Meredith Somers

White House petition seeks pressure on Sudan for Christian woman

More than 37,000 people have signed onto a petition urging the Obama administration to demand that Sudan release a young Christian mother who faces a death sentence for marrying an American Christian. Published June 4, 2014

Higher Ground: Put a ring on it

Proving once again that this isn't your grandpa's pontiff, Pope Francis told reporters that "the door is always open" to discussion of Catholic priests being allowed to forgo their vow of celibacy. Published May 29, 2014

Fears of religious war rise in Central African Republic after attack on Catholic church

The killings of at least 30 people Wednesday by Muslim rebels who stormed a Catholic church in the Central African Republic marked the latest escalation of religious violence gripping the conflict-torn nation. Published May 28, 2014

Groups push military for more religious liberty

U.S. troops are fighting to defend the First Amendment but are not being allowed to fully exercise it, a member of the House Committee on Armed Services said Wednesday. Published May 28, 2014

What would Jesus think? Smash-hit scripture-based quiz show doles out cash prizes

Who negotiated with God to try to save the sinful cities of Sodom and Gomorrah: Hagar, Ishmael, Abraham or Johnnie Cochran? Published May 27, 2014

Mixed reviews on U.N.’s anti-torture report on Vatican

Advocates for the victims of sex abuse by Catholic priests say that a recent U.N. watchdog report on the Vatican's handling of the scandal could have been far more damning. Published May 26, 2014

U.N. anti-torture panel: Vatican needs more effort in dealing with sex abuse

The Catholic Church needs to provide more transparency and cooperation with external authorities in its efforts to handle cases of sex abuse, a U.N. committee said in a report Friday. Published May 23, 2014

MEMORIAL DAY: Rolling Thunder ready for 27th ride through D.C.

Independence Day has fireworks, Christmas has carolers, but the soundtrack to Memorial Day features the thunder of a half-million roaring motorcycles. Published May 22, 2014

WWII Marine from battle of Iwo Jima tells war stories with music

Some people recall memories with images, others through stories. World War II veteran Frank Matthews remembers through music. Published May 20, 2014

Americans tend to fib about church attendance, study finds

American churchgoers tend to fib about how often they actually go to church, regardless of their denomination, a recent study shows. Published May 19, 2014

Archbishop of Manila has been at forefront of sex-abuse scandal reforms

The United Nations and victims advocates recently have amplified demands for an overhaul of the Vatican's response to its sex abuse scandal, but Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle has been spearheading change for decades. Published May 18, 2014

Big screen salute: From dramas to ‘popcorn’ flicks, GI Film Festival diverse in soldiers’ stories

Boys become Civil War soldiers. A widow hits the road to remember her husband. A single mother struggles to make the transition from the battlefield to the home front. Published May 18, 2014

History among the headstones — Arlington National Cemetery turns 150 years old

The third man to walk on the moon is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in the company of more than 400 Medal of Honor recipients, 10 Revolutionary War veterans, civil rights activist Medgar Evers, and Abraham Lincoln's son, Robert. Published May 15, 2014

Higher Ground: Sudan execution

A Sudanese woman who is eight months pregnant was sentenced to death Thursday after she refused to give up her Christian faith. The Associated Press reported that Meriam Ibrahim, 26, a Muslim-by-birth, was convicted of apostasy by a court in Khartoum on Sunday and given four days to renounce her faith before the sentence would be passed. Published May 15, 2014

150 years later, family visits grave of Arlington’s first ‘hero’

Army Pvt. William Christman died in service to his country, but until this year his family didn't even know where he was buried. Published May 13, 2014

Washington Monument opens 3 years after earthquake

The Washington Monument officially reopened Monday stronger than ever thanks to three years of repairs to fix earthquake damage. Published May 12, 2014

Washington Monument to reopen after nearly three years

More than 2 years since the Washington Monument was damaged by a 5.8-magnitude earthquake, the popular tourist site is reopening to the public Monday — stronger than ever after $15 million worth of repairs. Published May 11, 2014

Higher Ground: The great divorce

The openly gay bishop whose ordination was the catalyst for division among the Episcopal Church announced he is getting a divorce. Gene Robinson, said in a column published by the Daily Beast that he and husband Mark Andrew were parting ways after five years of marriage. Published May 8, 2014

Star power tested with boycott of Beverly Hills Hotel

In a community where even noses change on a regular basis, the Beverly Hills Hotel has made a name for itself as an enduring Hollywood institution. Published May 7, 2014

Vatican reveals punishments for pedophile priests for first time

The Vatican on Tuesday for the first time detailed how it has handled more than 3,400 cases of sexual abuse reported since 2004, vowing to learn from its mistakes and potentially opening itself to more lawsuits by accepting that such abuse could fall under a U.N. treaty against torture. Published May 6, 2014