The Pope re-emphasizes the opposition to the Latin Mass; Ninth Circuit Clarifies Expulsions of Seminarians in Same-Sex Marriages; Gorsuch Cites Religious Freedom When Supreme Court Allows New York Vaccine Mandate; Survey: 30 percent of US adults “no religious affiliation”; Dalai Lama exalts Indian religious harmony
Pope re-emphasizes opposition to Latin Mass
Pope Francis increased his efforts to annul the old latin mass, prohibiting the celebration of some sacraments according to the ancient rite. The Vatican’s liturgical office issued a document clearing up questions that arose after Francis in July reimposed restrictions on celebrating the old Latin Mass that Pope Benedict XVI had relaxed in 2007. Francis said at the time that he was reversing his predecessor because Benedict’s reform had become a source of division in the church and has been exploited by Catholics opposed to the Second Vatican Council, the 1960s gatherings that modernized the church and its liturgy.
Ninth Circuit Clarifies Expulsions of Seminarians in Same-Sex Marriages
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On Monday, a Ninth Circuit panel upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit challenging the rights of a Southern California seminary. expulsion of two students for being in same-sex marriages, finding that their removal was permitted under a religious exemption in a federal anti-discrimination law. “To the extent that plaintiffs were dismissed because their marriages were to same-sex, rather than opposite-sex, spouses, plaintiffs’ claim fails because the religious exemption applies to protect these religiously motivated decisions that would otherwise violate the Title IX prohibition on sex discrimination. ,” wrote the three-judge panel in an unpublished opinion.
Gorsuch Cites Religious Freedom as Supreme Court Allows New York Vaccine Mandate
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In an order that drew strong dissent from Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, the US Supreme Court last week refused to block New York’s COVID-19 vaccination requirement, which allows exemptions for medical but not religious reasons. Gorsuch said the ruling violates the plaintiffs’ First Amendment rights to religious liberty.
Survey: 30 percent of American adults “no religious affiliation”
The last Pew Research Center survey of the religious composition of the United States finds that the proportion of the public with no religious affiliation is six percentage points higher than five years ago and 10 points higher than a decade ago. Christians continue to make up the majority of the US population, but their share of the adult population is 12 points lower in 2021 than it was in 2011.
Church of Scientology wins fifth case against Russia
Every time Russia crosses swords with the Church of Scientology at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), Russia loses. In 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2014 the The ECtHR has repeatedly ruled that Scientology has been recognized as a religion in Russia and registration cannot be prohibited or denied in Russian republics or cities.. This year, the European Court of Human Rights ruled against Russia for the detention and harassment of a Scientologist, Vladimir Leonidovich Kuropyatnik.
Dalai Lama exalts Indian religious harmony
“In India, youhe practice of non-violence – Ahimsa and Karuna – has been practiced for more than 3,000 yearssaid the Dalai Lama. “So, in India, different religious traditions of the world, like Islam, Christianity… Judaism, etc., live together. India is an example, a role model for religious harmony in the world. Since I came to exile in India as a refugee, I found the practice of non-violence and religious harmony excellent in India,” he said.
