History nerds rejoice! An incredibly detailed land-use survey and census from the 1500s, commissioned by none other than Henry VIII, will soon be digitally available to everyone, including genealogists, educators, researchers and community groups, thanks to a new $2 million project. The historic records, published under the title “Valor Ecclesiasticus,” or Value of the Church, were the Tudor equivalent of the Domesday Book.
Read MoreRather than answering blood with blood, many residents in one part of India turned to prayer, ritual and mutual care. This response has become as much a political statement as a spiritual one. In the days after deadly clashes took place, monks were visible in the streets. They organized food for families stranded by an imposed curfew, led quiet gatherings — and urged people to avoid retaliation.
Read MoreIt is a fraught time to lead a Christian congregation. Church leaders are navigating concerns about President Donald Trump’s second term, ongoing ICE raids, difficult conversations following Charlie Kirk’s murder — and also trying to dodge spiritual and occupational burnout along the way.
Read MoreWhile their day jobs may be different, the advice of men and women anchored in years of religious life, like nuns and priests, perhaps unsurprisingly, focuses on the same tools as laymen for navigating difficult times: Contemplation, community, empathy and solidarity with those who are often forgotten.
Read MoreDid a touch of the divine play a key role in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ dramatic AFC North title clincher? Steelers fans — especially if you’re Catholic — certainly believe so. Father Maximilian Maxwell sprinkled holy water in one end zone — the same one where Baltimore Ravens kicker Tyler Loop missed as time ran out.
Read MoreAs President Nicolás Maduro is being transferred to New York to stand trial for drug trafficking and terrorism crimes, after having been captured early this morning by U.S. forces on the orders of President Donald Trump, a series of calls to prayer have been issued by evangelical leaders and church organizations in response to the situation the country is experiencing.
Read MoreMientras el presidente Nicolás Maduro es trasladado a Nueva York para enfrentar un juicio por delitos de narcotráfico y terrorismo, tras haber sido capturado en horas de la madrugada por fuerzas estadounidenses por orden del presidente Donald Trump, una serie de llamados a la oración han sido emitidos por líderes evangélicos y organizaciones eclesiales ante la situación que vive el país.
Read MoreCzechia was once a harbinger of the Protestant Reformation, but now pastors face an uphill battle as the Protestant population drops below 2%.
Read MoreA new report released on Monday revealed that majority of Americans continue to identify with the religion in which they were raised — but more than one-third have departed from their childhood faith. The findings — put together by the Pew Research Center — draw on two major surveys.
Read MoreActivists advocating for the repatriation of artifacts “stolen by Pope Pius XI and his missionaries” from First Nations communities are unhappy by Pope Leo XIV labeling of these items as a “gift” despite his agreement to return them. The Holy See said the pope “gifted to the CCCB the 62 artifacts belonging to the ethnological collections of the Vatican Museums” as “an act of ecclesial sharing.”
Read MoreDespite cannabis's central role in Rastafarian worship, adherents face persistent criminalization and face a minimum 10-year prison term for simple possession. Police raids on tabernacles remain routine across Kenya, with officers confiscating plants, destroying drums and sometimes forcibly cutting dreadlocks. Now, adherents are trying to legalize it.
Read MoreOne of Christianity’s last strongholds in the Middle East is rapidly losing Christians, who are fleeing the country after years of wars and economic failures. Pope Leo XIV visited Lebanon earlier this month to encourage the nation’s young Catholics. But local young adults say it could be too little, too late.
Read MoreAfter decades of falling religious affiliation and participation, key measures of religiousness in the United States have leveled off in recent years — although no revival has been detected among young people. The findings from the Pew Research Center suggest that a period of relative stability — first observed around 2020 — has continued five years after the pandemic.
Read MoreEven though Emmanuel Ngona Ngotsi was appointed by Pope Francis as the bishop of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Wamba Diocese in January 2024 and consecrated eight months later by Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, he has yet to fully assume his role. Although Ngotsi is Congolese, Wamba clergy and laity still see him as an “outsider” because he is not a native of the area.
Read MoreIt was a stunning reversal of fortunes. In October, Lazarus Chakwera, Malawi’s charismatic preacher-turned-politician who once promised to “serve both God and the people,” lost his presidential re-election bid to long-time rival Peter Mutharika, who was formerly president himself from 2014 to 2020.
Read MoreResearch carried out by the Bat Conservation Trust has revealed that over 8,000 churches provide bats with a home. They are messy houseguests, and churchgoers must coexist with them. At the same time, a U.K. law prohibits removing or disturbing the winged creatures that have scared people for centuries.
Read MoreIn just under seven months, the new pontiff has curated a jersey collection worthy of a sports museum or a Windy City man cave. Each of these jerseys, often delivered by dignitaries or guests from the U.S., reveals something about Leo XIV’s identity as both a clergyman and a fan.
Read MoreThe Rev. Emmanuel Bekomson, the parish priest of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Calabar, Nigeria, became concerned about how members of his parish with different disabilities were being engaged in church activities. He became even more unsettled and burdened when he discovered that some members did not attend Mass.
Read MoreIn a small Santa Clara classroom at Mission City Church in Northern California, a group of students huddle together, their voices rising in harmony. Leading them stands Makayla Hannah, their vocal coach for Youth Utilizing Power and Praise. Hannah is teaching more than pitch and breath control. She believes hope is not lost in a generation often dismissed.
Read MoreWhen Western Christian missionaries arrived in Africa in the 19th century, they disallowed the use of native musical instruments in church, which they associated with demonic worship. But now, all these years later, the instruments are making a comeback in churches across the continent to the delight of millions.
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