RELIGION HEADLINES MON 6-9-25

Audio By Carbonatix

( SRN NEWS )  The Supreme Court continues to enhance its reputation as a defender of religious freedom — a reputation built by its frequent unanimous decisions on the issue.  Last week liberals and conservatives joined together in finding that a Catholic charity in Wisconsin can’t be required to pay unemployment taxes when other religious groups are exempt.  The high court said the state’s tax decisions created an advantage for groups with a more overtly religious tone in their daily work, a violation of the First Amendment.  Liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote the majority decision.

(  )  Pope Leo is already grappling with the long-running priest sex abuse scandal in the Catholic Church.  He has met with members of the Vatican’s child protection advisory commission for the first time.  This comes amid questions about his past handling of abuse cases and demands from victims that he enact a true zero tolerance policy across the Church. The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors is made up of religious and lay experts in child protection, as well as abuse survivors.  The scandal is global and is costing the Church millions of dollars.

(  )  A conservation team is using a mix of art and science as they labor to restore famous murals at St. Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church near Pittsburgh.  The walls and ceiling of the church are covered with an acclaimed set of paintings by the late artist Maxo Vanka, rendered in 1937 and 1941.  They mix religious imagery with dramatic depictions of war, immigrant life and other social issues of the day.  The Society to Preserve Murals of Maxo Vanka has been working for the past 15 years to conserve the giant artwork, one section at a time.

(  )  Nebraska Republican Governor Jim Pillen has signed into law a measure banning males from competing against females in sports, making the state the latest to address the issue.  Pillen signed the bill flanked by dozens of lawmakers, women athletes and other advocates — including former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines — who has led the fight to protect women’s athletics.  The legislation was pared down from its initial form, which also sought to bar boys from using girls bathrooms and locker rooms in the public schools.