For Iranian Converts Claiming Religious Persecution, European Courts Require Proof of Faith
Judges across Europe are having a tough time deciding whether asylum-seekers claiming religious persecution are ‘genuine’ Christians.
Greece Just Legalized Same-Sex Marriage. Will Other Orthodox Countries Join Them Any Time Soon?
Eastern Orthodox leadership, despite lacking a single doctrinal authority like a pope, has been united in opposing recognition of same-sex relationships both within its own rites and in the civil realm.
Israel Complains After Vatican Denounces ‘Carnage’ and Disproportionate Response in Gaza
'Israel’s right to self-defense has been invoked to justify that this operation is proportional, but with 30,000 dead, it’s not,' said Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state.
The War on Valentine’s Day
With a bloody cleric adding Valentine’s Day to his culture (and literal) wars, this issue of A Public Witness looks deeper into the subversive mythology behind St. Valentine.
Church of England Leader Says a Plan To Send Migrants to Rwanda Undermines the UK’s Global Standing
If approved by Parliament, the law will allow the government to “disapply” sections of U.K. human rights law when it comes to Rwanda-related asylum claims and make it harder to challenge the deportations in court.
Churches, Temples, and Monasteries Regularly Hit by Airstrikes in Myanmar, Activists Say
Churches are often suspected of sympathy with opposition groups, even though they are more commonly used as places of refuge for civilians seeking to shelter from fighting.
Indigenous Faithful and Christians Work With Environmentalists to Conserve India’s Sacred Forests
Many Christian converts have lost their spiritual connection to the forests and lore. Meghalaya is 75% Christian in a country that is almost 80% Hindu.
Africa’s Six Anglican Women Bishops Meet and Issue Call to Combat Africa’s ‘Triple Threat’
The weeklong gathering outside Kenya's capital focused on gender-based violence, teenage pregnancy, and HIV/AIDS, saying the Anglican churches in Africa have been silent on these issues affecting many African women.
Nicaragua Releases Imprisoned Catholic Bishop and 18 Priests
Nicaragua’s government released a prominent Catholic bishop and 18 other clergy members imprisoned in a crackdown by President Daniel Ortega and handed them over to Vatican authorities who welcomed them in Rome.
Signing Our Blessing to War
This issue of A Public Witness takes a look at past efforts from Christian clergy to bless weapons of war before returning to a current conflict to hear from a pastor in the little town of Bethlehem.