Religion

ALEXANDRIA, Va—U.S. Senator Sam Brownback today paid respect to the family, friends and loved ones of Reverend Jerry Falwell.

"Today, America has lost a true spiritual leader and a man of great faith in Jerry Falwell. His great words and actions will never be forgotten by the hundreds of thousands of people around the world that his life has touched. Jerry's moral character and principle will forever be remembered deep within my heart and those whose lives were so blessed to be touched by him."

Source: Sam Brownback campaign

Statement by Governor Tommy G. Thompson on the Death of Jerry Falwell

"I join millions of Americans in remembering Jerry Falwell as a religious, educational and cultural leader. A man of boundless energy, he dedicated his life to serving his students, his church and our great nation. Our prayers are with Dr. Falwell’s family in their time of loss."

Source: Tommy Thompson campaign

May 15, 2007 -- Following is a statement issued by President Bush's press office on the death of conservative religious leader Jerry Falwell:    » read more »

15 May 2007 -- The Reverend Jerry Falwell died Tuesday. Falwell, perhaps more than anyone else, played a pivotal role in mobilizing religious conservative voters into a political force in the United States beginning in the 1980s. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone has more on the life and legacy of Jerry Falwell from Washington.

Falwell died not long after he was found unconscious in his office at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Falwell had a history of heart problems and was hospitalized twice in 2005 with a viral infection and respiratory problems.    » read more »

May 15, 2007 -- Richmond - Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell issued the following statement this afternoon upon news of the passing of Dr. Jerry Falwell:

“Our prayers go out to the family and friends of Dr. Jerry Falwell, and the many thousands of Virginians whose lives he touched. Through Thomas Road Baptist Church and Liberty University, and his other ministries, Dr. Falwell became a friend to individuals all across the world.    » read more »

RICHMOND – Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine released the following statement upon the death of the Rev. Jerry Falwell in Lynchburg, Virginia:

“Reverend Falwell’s death will be deeply felt by the extended families of Thomas Road Baptist Church and Liberty University.

“I was honored by Reverend Falwell’s generous invitation to speak at a student convocation last winter at Liberty University.    » read more »

May 15, 2007 -- ATLANTA, GA – Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue issued the following statement today regarding the passing of Reverend Jerry Falwell:

“Mary and I join the American people in mourning the passing of Reverend Jerry Falwell. Reverend Falwell founded Thomas Road Baptist Church, the Moral Majority and Liberty University. He built Christian elementary schools, homes for unwed mothers and a home for the treatment of alcoholism.    » read more »

13 May 2007 -- Pope Benedict has asked bishops from Latin America and the Caribbean to be faithful and effective missionaries for the Roman Catholic church. In Sao Paulo, VOA's Brian Wagner reports the pope made the call at the start of a regional conference.

Pope Benedict led Mass at a basilica near Sao Paulo, marking the start of the fifth conference of Latin American and Caribbean bishops. Tens of thousands of people traveled to the site for the open-air ceremony, including more than 160 bishops and cardinals from several nations.    » read more »

13 May 2007 -- Pope Benedict XVI has expressed concern about authoritarian governments and Marxist movements in some countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Pope Benedict spoke to more than 160 bishops and cardinals meeting near Sao Paulo for the fifth conference of Latin American and Caribbean bishops. He said many things have changed since the regional group last met in 1992 in Dominican Republic to discuss ways to strengthen the Roman Catholic church and defend against challenges to its authority.

Latin America is home to nearly one half of the world's 1.1 billion Catholics.    » read more »

10 May 2007 -- Pope Benedict XVI has appealed directly to the youth of Brazil to follow a strict moral code. In Sao Paulo, VOA's Brian Wagner reports the pope's speech to the young is seen as crucial to his effort to strengthen the Roman Catholic church in the face of growing concerns across Latin America.    » read more »

The recent discovery of the first potential Earth-like planet outside of our solar system has generated intense interest among space scientists, but for Connie Bertka, the discovery has intriguing theological implications as well.    » read more »

09 May 2007 -- Pope Benedict XVI has arrived in Brazil for a five-day visit that includes meetings with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and with church leaders from across Latin America. In Sao Paulo, VOA's Brian Wagner reports the pope also is expected to use his public appearances to address key social problems facing the region.

Pope Benedict's visit to Sao Paulo, opens his five-day trip to Latin America. On his arrival here, he was greeted at the airport by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his wife, Brazilian officials, and the Catholic bishops of the country.    » read more »

08 May 2007 -- Pope Benedict begins his first trip to Latin America this week, traveling to Brazil. He has asked Catholics to pray for the success of the visit to a region that is home to nearly half of the world's Catholics and which the pope has described as "a continent of hope". Sabina Castelfranco reports from Rome.

Pope Benedict leaves Wednesday to spend five days in Brazil, the world's largest Roman Catholic country, where the church faces an uncertain future and falling numbers.    » read more »

02 May 2007 -- A bipartisan U.S. government panel that studies religious freedom around the world is warning of an alarming deterioration in religious freedom in Iraq and recommends that it be put on a watch list of countries where such freedom is under threat.

Iraq has landed on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom's "watch list" for the first time since Saddam Hussein's ouster in 2003. The commission cited soaring sectarian violence, discrimination against religious minorities, arbitrary arrests, and torture as the most alarming developments.    » read more »

April 30, 2007 - The Vermont Attorney General’s Office announced today that Stephen Nichols, a priest from St. Elizabeth’s Church in Lyndonville, has pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge of prohibited act for engaging in lewd conduct with an eighteen year old parishioner in the spring of 2005. Under the terms of the plea agreement Nichols will serve thirty days in jail, be on supervised probation for a period of up to two years and will undergo sex offender counseling. The complainant was kept fully informed as the plea agreement was being negotiated.    » read more »