Rising rates of poor mental health among youth have been called a national crisis. While this is often linked to factors like the COVID-19 pandemic or poverty, some officials, like former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, name social media as a major threat to teenagers. Our latest survey of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 and their parents finds that parents are generally more worried than their children about the mental health of teenagers today. (Faverio, Anderson & Park, Pew Research Center)
Read MoreWhile Christianity has always been a dominant force in US politics, Protestant Evangelicalism has long been the denomination favoured by Republicans. But with the return of Mr Trump to the White House, and his stated ambition to bring about a new “golden age” in America, Catholicism appears to be the religion most prominent among Maga Republicans. (Henderson, The Telegraph)
Read MoreKeeping track of whether Christianity is in, or out, or up, or down, is a difficult task. A survey of 10,000 Britons, published in January, concluded that Generation Z were only half as likely as their parents to say they were atheists, and that God was making a comeback. (Pepinster, The Telegraph)
Read MoreWith the death of the 266th pontiff, the church will soon undertake perhaps its most storied practice – the process of electing a new leader. The traditions surrounding selection of a new pope date to the 13th century, which gives the proceedings a ritualistic air recalling that of the British monarchy. (Ramirez, USA Today)
Read MoreSo many mourners lined up to see Pope Francis lying in state in a simple wooden coffin inside St. Peter’s Basilica that the Vatican kept the doors open all night due to higher-than-expected turnout, closing the basilica for just an hour Thursday morning for cleaning. (Barry, AP News)
Read MoreOn this episode of “Interesting Times,” Ross Douthat is joined by the Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest and the editor of America Magazine, to reflect on the legacy of Pope Francis and the challenges facing the next papacy. (Douthat, The New York Times)
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