The Faith & Culture 5

Pope’s Citizenship in Question + Death of Passionate Male Friendship + Pentagon’s Monthly Prayer Service + More

Happy Friday!

In a week where headlines flash and fade with dizzying speed, we’re turning toward the stories that reveal something lasting about who we are, what we believe, and how we choose to live when the spotlight’s gone.

This week, we’re looking at questions of the quiet disappearance of close male friendship in modern culture, a surprising spiritual rhythm inside the Pentagon, and more. Each story offers a window into character, conviction, and the values that shape both private lives and public institutions.

As always, I hope what you find here is more than just information. I hope it’s a moment to pause—to think, to feel, and maybe to see the world a little more clearly.

Let’s dive in:

1. Researchers Find ‘Compelling Evidence’ of Possible Noah’s Ark Remains in One Country

A group of international researchers say they're getting closer and closer to identifying the possible remains of Noah’s Ark – and new test results are promising.

2. How the Passionate Male Friendship Died

The “perfect” platonic bond used to be between two men. What happened?

3. Can Pope Leo Retain US Citizenship While Leading a Foreign Government

US state department says on website it may ‘actively review’ status of Americans who ‘serve as a foreign head of state’

4. In Gaza, Empty Markets and Unaffordable Canned Lentils

A Muslim-background believer describes the worsening hunger crisis, blaming both Israel and Hamas.

5. Hegseth hosts fist meeting of what he says will be a monthly Christian Prayer service at Pentagon

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth hosted a Christian prayer service on Wednesday at the Pentagon for employees that included a sermon by his hometown pastor who said President Donald Trump had been “sovereignly appointed.”

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The Alchemist by Paula Coelho

This story, dazzling in its powerful simplicity and soul-stirring wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried near the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself a king, and an alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the direction of his quest. No one knows what the treasure is, or if Santiago will be able to surmount the obstacles in his path. But what starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a discovery that the most valuable treasures are those found within.

Thank you so much for being a part of this community! I’ll see you next week.

Jm

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