A United Methodist not-for-profit publication that traces its roots back to the 19th century announced that they will be closing down by the end of the month.

UMR Communications and its main publication the United Methodist Reporter will stop operation, its final 26 employees out of work by Friday, May 31.

Sam Hodges, managing editor for the Reporter, told The Christian Post that the leading reason for the closure was a lack of financial resources. more >>

Pope Francis has spoken out against what he called a global "cult of money," including the free market system, and urged the world's leaders to come together and adopt ethics to help the poor.

"While the income of a minority is increasing exponentially, that of the majority is crumbling. This imbalance results from ideologies which uphold the absolute autonomy of markets and financial speculation, and thus deny the right of control to States, which are themselves charged with providing for the common good. A new, invisible and at times virtual, tyranny is established, one which unilaterally and irremediably imposes its own laws and rules," Francis told foreign diplomats at the Vatican in a speech focused on the economic crisis.

The leader of the Roman Catholic Church also criticized the "heartless cult of money" that many around the world have embraced, and compared it to the worship of the golden calf a found in Exodus 32:15-34. more >>

It's cap-and-gown time for graduates and advice flies at them from every quarter. For many of these young people in transition, it's the first time they "get" the important connection between economics and their lives. Why? Many will soon pay their way, pay taxes, and live on a budget for the first time.

The problem is that the good advice graduates typically get isn't good enough. Budget? Of course. Save? Of course. Avoid debt? Yes. How to manage your finances, however, should be the final step in the process, not the first. What today's graduates need to hear first is why financial things work the way they do and what they want that financial knowledge to help them accomplish. Then, and only then, can they determine how to accomplish their goals.

Understanding Why more >>

Alumni of a small, private Catholic liberal arts college located in Atchison, Kansas, protested on Saturday while Congressman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) delivered the commencement address at the university.

The group of alumni, which also signed a petition urging the college to rescind Ryan's invitation to speak, argued that Ryan's budget proposal, which seeks to lower the national deficit by cutting entitlement programs, is against the Catholic values of helping the poor.

"Ryan's budget will seriously reduce the significant and necessary role played by the government in the lives of Americans in need," the petition, which was addressed to the college's president, Stephen Minnis, and signed by 365 supporters on change.org, stated. more >>

In a report published Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the suicide rate among middle-aged (35-64) Americans jumped 28 percent in the last decade, and suicides now account for more deaths than vehicle accidents.

According to the CDC report, 38,000 Americans decided to end their own lives in 2010 – almost 5,000 more than those who died in vehicle-related incidents. The biggest jump in suicide rates came among middle-aged Americans, which rose from 13.7 per 100,000 population in 1999 to 17.6 in 2010.

Suffocation proved to be one of the most common forms of suicide as it increased by 81.3 percent; poisoning also rose 24.4 percent, and the use of firearms to end one's own life rose 14.4 percent. more >>

In keeping with a new sales transition announced last year, the United Methodist Publishing House has closed down the last of its Cokesbury bookstores.

Once found at several American seminaries and the occasional shopping center, the remaining six stores were shut down Saturday, three days ahead of the announced Tuesday deadline.

Amy Smith, CAO/associate to the president & publisher of UMPH, told The Christian Post that Cokesbury will continue via its website, call center, sales representatives, and increased presence at local events. more >>