Religion/ Spirituality

Pope Leo XIV remembers the good old days of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen on his hometown Chicago Bulls ... and, he's clearly got some skills with the rock ... or at least some great teachers.

The head of the Catholic Church welcomed the Harlem Globetrotters to St. Peters' Square Wednesday ... and they showed him how to spin a basketball on his finger.

Check it out -- one of the athletes starts spinning the ball while he gets the pope's finger into position ... then passes it off to him ... sorta.

Dan Bilzerian's standing by his very public assertion his opponent for a seat in Congress is a "fat Jew" ... and, yet, he's simultaneously insisting he's not antisemitic. Yeah, buckle up for this!

The former "King of Instagram" is running for U.S. Congress against Rep. Randy Fine in Florida's 6th Congressional District, and hurled the derogatory phrase on social media ... after Rep. Fine blasted a dude for putting up "missing" posters of Adolf Hitler.

We gave him the chance to explain himself Wednesday on "TMZ Live" ... and, while at first Bilzerian talked about his opposition to the nation of Israel, Harvey and Charles asked him specifically about the post on X.

Taylor Frankie Paul says she's no longer a part of the Mormon church, claiming she's on a quest to learn more about life, amid the criminal investigation against her.

The controversial 'Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' star wrote a message on Instagram Sunday, saying she's "detaching" from the church even though she was born and raised a Mormon. For anyone who doesn't know, Mormons are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), who believe in a Restorationist Christian faith founded by Joseph Smith in 1830.

In her IG post, Paul said she still strongly believes in "Christ, God, the bible, the divine," pointing out that everyone is loved whether they pray in a church or on a bathroom floor at home. Paul goes on to talk about people who aren't sure about their faith, but she insists her decision to cut ties with the church lies in the fact that "there is more out there to learn." 

As you know, Paul has been put through the wringer ever since TMZ published a 2023 video showing her getting into a violent altercation with her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen, in front of her then 5-year-old daughter, who suffered a head injury, according to a police report.

Savannah Guthrie is enduring her first Easter since her mom Nancy's disappearance ... and just like in her Christian tradition, the day comes with a bittersweet message.

In a video recorded for the Good Shepherd New York church's digital Easter gathering, Savannah admits that sometimes "life itself seems far harder than death" and that she experienced "deep disappointment with God" after her mom was kidnapped February 1.

According to Savannah, not knowing her mom's whereabouts or what exactly happened to her is particularly challenging.

But Savannah's faith also brought her comfort during her darkest days. Savannah believes Jesus had similar feelings of uncertainty that she has endured.

After Pope Leo XIV hosted an exorcist summit at the Vatican this month, we held our own conference with renowned exorcist Father Dan Reehil ... and he tells us the Devil is real -- and definitely busy!

Reehil stopped by "TMZ Live," telling us there was a big spike in demonic activity during the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused significant concern about the global rise in Satanism.

He said, "During COVID, the cases tripled, and I think that was primarily because the churches were shut down, people were locked up at home with idle time on their hands to do nothing but get into mischief and the cases skyrocketed."

Kathie Lee Gifford is asking the LGBTQ community to simmer down when it comes to the letters in its title ... but she doesn't want you to think she's being judgmental!

In an interview with Tomi Lahren, Gifford weighed in on the community's identifying letters, saying, "I don't even know how many letters there are now. They've really got to stop with that. We know what you mean, you know?"

She continued ... "I'm not telling anybody how to live their life. I never have. I just know what Jesus said -- 'Love your neighbor as you love yourself.' Love God first."

The woman accused of shooting at Rihanna's home on Sunday seems to have shared multiple videos making incoherent accusations concerning the singer ... even what will happen when Rihanna dies.

Watch the clip ... in a YouTube video posted January 4, Ivanna Lisette Ortiz, clutches a 'Praying Woman's Journal' and appears to accuse Rihanna of trying to kill her. Even more disturbing ... Ortiz appears to say that when Rihanna dies, God will take Ortiz to her "future."

In another video, uploaded to YouTube on January 21, Ortiz seems to give a similar rant while holding the same book. In the second clip, Ortiz appears to liken Rihanna's face to the devil before delving into a tirade about homework.

Ivanka Trump was snapped walking her children to a synagogue Saturday ... hours after her father launched a devastating attack on Iran with Israel.

Dressed in all black, Ivanka made her first public appearance in months ... joining her family for a synagogue service in Miami, Florida.

In the pics, you can see Ivanka leading her 2 sons, who follow behind on scooters. She keeps a low profile in black shades and a large sunhat with a matching black ribbon around it.

A woman who claims to have been attending service during the Minnesota church protest covered by Don Lemon last month is now suing Lemon and other protesters, saying she suffered severe emotional distress as a result of the incident.

In court documents, obtained by TMZ, Ann Doucette claims she was attending a worship service at The Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, on January 18 ... when she alleges Don and others "unlawfully interfered" with her ability to "freely exercise her religion in a private place of worship."

Remember ... the demonstration was held in the wake of Renee Good's death and was meant to confront the Cities Church pastor David Easterwood, who is a Minneapolis ICE official.

Doucette is suing for an unspecified amount, claiming she suffered "severe emotional distress, fear, anxiety, and trauma" as a result of the protesters' conduct.

Mel Gibson and a controversial archbishop chopped it up during a visit to the set of "The Resurrection of the Christ" ... but there's no consulting going on, TMZ has learned.

Here's the deal ... a Friday report stated excommunicated Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò is a consultant on Mel's follow-up to his blockbuster "The Passion of the Christ." It was a shocking development to some, given that Viganò was booted by the Vatican in 2024 for refusing to recognize Pope Francis’ authority.

A source close to 'Resurrection' production tells TMZ … Viganò is NOT a consultant on the film. Viganò visited the set, and the two conversed … but that’s the extent of their relationship. Viganò posted some snaps of his set visit, which likely kicked the rumors into high gear.

Savannah Guthrie and her family are clinging to faith amid their nightmare ... and a message of hope is coming straight from her mother Nancy’s pastor, who is vouching for the power of prayer when tragedy threatens to take over.

Michael Rudzena, the pastor at Good Shepherd New York in Manhattan -- who Savannah introduced to her mother a decade ago -- sat down with Hoda Kotb on Tuesday ... explaining how prayer fights against a sense of fatality and despair that clouds hearts when bad things happen.

Rudzena described 84-year-old Nancy as strong and fiercely loving ... saying over the years he came to understand her faith deeply when she streamed his church services from Arizona and attended in person when she was in NYC.

As the search for Nancy Guthrie continues, her church delivered a powerful and emotional message not just for her safety, but for the conscience of those who may be responsible for her abduction.

During Sunday's service, Pastor John Tittle of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church told the congregation they had been given one clear request from the Guthrie family ... pray.

"We are seeking to just honor the family's privacy and their desires," Tittle said. "It was communicated to me, 'pray.' We’re going to keep praying through this horrific ordeal."

Tittle led the church in prayer, asking God to protect the 84-year-old, allow her to feel the love surrounding her, and guide authorities in their search. But he also included a pointed plea asking that the hearts of "those who are responsible" be softened so they may do what is "humane and right."

Kanye West's most recent apology for his antisemitism is falling flat ... at least as far as Rabbi Shmuley Boteach is concerned.

Rabbi Shmuley, an influential American rabbi and TV personality, took a blowtorch to the full-page ad Ye took out in The Wall Street Journal apologizing to "Those I've Hurt."

Ye, in part, blamed a car crash that nearly killed him 25 years ago for his hate speech ... but the rabbi says Kanye is far from the first person to blame a blow to the head on antisemitism. Then he doubled down and insisted his apology is not a P.R. stunt ahead of his album release Friday ... Boteach is calling B.S.

That photo of Harry Styles lurking at the Pope Leo XIV announcement last May had the internet spiraling ... was he finding religion -- or just lost? Turns out, neither!

Harry jumped on BBC Radio Friday and finally spilled the sacred truth -- and it all started in a barber chair ... he said he was five minutes from the Vatican, mid-haircut, when people suddenly started screaming, sprinting, and losing their minds outside.

Even his barber was freaking out ... but finished the cut first. Respect! But once the scissors stopped, Harry wandered over to St. Peter’s Square to see who was pulling this kind of crowd. And boom, someone snapped a pic of him, which made its way online in seconds! And somehow ... he was wearing a hat in the photo ... 🤔

At the time, fans were tearing the pic apart -- wondering if Harry had gone full religion, while others clocked he was facing away from the crowd, looking like he was plotting a smooth escape.

11:40 AM PT -- Don Lemon posted a statement from his attorney, Abbe Lowell, on his official IG account Thursday after the judge rejected the DOJ's attempt to charge him … noting journalists' First Amendment rights were properly reinforced by the federal judge.

The statement concludes … "Should the Department of Justice continue with a stunning and troubling effort to silence and punish a journalist for doing his job, Don will call out their latest attack on the rule of law and fight any charges vigorously and thoroughly in court."

Don Lemon looks like he's off the hook in Minnesota ... because a judge reportedly swatted away the U.S. Department of Justice's first attempt to charge him with a crime over an anti-ICE protest that tore through a church service.

CNN reports a federal magistrate judge rejected the DOJ's bid to bring charges against the former CNN host, who reported live from Sunday's protest at Cities Church in St. Paul.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is in meeting with federal prosecutors in Minnesota, is reportedly "enraged" at the judge's decision.

A lawyer and activist who allegedly helped organize a protest at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota, earlier this week has been arrested.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Nekima Levy Armstrong was taken into custody at her direction Thursday morning, writing in a social media post ... "Listen loud and clear: WE DO NOT TOLERATE ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP."

Bondi said Chauntyll Louisa Allen was also arrested.