Warring Over Conscientious Objection
This issue of A Public Witness scopes out the recent controversies in Russia and Ukraine about conscientious objectors before considering what lessons we might learn to see more clearly despite the fog of war.
Bitter Infighting Threatens Kenya’s Methodist Church
Disagreements within the Methodist Church in Kenya are threatening to tear apart the denomination, with some senior clergy seeking to form independent regional conferences.
Pope Francis at 10 Years: A Reformer’s Learning Curve
Pope Francis celebrates the 10th anniversary of his election Monday, far outpacing the “two or three” years he once envisioned for his papacy and showing no signs of slowing down.
French Church Abuse Victims Get Reparations, and Recognition
France’s Catholic bishops’ conference agreed to provide reparations after a 2021 report estimated some 330,000 children were sexually abused over 70 years by priests or other church-related figures in France.
In Remote Himalayan Desert, Buddhists, Muslims, Christians Unite to Protect Land, Heritage
Currently governed by India, the union territory of Ladakh in the larger Kashmir region has been a major point of dispute among India, Pakistan, and China since 1947.
Abrahamic House in UAE Houses a Church, Synagogue, & Mosque
On the shores of the Persian Gulf, a new complex houses a Catholic church, a Jewish synagogue, and an Islamic mosque in the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
Pope, Anglican, Presbyterian Leaders Denounce Anti-Gay Laws
Pope Francis was backed by the ceremonial head of the Anglican Communion and top Presbyterian minister in calling for gays to be welcomed by their churches as he again decried laws that criminalize homosexuality as unjust.
Lutherans Ordain First Palestinian Woman Pastor in Holy Land
A Lutheran church ceremony in Jerusalem on Sunday ordained the first Palestinian female pastor in the Holy Land. Sally Azar will head the English-speaking congregation at the Church of the Redeemer, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land said.
Church of England Refuses to Back Same-Sex Marriage
The Church of England said Wednesday it will allow blessings for same-sex, civil marriages for the first time but same-sex couples still will not be allowed to marry in its churches. The decision followed five years of debate and consultation on the church’s position on
Christians Represented Significant Faction of Capital Rioters in Brazil
Among those arrested were at least four evangelical pastors, according to Agência Pública, a Brazilian investigative news agency, which analyzed the government labor records of 1,398 detained demonstrators. The pastors were representative of the significant presence of evangelicals and Catholics among the mob.