Friday’s Religion News Roundup: Veganized Vatican * Kosher Coke * Desert Passover

(RNS) Pope Francis may have simple tastes, but how does he feel about tofu? (Don't worry, we thought the same thing). A nice Jewish boy scores a nice prom date, and there's now one more reason Diet Coke is better than regular Coke, especially at Passover.

Justin Welby, the 57-year old former oil executive who quit the world of high finance in 1992 to become a priest, was enthroned Thursday (March 21) as the 105th archbishop of Canterbury and spiritual leader of the world's 77 million Anglicans. Photo courtesy Anglican Communion News Service/The Press Association

As SCOTUS prepares to take up two high-profile gay marriage cases next week, NPR has a nifty timeline of the history of the debate.

Justin Welby, the 57-year old former oil executive who quit the world of high finance in 1992 to become a priest, was enthroned Thursday (March 21) as the 105th archbishop of Canterbury and spiritual leader of the world's 77 million Anglicans. Photo courtesy Anglican Communion News Service/The Press Association

Justin Welby, the 57-year old former oil executive who quit the world of high finance in 1992 to become a priest, was enthroned Thursday (March 21) as the 105th archbishop of Canterbury and spiritual leader of the world’s 77 million Anglicans. Photo courtesy Anglican Communion News Service/The Press Association

The Anglican Communion has a new Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. His installation sermon calling for an end to fear is here.


Pope Francis wants to reenergize talks with Islam, which is something many Muslims are eager to do as well. Full text of Francis’ address to Vatican diplomats is here.

The everyman stories about Francis are legion (cooking his own meals, riding the bus), but here’s one more to add to the mix: he called to cancel his newspaper delivery in Argentina. ‘Cuz ya know, now he owns his own newspaper.

Did somebody say awkward? Francis takes a trip to Castel Gandolfo tomorrow to meet retired Pope Benedict XVI, the first time in a very long time when two guys in white both have the title “Pope” in front of their names.

File this under Not Gonna Happen: PETA wants Francis to “veganize” the Vatican.

Remember that Vatican crackdown on American nuns? Francis is from a religious order (the Jesuits) and NY Cardinal Timothy Dolan said that should help clear the air; Chicago Cardinal Francis George, meanwhile, says it may make it easier to tighten the screws.

Call this the 11th plague: there’s no kosher-for-Passover Coke available to California Jews.

Which is probably just fine for the hundreds of California Jews who are trekking through the Mojave Desert in a bid to experience Passover like the Israelites of 3,000 years ago.

The Episcopal Church has reached a settlement of sorts with nine bishops who colored outside the lines by supporting breakaway congregations who want to leave the church.


NY photographer Angela Jimenez offers an audio slideshow of life at Cathedral Prep, the last high school in the U.S. for young boys considering the priesthood:

D.C. pastor Gordon Crosby died this week at 94; he was a mentor to many on the religious left (and right) for his taking-it-to-the-streets approach to the Gospels. Our pal Dean Snyder’s appreciation is here, and Sojo’s Jim Wallis’ is here.

A nice Jewish boy has scored a prom date with Sports Illustrated cover model Kate Upton.

A French Jewish student group is seeking $50 million in damages from Twitter for the company’s refusal to hand over the identities of the authors of anti-Semitic tweets.

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Happy weekend, y’all.

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