i'm bob abernethy. good to have you with us. religious leaders across the spectrum were among those offering tributes after the death of senator edward kennedy this week. several faith groups praised his support for healthcare reform as a moral issue and his work on poverty, immigration and civil rights. kennedy was a roman catholic who advocated strict separation of church and state. he sometimes took stands that conflicted with the teachings of his church, such as his support for abortion rights. but he also sided with the church on many social justice issues. boston cardinal sean o'malley issued a statement saying kennedy was quote "often a champion for the poor, the less fortunate and those seeking a better life." the world's more than one- billion muslims are celebrating their holy month of ramadan. it's a time of day time fasting and special prayers. in many parts of the world, muslims are conducting special ramadan charity projects. president obama recorded a video message wishing muslims well du

i'm kim lawton sitting in for bob abernethy. thank you for joining us. roman catholics this week expanded their majority on the u.s. supreme court. before leaving on its august recess, the senate confirmed sonia sotomayor as the newest supreme court justice. she's the first hispanic to serve on the high court. her confirmation means that six of the nine justices are catholic. there are also two jewish justices and one protestant. also this week, the senate confirmed miguel diaz as the ninth u.s. ambassador to the vatican. the cuban-born diaz is the first hispanic and the first theologian to hold that post. diaz and his family will be moving to rome soon. he says he is anxious to present his credentials to his fellow theologian, pope benedict the sixteenth. two episcopal dioceses have included openly gay priests on their slates of potential new bishops. in the diocese of los angeles, a gay priest and a lesbian priest are among the six candidates to become an assistant bishop. and in the diocese of minnesota, one of the three candidates for bishop is a les

i'm kim lawton sitting in for bob abernethy. thank you for joining us. presidentntbama was on the road again this week stumping for comprehensive healthcare reform. in washington, a coalition of moderate and liberal religious groups pledged to ramp up their lobbying for healthcare reform during congress's august recess. clergy will encourage their parishioners to schedule local townhall meetings about the healthcare crisis, and grassroots activists will meet with members of congress in their home district offices. coalition leaders say they believe healthcare is a moral issue. >> reforming healthcare is a test of how we as a society can come together to heal people's pain and put the value of human life above other interests, like profit. >> lawton: meanwhile, some religious conservatives raised concerns about potential provisions within healthcare legislation. family research council action released a tv ad urging that healthcare reform not include funding for abortions. also in washington, the obama administration held a new round of diplomatic talks w

i'm deborah potter, sitting in for bob abernethy. good to have you with us. this weekend marks the start of ramadan, the islamic lunar month of prayer and fasting. markets in the muslim world were packed with shoppers as people stocked up on traditional foods for iftar, the meal served when fasting ends each day at sunset the fast is one of the five pillars of islam and is considered a method of self- purification. muslims believe that it was during the month of ramadan that the quran was revealed to the prophet muhammad. >> potter: president obama urged the faith community this week to support his health care plan, calling it an ethical and moral obligation. in a conference call sponsored by more than 30 religious denominations and organizations, the president accused his critics of distortion and fabrications. >> i know there's been a lot of misinformation in this debate. and there are some folks out there who are, frankly, bearing false witness. but i want everyone to know what health-insurance reform is all about. >> potter: mr. obama said it's not true

i'm mary alice williams, sitting in for bob abernethy. it's good to have you with us. president barack obama continued his push for health care reform, even as contentious town hall meetings were held across the country. obama will join people of faith for a nationwide call-in and audio webcast about health care next week. the event is part of a new interfaith campaign called "40 days for health reform." the initiative includes a national television commercial, and it encourages religious leaders to preach about the issue. a first-of-its-kind study of roman catholic priests and nuns in american orders indicates an aging, predominantly white generation is being replaced by younger, more diverse and more conservative recruits. who are they? the georgetown university study, which did not include diocesan priests, found of those preparing to take vows 58 percent are white. 21% are hispanic, 14% are from asia and the pacific. and 6% are of african decent. of those, nearly half are millenials-- under 30 and anxious to don the traditional habits and clerical garb most religio