Welcome to Wisdom Wednesday, June 17, 2026. Pew Research finds some glimmers of hope among the sour views of America. Pope Leo XIV highlights faith, hope and love as themes that can help reflect on the climate crisis. We lean heavily on Vatican News this week, but first, it’s Juneteenth.
Juneteenth Friday, June 19
Juneteenth National Independence Day is a federal holiday. Although President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, it wasn’t until June 19, 1865, that it was proclaimed in Galveston,Texas. The U.S. bishops offer a A Pastoral Reflection on Racial Justice.
Some optimism in America’s sour mood
On the country’s 250th Anniversary, the American People are in a sour mood, but there are some signs of optimism about the future. If you enjoy statistics and charts, this report from Pew Research is for you.
Climate news
Pope Leo XUV says the environmental crisis is a facet of the socio-economic crisis. In a video message for the Tenth Austrian World Summit, Pope Leo XIV highlights faith, hope and love as themes that can help reflect on the climate crisis, which touches on social, ethical and economic issues. From Vatican News.
The Holy See has signed an agreement for a renewable energy project near Rome. It is aimed at supporting Vatican City State’s energy needs through renewable energy production, reports Vatican News through renewable energy production.
‘Borgo Dialogues’ begin this week at Castel Gandolfo. Vatican News reports this new international forum will be for dialogue on environmental topics, set to be inaugurated in the papal gardens of Castel Gandolfo.
Plea: Stop AI use in the ‘military kill chain’
Vatican News reports the World Council of Churches is among the 226 signatories of a document calling on technology companies and governments to “cease supplying” artificial intelligence systems for use in the “military kill chain” and to “take all necessary measures” to prevent violations of international humanitarian law and human rights.
Affirming stand against antisemitism
Pope Leo said Nostra aetate took a firm stand against antisemitism, as he met Monday with representatives of the United Jewish Appeal-Federation of New York at the Vatican. From Vatican News.
From an ICE arrest to the Sanctuary Movement
After his arrest went viral, Rev. Michael Woolf is preaching what he calls “Sanctuary values;” The Chicago-area pastor now has a platform to share a theology that centers on iimmigrants and that harkens back to the Sanctuary Movement of the 1980’s. From Religion News Service.
Meet the pastors who support the ICE raids
Pastors and other faith leaders have led protests against ICE in places such as Minneapolis. But this group of evangelical pastors believes churches should support the Trump administration’s immigration agenda. From Religion News Service.
Take action with NETWORK
NETWORK provides resources for faith-filled justice-seekers and all who seek the common good. A recent effort urged calls to congress to oppose the budget for mass deportations and other actions against immigrants. That measure passed but there is no end to the human need to prioritize funding for health care, housing, food, and other essentials with our tax dollars. From NETWORK Lobby.
Faith in Action
Daryl Grigsby’s new book “Catholics for the Common Good: An Eternal Offering” examines the lives of three dozen modern Catholics embodying faith in action. Lori Stanley reviews the book for Black Catholic Messenger and says it is “Catholic social teaching in lived experience.”
Catholics for the Common Good Institute
This new Catholic Action institute is a lay apostolate working for a more just society. It prepares people to engage the culture with non-religious language and arguments that are based on principles of social teachings of the Catholic Church. It is open to all people, regardless of religious beliefs or affiliation, and serves culture and society in general.
Justice Bulletin Board
For this coming Sunday, Barbara Molinari Quinby reflects on the liturgical season and Father’s Day.
Education for Justice
Are you looking for some practical and formational help for your parish or community social justice efforts? AUSCP friend Bob Stewart is active in Education for Justice, an award-winning faith and justice database bringing Catholic social tradition in classrooms, parishes, and congregations worldwide. Education for Justice is a project of the Ignatian Solidarity Network.
Spider brings public-native welcome
A Native naming ceremony welcomed a newly discovered spider into the community of the land. After its discovery by a local scientist, a new spider species received a ceremonial welcome by the Yakama Nation. From Religion News Service and National Public Radio.
Astronauts search for spiritual words
Astronaut Victor Glover is still trying to find the spiritual words to describe his Moon mission. “At the end of it, when we were just responding totally instinctually, we talked a lot about God,” Glover told RNS in a recent interview, referring to the Artemis II crew. From Religion News Service and NPR.
Hare Krishnas 50 years in New York
More than 25,000 devotees of the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) attended the parade of chariots June 13 in Manhattan, according to organizers. A report from Religion News Service.
What UFOs mean for religion
What was once considered fringe or conspiratorial has in recent months popped up everywhere from the White House to the Catholic Church, as public fascination with unidentified anomalous phenomena — or UAPs, as the government calls them — becomes more mainstream. From the Associated Press and Religion News service.
New leader: SBC ‘too woke’
A Florida pastor who has argued that the nation’s largest Protestant denomination has become too woke and liberal was elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention on Tuesday (June 9). Religion News Service reports Willy Rice, senior pastor of Calvary Church in Clearwater, Florida, received 5,217 votes — 57% of the votes cast.
Power or a photo
The pope shares moments with individuals all the time, especially on trips abroad, but there was something about this particular instance that stirred emotion. Religion News Service reports on the viral photo of Pope Leo XIV and a Barcelona boy.
‘Religious mosaic’ in the heartland
“As a historian of religion in Appalachia and the Midwest, I find America’s religious mosaic endlessly fascinating. Vance’s journey from Protestantism, to atheism, to Catholicism, not to mention his marriage to a Hindu woman, reflects the diversity of the United States.” Matthew Smith writes for Religion News Service.
‘Who am I to judge?’ This lieutenant governor is willing
Texas Lt. Gov. Patrick says James Talarico will ‘go to hell’ for his beliefs. Talarico is an ordained Presbyterian minister and seminarian who is the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Texas. He will face erstwhile Southern Baptist Ken Paxton in the November election.
How anti-vaxxers and evangelicals found common cause
The COVID-19 outbreak helped unite the nation’s anti-vax movement with evangelical Christians convinced that vaccine mandates violated religious freedoms. Religion scholar Kira Ganga Kieffer writes for Baptist News Global.
Feature: Pilgrimages Are Also Made for Walking
A feature from National Catholic Register finds pilgrimages are accessible in many areas. “A powerful component of pilgrimage can be traveling with others.”
‘Teilhard points to what Pope Leo missed’
This essay in National Catholic Reporter does not dismiss Leo’s concerns; it argues that Teilhard provides a more adequate — and ultimately more hopeful — theological grammar for engaging AI.
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