France’s Macron Defends ‘Right to Commit Blasphemy’
French President Emmanuel Macron criticized Friday what he called “Islamic separatism” in his country and those who seek French citizenship without accepting France’s “right to commit blasphemy.”
Turning 100: Lebanon, a Nation Branded by Upheaval, Crises
On Sept. 1, 1920, a French general, Henri Gouraud, stood on the porch of a Beirut palace surrounded by local politicians and religious leaders and declared the State of Greater Lebanon — the precursor of the modern state of Lebanon. A century later, the mood could
What Happens When Pandemic Locks Down a Globe-Trotting Pope?
During the coronavirus crisis, Pope Francis has become a 21st century “prisoner of the Vatican” — as one of his predecessors was once known — robbed of the crowds, foreign travel, and visits to the peripheries that so defined and popularized his papacy.
Christians: Let’s Unite in Pandemic to Fight Injustices
Two significant, global religious bodies on Thursday (Aug. 27) called on Christians to band together to fight “sins” laid bare or aggravated by the pandemic, including racism and economic injustice.
Latin America’s Evangelical Churches Hard Hit by Pandemic
Throughout Latin America, evangelical churches have flouted public health guidelines by holding in-person services, or have personally ministered to church members in homes and other settings. In at least two countries, evangelical pastors have died in alarming numbers during the pandemic.
After Beirut Blast, Helpers Tend to Shock & Trauma
After the massive explosion on Aug. 4 in Beirut, Lebanon, some mental health professionals have offered to help those grappling with the shock and trauma of a blast that devastated a people wearied by severe economic turmoil and the coronavirus pandemic and related hardship.
Pope: Rich Must Not Get Priority for Vaccine
Pope Francis on Wednesday warned against any prospect that rich people would get priority for a coronavirus vaccine. He also said it would be scandalous if all the economic assistance in the works, most of it using public funds, ends up reviving industries that don’t
Israeli Court Rules on Fate of Smuggled Damascus Bibles
A quarter century after Israeli spies, a Canadian activist, and a Syrian rabbi smuggled nine rare medieval Jewish manuscripts out of Damascus, an Israeli court decided the books will remain under the National Library’s custodianship for their preservation.
South Korean Pastor Tests Positive Amid Virus Spike at Church
A conservative South Korean pastor who has been a bitter critic of the country’s president has tested positive for the coronavirus, health authorities said Monday (Aug. 17), two days after he participated in an anti-government protest in Seoul that drew thousands.
Zimbabwe’s Catholic Bishops Accuse Government of Abuses
Zimbabwe is embroiled in an economic and political crisis marked by human rights abuses, said the country’s Roman Catholic bishops, who were then criticized by the government as “evil” and trying to promote genocide.