When Zohran Mamdani officially assumes office, the moment will be marked not only by a change in city leadership but by a ceremonial choice without precedent in New York’s history. Mamdani will swear in using Islamic scripture, becoming the first mayor of the city to take the oath of office on a Quran.
Religion is no longer a background influence in public life — it is increasingly one of the main drivers of political identity, conflict, and mobilisation. After years of retreat from the public square, faith has returned as an organizing force in American politics, and all signs suggest its visibility will only intensify in 2026.
The Catholic Church closed 2025 carrying the weight of two papacies — one that ended abruptly, and another that began almost deliberately quietly. After the death of Pope Francis and the election of Leo XIV, the first U.S.-born pontiff, attention shifted from shock to scrutiny: not over doctrine, but over direction.
Christian Nightmares does not argue with evangelical Christianity. It simply lets it speak.
For many American churches, Christmas is no longer defined by crowded pews, candlelit sanctuaries, or packed holiday meals. In immigrant communities across the United States, the season has been reduced to silence, caution, and confinement.
Artificial intelligence debates rarely involve religious leaders, let alone the pope. That assumption shattered when Pope Leo XIV began speaking publicly about the moral responsibilities of AI developers — and was promptly ridiculed online by a prominent Silicon Valley investor. For Po-Shen Loh, a mathematician at Carnegie Mellon University, the episode was more than internet drama. It was a sign that a serious conversation might finally be breaking through the noise.
When the Trump administration unveiled its National Security Strategy in December, much of Washington reacted with alarm. Critics across diplomatic and policy circles argued that the document marked a sharp break from the postwar tradition of U.S. leadership rooted in democratic values and multilateral cooperation.
Papal clothing has never been merely decorative. Every element—from fabric to color—carries layers of tradition, authority, and theology. While styles have shifted across centuries, the symbolic weight of what a pope wears continues to draw attention well beyond the Vatican.
VATICAN CITY — Shortly before embarking on his first apostolic journey to Turkey and Lebanon in November, Pope Leo XIV approved a series of reforms to the Vatican’s labor regulations. The changes reflect a recognition that the makeup of the Church’s workforce has shifted dramatically and that long-standing employment practices no longer match present-day realities.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has initiated steps that could prevent Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley (CCRGV) from receiving federal funding for up to six years — a move that places one of the country’s most visible Catholic migrant aid organizations under intense scrutiny.
