Europe
(ANALYSIS) The days after a pope's death are hectic, and it's a hard time for Vatican officials to examine complex, controversial documents. Nevertheless, the bishops of Germany announced — two days after Pope Francis died on April 21 — guidelines for handling blessings for same-sex couples and other "irregular" relationships. Welcome to the Chair of St. Peter, Pope Leo XIV.
A curiosity about Scripture and God may be one of the leading factors behind a study that claims a “quiet revival” is expanding among young people in the United Kingdom, said an International Mission Board leader. An increase in church attendance among 18-24-year-olds from 4 percent in 2018 to 16 percent in 2024, with young men’s attendance jumping from 4 percent to 21 percent.
(REVIEW) With its central dome and minarets, Birmingham Central Mosque is a notable example of Islamic architecture in the U.K. It is one of 160 places of Muslim worship in the city that artist Mahtab Hussain photographed over a two-year period starting in 2023. But, as his photographic installation “Mosque City: Birmingham’s Spiritual Landscape” reveals, not all of these mosques are as conspicuous.
As the pandemic dragged on, the Andersons remodeled an apartment adjoining their home into guest quarters. Mitch earned certifications in mission care and counseling and trained in assessment, coaching and leadership. The end result: Caretakers, a ministry that offers debriefing, transition support, stress assessment and spiritual formation retreats.
Only four days have passed since his election to the papacy, and Pope Leo XIV made it a point to hold an audience with the men and women who were in Rome to report on the death of Pope Francis, the conclave and the first days of his own ministry.
(ANALYSIS) One of the most important questions that one has to ask in doing data work is pretty simple: “Compared to what?” Sure, religiosity in the U.S. has dropped over the last half-century, but how does our religious behavior compare to Europe?
Canterbury Cathedral has been a significant pilgrimage destination for over a thousand years. Despite the West’s growing secularization, there seems to be no shortage of travelers from around the world looking to make the journey to the English house of worship. These days, people come for historical, cultural as well as spiritual reasons.
El nuevo papa León XIV saludó en su primer discurso como jefe de la Iglesia Católica Romana a la diócesis de Chiclayo, donde ejerció como misionero y arzobispo emérito en el norte del Perú, país donde ha realizado gran parte de su ministerio religioso.
Three men from different faiths sit side by side on a stage. It’s nearly sundown just outside Berlin, with more than 100 people gathered for an interfaith iftar — the fast-breaking evening meal of Muslims during Ramadan. Each religious leader speaks about the power of fasting in their tradition, their words framed by the clatter of Turkish food being prepared in the kitchen.
Christian faith threatens Russian President Vladimir Putin because it is out of his control. As such, his war on Ukraine has centered on the systematic persecution of Christians, their families and their churches. That is the central message of “A Faith Under Siege: Russia’s Hidden War on Ukraine’s Christians,” a documentary premiering May 10 on CBN, and following on TBN, Newsmax and several screening platforms.
Belief in the supernatural — including life after death and the idea that animals and nature can possess spirits — is common across diverse cultures and religions, with younger and older generations sharing similar views, a new survey reveals. The findings paint a nuanced picture of global spirituality, suggesting that beliefs in the unseen are deeply rooted in human cultures and persist even as traditional faith fades.
(ANALYSIS) This may be unsettling to those who’ve invested in the idea of a steadily secularizing globe, but the numbers don’t lie. In the long run, the groups that reproduce tend to shape the narrative. If religion continues to dominate global culture through the 21st century, it won’t be because it won a war of ideas. It’ll be because believers have more babies.
This conclave is significant not only for its size, but also for the opportunity it presents to shape the future of Catholicism. The outcome will have implications for the church's stance on a variety of issues and determine whether the church wants to continue with the direction set forth by Pope Francis. In four days, 133 cardinals will make their way inside the Sistine Chapel to elect the next pontiff.
(ANALYSIS) Baylor University's Institute for Studies of Religion and Harvard University's Human Flourishing Program, along with Gallup and the Center for Open Science, released on Wednesday the first findings of their ongoing worldwide survey examining what makes for human flourishing.
(REVIEW) With glittering treasures from Siena’s golden age at every turn, this outstanding exhibition at The National Gallery in London is the first outside of continental Europe to consider the major role that the Italian city played in the development of Western European art in the early decades of the 14th century. Siena was united in its devotion to the Virgin Mary, who was believed to be the city’s personal defender and celestial queen.
Una multitud de 250,000 personas se congregó el sábado en una soleada Plaza de San Pedro para dar el último adiós al Papa Francisco, quien fue recordado por tener “un corazón abierto hacia todos”.
A crowd of 250,000 gathered in a sun-drenched St. Peter’s Square on Saturday to bid a final farewell to Pope Francis, who was remembered as having had “an open heart towards everyone.” The Argentine-born pope — the first Latin American and first Jesuit pontiff — died this past Monday at the age of 88 after suffering from cardiac arrest while recovering from pneumonia.
The Basilica of St. Mary Major is one of the four major papal basilicas located in Rome and the largest church dedicated to the Virgin Mary in the city. Its artistic splendor, architectural grandeur and storied past make it one of the most significant houses of worship in all of Christianity. It will now also serve as Pope Francis’ final resting spot.
Over the coming days, tens of thousands of people are expected to pass through St. Peter’s Basilica to bid farewell to Pope Francis. His funeral Mass is scheduled for Saturday.
Pope Francis’ funeral will be held this Saturday in a ceremony to be held in St. Peter’s Square. The funeral Mass will be celebrated by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals. The decision was announced after cardinals met at the Vatican to plan the events of the coming days.
(EXPLAINER) The funeral rites take place in three parts, called stations. The first takes place in the pope’s private chapel, after medical professionals have certified his death. Until recently, this stage had taken place at the pope’s bedside. After the body lies in rest in the chapel, the cardinal serving as the pope’s camerlengo — the pope’s chief of staff — will make the arrangements for the funeral.
Political and religious leaders from around the world offered condolences and tributes following the death of Pope Francis on Monday. The White House’s official X account posted two photos of the pope, one with President Donald Trump and his wife Melania, and the other with Vice President J.D. Vance, with a caption that read: “Rest in Peace, Pope Francis.”
Increasing numbers of U.K.-based churches and cathedrals are turning environmental action within their locality into a force for change. There are now 8,200 eco-churches across all Christian denominations within the United Kingdom, and the number is growing. These churches have opened up green spaces, created new gardens and improved the environmental credentials of their buildings.
(ANALYSIS) It’s a straightforward part of the Easter story: The Roman governor Pontius Pilate had Jesus of Nazareth killed by his soldiers. But over the past 2,000 years, it was common for some Christians to deem Pilate almost blameless for Jesus’ death and treat Jews as responsible — a belief that has shaped the global history of antisemitism.
(ANALYSIS) On April 13, a Russian ballistic missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Sumy resulted in at least 30 people killed and over 80 wounded. According to officials, the missiles struck the heart of the city in the early hours as people gathered to celebrate Palm Sunday, the first day of the Christian Holy Week.
Over the past decade, Passion Plays have become a feature of U.K. life. Over the past few years, the London Passion Play has lead the way when it comes to such re-enactments. The idea, however, dates back to the Middle Ages, when individual scenes would be performed at different sites around a city or town by the local guilds.
As always, the annual U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom report focused on trends in nations known for bitter religious conflicts and the persecution of religious minorities, including Christians. The list of offenders of “particular concern” included China, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia and others. The commission pushed to add Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Vietnam to that list.
(ANALYSIS) Shakespeare’s works are, and have always been, profoundly theological — not because they provide answers but because they compel us to confront fundamental questions of existence. Is there justice in the universe? Do our actions have eternal consequences? Can the worst among us be saved? These questions not easily answered, if they can be answered at all. These are questions that still haunt us.
(REVIEW) Six months after the invasion of Ukraine, the Putin regime announced a document titled “State Policy for the Preservation and Strengthening of Traditional Russian Spiritual and Moral Values.” The document aimed to shape the worldview of Russians, including a “strong family.” Putin has utilized the rhetoric surrounding traditional values, which the Russian Orthodox Church has promoted, for his own purpose.
A week doesn’t go by without President Donald Trump talking about “needing” to acquire Greenland. As reporters rush to cover this mysterious territory, much has been said the island’s politics and melting ice — but nothing about the island’s eclectic religious mix of Lutherans, Pentecostals, Baptists, Baha’is and Catholics.