Religion News Service

How strongly will the U.S. bishops express their agreements and disagreements with the Trump administration? We can get some answers by looking at how the bishops dealt with the first Trump administration.

On the first day of the bishops’ recent meeting in Baltimore, Bishop Daniel Thomas — who was elected last fall to lead their Committee on Pro-Life Activities and began his three-year term on Nov. 13 —  sat down with RNS for an interview.

President-elect Trump promised to end all wars. The Vatican’s secretary of state cautioned that there are no ‘magic solutions’ to global conflicts.

A conference in London on Monday and Tuesday (Nov. 11-12) sought to bridge that gap by bringing together financial service industry experts with Anglican and Catholic leaders, who represent dioceses and congregations all over the world and an estimated portfolio of $1.75 trillion.

The host country for the annual summit has come under international scrutiny for human rights and religious freedom violations, leading some activists to question why there has not been more pushback from the global climate advocates, including faith organizations.

Conservative Christians have long celebrated what they see as the landmark successes of Trump’s first term, particularly his appointment of three conservative justices to the Supreme Court and their overturning of Roe v. Wade to end nationwide abortion access. This time, however, evangelical advisers of Trump say they are hoping for more — although exactly what form those policies will take appears to be the subject of debate.

Instead of immediate blame or praise for the results, here are five takeaways that Fr. Tom Reese believes political scientists and historians will be pondering for years in an attempt to make sense out of this election.

Norman Wirzba was not expecting that his book of essays about hope would land the week before Donald Trump scored a decisive victory over Vice President Kamala Harris. But the Duke theologian who writes about the environment is no stranger to contemplating upheavals, whether climate disasters, war, genocide or the excesses of finance capitalism.

In 2025, Rome and the Vatican will host a jubilee, a 25-year anniversary. More than 30 million pilgrims are expected to visit to pray for indulgences and peace. The 3D replica of St. Peter’s is one of the many works and installations that the Vatican is preparing for the event.

But Trump also won the Christian vote overall: 58% of all Catholics voted for him and 63% of Protestants, according to the early exit polls. If the early exit poll numbers hold steady, that will prove to be a jump in Catholic support for Trump compared with 2020, when 50% of Catholics voted for him. Some of that may have to do with an increase in Trump support among Hispanic voters. 

For Francis, the synodal process was always more important than any decisions the synod made. Synodality requires a spiritual conversion in our attitudes where we have the humility to put aside our agendas and listen to the Spirit in one another.

Mock Catholic media outlets support Republican victories up and down the ballot, reporting only the ways Democratic policies digress from, not how they agree with, church teachings.

Five findings from Public Religion Research Institute surveys illustrate the dire threats to a pluralistic democracy we will continue to face no matter who wins the presidential election, writes PRRI president Robert P. Jones.

Synodality requires a commitment of time and energy from bishops and laypeople, but it will be worth it, writes Jesuit Fr. Thomas Reese.

Across the country and on many Zoom meetings, lay people and clergy are envisioning different possible scenarios — a Harris victory, a Trump win, a change in congressional leadership or an unclear outcome — and thinking, praying and determining how to respond to each.

The selection of bishops has been a debated issue since apostolic times. There is no perfect way to select bishops.

Pope Francis preaches about synodality, but canon lawyers are showing us how to make it more than a pious wish.

Most Catholics don't want politics to divide their parishes, but the wise pastor will prepare for the worst. What can pastors do to keep their parishes from turning into partisan war zones? Fr. Tom Reese has some tips.

Members of the transgender community, a U.S. doctor who provides gender-affirming care, and parents of a transgender daughter who struggled with her gender identity were among the 11 people present at the nearly 90-minute meeting.

"If we don’t learn how to speak to our children, well, then, we’re going to continue on the same path, and we’re going to continue to lose them," Espaillat warned.