Brazilian presidency of the…

Multiple congregations of sisters alleged that the gun manufacturer was partly complicit in “an unrelenting and growing stream of killings.

Several congregations of religious sisters have lost their lawsuit against the iconic American gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson, which claimed the company has “facilitated” mass shootings in the United States.

A version of the lawsuit was first filed in December 2023 in Nevada district court by the Adrian Dominican Sisters, the Sisters of Bon Secours USA, the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, and the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, U.S.-Ontario Province.

The filing alleged that Smith & Wesson is “intent on marketing and selling AR-15 rifles in whatever manner results in the most sales.” The…

“No one should ever act against the dictates of a well-informed conscience, and we all have a responsibility to form our consciences according to the law of God,” the El Paso, Texas, bishop said.

Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, Texas, said law enforcement agents must “evaluate everything in the light of Christ” while discerning actions in regard to immigration enforcement.

Seitz issued the first pastoral letter on mass detention and deportations on March 14. The letter followed the special message the U.S. bishops released in November 2025 expressing opposition to “indiscriminate mass deportations.”

While the pastoral letter calls for similar actions as the special message, it comes at a time when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has “been out of the headlines … because ICE pulled out great numbers of their agents…

Most religious radio stations report that “evangelism” is part of their mission.

A new Pew Research Center report found that 25% of all AM and FM radio stations in the United States have a faith focus.

The report, “Religious Radio Across America,” was conducted by the Pew-Knight Initiative, which supports research on how Americans consume civic information, form beliefs and identities, and engage in communities.

For the study, Pew used three data sources including all Federal Communications Commission-licensed terrestrial AM and FM radio stations in the U.S. It took data from around 440,000 hours of audio collected from the internet broadcasts of more than 2,000 religious stations during July 2025.

The report…

The city’s ordinance sought to force her to photograph same-sex weddings and restrict the opinions she could publish on her website.

The city of Louisville, Kentucky, will pay $800,000 to a Christian photographer and blogger who won a religious freedom lawsuit over an antidiscrimination ordinance that would have required her to photograph same-sex weddings in spite of her religious objections.

In October 2025, a federal court ruled that the ordinance contained two provisions that violated the First Amendment rights of the photographer, Chelsey Nelson. The city agreed to pay the fee through a settlement negotiated by her legal counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF).

“The government cannot force Americans to say things they don’t believe,” ADF Senior Counsel Bryan Neihart said…