Europe
Stained glass is a highlight of English cathedrals, with many windows dating to medieval times. Tourists admire famous examples like York Cathedral’s Rose Window, St. George’s Chapel’s West Window in Windsor and Basil Spence’s Baptistry window at Coventry. In a recent public campaign, Carlisle Cathedral’s magnificent East Window was voted the nation’s favorite.
(ANALYSIS) Alasdair MacIntyre’s journey from Marxism to Catholicism wasn’t a retreat from critique but its completion. He concluded that moral language collapsed without God, that virtue needs tradition and that societies survive only when they share a vision of what human life is ultimately for.
It’s a modern solution to an age-old issue. Many centuries-old monasteries are turning to Etsy-style e-commerce and renovating their convents to appeal to the growing Airbnb crowd. Like other religious establishments in Spain, Catholic nuns have had to think of new ways to generate income in the face of skyrocketing maintenance costs.
This five-year housing target — one of the boldest by a British government in a generation — was enshrined in the Labour Party’s promises and embedded in policy through planning reforms and legislative frameworks looking at speeding up development and cutting through bureaucratic inertia. However, will there be room for houses of worship to be built?
The Pew Research Center surveyed thousands of adults in 25 countries and found that 53 percent of Americans said their fellow countrymen had “somewhat bad” or “very bad” morals. Those findings broke with the international trend: In every other country surveyed, the majority said that others in their country have “somewhat good” or “very good” morals.
The summit unfolded against a backdrop of escalating geopolitical tension, coinciding with U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran that resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the prospect of regime change in a country gripped by Shi’a rule for nearly 50 years. For many of the attendees who flew to Malta, regime change in Iran is the start of a new era.
Over 1,000 years ago, Norse gods like Odin, Loki, Thor and Freya were worshipped across Scandinavia. Now there are indications that Norse Paganism is becoming a significant force once again. The number of believers is steadily rising, with new temples and dedicated cemeteries appearing across northern Europe.
Greenland, a remote, ice-covered territory three times the size of Texas, has just one Catholic church, Christ the King, in Nuuk, where Pastor Tomaz Majcen serves a tiny, mostly immigrant congregation. Amid harsh conditions, social struggles and global attention, the Catholic community provides faith, support and connection in the world’s least-Catholic land.
(ANALYSIS) Of Jesus’ 12 disciples, Saint Peter is one of the most important. In the Book of Matthew, Jesus declares that Peter is the “rock” on which “I will build my church.” Catholic tradition considers him the first pope. Martyred in the first century, Peter asked to be crucified upside down so he would not die the same way as Christ. That story, however, is not in the Bible.
In Ukraine, Christian leaders say the war with Russia since 2022 is a fight for national survival and religious freedom. Citing clergy deaths and widespread casualties, advocates urge global prayer and support, calling Ukraine a vital hub for Gospel witness in Europe and the former Soviet region.
In a profoundly positive appraisal of the Protestant Reformation, high-ranking Vatican officials are championing the Augsburg Confession — a pivotal Lutheran text — highlighting it as a shared basis for Christian unity, as the 500th anniversary of the document approaches in 2030. It would be a profound shift should Pope Leo decide to embrace the centuries-old document.
During the Winter Olympics outreach in Milan, over 100 Southern Baptist volunteers shared the Gospel using Olympic-themed pins and QR codes. Conversations in areas packed with tourists sparked global interest, amplified by social media, leading to thousands of spiritual discussions with local and international visitors alike.
(ANALYSIS) Michelangelo’s “The Last Judgment” in the Sistine Chapel will undergo a three-month restoration. The monumental fresco, completed in 1541, is famed for its dramatic imagery, bold nudes and layered Christian and pagan symbolism. A digital reproduction will be displayed to visitors during conservation work.
As Holocaust survivors age, organizations are turning to AI-powered avatars to preserve their testimony. An interactive version of survivor Sonia Warshawski, created with StoryFile, allows students to ask questions about her life and experiences. Supporters call it the future of Holocaust education, while critics question its ethical and emotional limits.
The Anglican denomination continues to reject gay marriage, a decision it affirmed in 2023 while instead voting to pursue blessings. The vote to end the pursuit closed three years of work in the broader Living in Love and Faith initiative regarding identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage, that the church launched nine years ago.
(ANALYSIS) Former Irish President Mary McAleese argues that infant baptism violates children’s human rights by imposing church membership without consent. Critics respond that parents possess religious freedom in child-rearing, note historical and biblical defenses of infant baptism, and compare similar birth rituals across Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism.
The Pew study measured diversity by dividing the global population into seven categories — Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, followers of other religions and people with no religious affiliation — and assessing how evenly those groups are distributed within each country.
Kamryn Lute’s Olympic ritual doesn’t start on the ice. It begins with a text to her mom: “Dear God,” she types. “Please help me do my best.” Kamryn, 21, is the only member of Team USA’s speedskating squad to have had a bat mitzvah — or a beloved pug who shared her Hebrew name, Elisheva.
(ANALYSIS) In recent weeks, Catholic leaders have been increasingly outspoken in their criticism of the Trump administration’s foreign policy, especially its military intervention in Venezuela and saber-rattling over Greenland. Last month, the three cardinals heading U.S. archdioceses issued a rare joint statement of rebuke.
Olympic biathlete Paul Schommer embraces a sport defined by extremes — grueling endurance followed by total stillness. As he prepares for his final Olympics in Milan, Schommer reflects on faith, redemption and perseverance, seeing parallels between biathlon’s challenges and life, where growth comes through adversity, focus, and grace beyond results.
More than 3,500 athletes from 93 countries have gathered in Milan-Cortina for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, creating a unique opportunity. Southern Baptists are partnering with IMB missionaries and local churches to engage fans and athletes, sharing Christ boldly and praying the outreach sparks long-term ministry across Italy. The Winter Olympics conclude on Feb. 22.
(ANALYSIS) On the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscan order, his body will be displayed for the first time ever in February, at the Basilica of San Francesco. Millions of visitors are expected to converge in the small Tuscan town of Assisi to honor the 13th-century saint.
(ANALYSIS) A Roman basilica’s removal of a cherub resembling Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reveals how quickly sacred art can become political symbolism. The controversy highlighted tensions between church and state, revealing how religious spaces amplify power when contemporary political figures become a part of devotional imagery.
Behind the medals and records, some Olympians say faith and spirituality play a meaningful role in how they train and compete. Faith can offer athletes a framework for resilience, especially in a world defined by so much pressure and scrutiny. This year’s Winter Games in Milan/Cortina will conclude on Feb. 22.
Allen was a journalist who was a Catholic and an active Catholic who was a real journalist, and he fought to balance that equation in his daily reporting. His death on Jan. 22, after a long battle with cancer, left a strategic hole in Catholic life.
It all began on a sunny day at a local park. missionaries Russell and Tori Minnick were watching their kids have fun on a playground when, at the far end of a field, a group of men were running routes and huddling over playbooks. Both men could tell they were practicing American football, so he made an inquiry.
This past Dec. 18, on International Migrants Day, participants in an interfaith prayer group gathered at Winton’s statue with Jewish children. In freezing weather and amid the noise of passing trains, the refugees were remembered by the people who had helped them.
(ANALYSIS) Nothing will ever truly replace the voices of the survivors, but I believe teachers and communities can carry on his work by making history feel local and personal. As everything around us seems to show each day, little could be more important than the lessons of these people, their sources and the Holocaust.
Once an evangelical monolith, claiming influence in 30 countries and 16 churches in the U.S., the Australian-based Hillsong Church has — due to leadership scandals — shrunk considerably. Eleven U.S. churches have left Hillsong, bringing the U.S. total to five. And the global church network just lost a country: Russia.
(ANALYSIS) During the National Prayer Breakfast on Feb. 5, Paula White-Cain, senior adviser to the White House Office of Faith, introduced President Donald Trump as “the greatest champion of faith that we have ever had in the executive branch.” Taking the podium after her, Trump declared, “I’ve done more for religion than any other president.”