Pope Seeks to “Liberate” Mary from the Mafia
Pope Francis is giving his blessing to a new Vatican think tank that is seeking to prevent the Mafia and organized crime groups from exploiting the image of the Virgin Mary for their own illicit ends.
Pakistani Court Sentences Christian to Death for Blasphemy
A Pakistani court sentenced a Christian man to death after finding him guilty of blasphemy for insulting Islam's Prophet Muhammad in text messages he sent to a Muslim co-worker in 2013, a defense lawyer said Thursday (Sept. 10).
Slow Music: Chord Change in Germany of 639-Year Organ Piece
Hundreds of fans attended a special kind of musical happening Saturday (Sept. 5) at a church in Germany: a chord change in an organ piece that is supposed to last for an entirety of 639 years.
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