Vatican issues new norms to rein in supernatural phenomena

While the Shrines of Lourdes, Fatima, Aparecida and Guadalupe are widely known sites of miracles and Marian apparitions, there are hundreds of supernatural reports every year. Since the 1950s only six cases have been officially investigated by the Vatican, meaning that most cases “were either handled differently or just not handled at all,” the statement read. Giangravé, Religion News Service)

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Church & Culture
Jesus is their savior, Trump is their candidate. Ex-president’s backers say he shares faith, values

Many of the T-shirts and hats that were worn and sold at the rally in March proclaimed religious slogans such as “Jesus is my savior, Trump is my president” and “God, Guns & Trump.” One man’s shirt declared, “Make America Godly Again,” with the image of a luminous Jesus putting his supportive hands on Trump’s shoulders. (Smith, AP News)

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Church & Culture
God Inc.—Church Startups Spread Franchise Model Across U.S.

[Association of Related Churches] functions as a startup accelerator, providing money and mentoring in exchange for a continuing cut of church revenues that it invests in opening new churches.

Similar entrepreneurial networks are sprouting new, largely nondenominational places of worship at a time when many traditional church congregations are shrinking. (Rocca, Campo-Flores, & Flores, The Wall Street Journal)

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Church & Culture
Biden announces ‘major step’ toward reclassifying marijuana

The Biden administration announced Thursday it had initiated the formal rulemaking process to reschedule marijuana to Schedule III from its Schedule I designation that it has held for more than 50 years. The announcement follows the Department of Justice’s announcement last month that it planned to proceed with rescheduling marijuana to Schedule III, which the Department of Health and Human Services had recommended last year. (Choi, The Hill)

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Church & Culture