(ESSAY) On the plane and at the airport, strangers from different backgrounds offered unexpected compassion and support. Their kindness became a powerful reminder of shared humanity, transcending religion. It was a moment of revelation. Through my tears I offered my thanks and wished them a happy time. And that’s not all.
Read MoreWhile many think “primum non nocere” — “First, do no harm” — was an oath created by the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, it’s actually found in a top-secret bible handed to Hollywood players when they are placed in charge of the box-office franchises that keep their operations alive.
Read MoreIs country superstar Ella Langley a person of faith? Indeed, the Alabama native — who grew up in a small town in Alabama — professes her love for Jesus.
(REVIEW) This concert marked the first world premiere in the Sistine Chapel. Yet, what lingered most was not the sense of history being made, but the work itself: A meditation on divine presence. In a space accustomed to silence rather than sound, “Angels Unawares” felt less like an interruption and more like a natural extension of the place.
Read MoreEaster Vigils brought a sharp rise in U.S. Catholic conversions, nearing pre-pandemic levels in some dioceses. Yet long-term trends remain troubling: Far more Catholics leave than join, Mass attendance has plunged and institutional markers are down. The church’s future hinges on why some parishes grow while many others continue to decline.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The manosphere is a catchall term for websites, forums, blogs and influencers promoting hypermasculinity, from the belief that women and feminism are the cause of men’s problems to calls to legalize rape. Groups within it — including pickup artists, men’s rights groups and “involuntary celibate” or “incel” communities — portray themselves as victims of modernity.
Read MoreSome 1,800 horsemen flooded the streets of Colina, a rural municipality on the outskirts of Santiago, for the Feast of Cuasimodo on April 12. They accompanied the priests who traveled in a carriage to bring communion to the elderly and the sick on the Sunday after Easter, a tradition that dates back to the early years of Chile as a republic.
Read MoreUnos 1.800 jinetes inundaron las calles de Colina, un municipio rural en las afueras de Santiago, para la Fiesta de Cuasimodo el 12 de abril. Acompañaron a los sacerdotes que viajaban en una carreta para llevar la comunión a los ancianos y a los enfermos el domingo después de Pascua, una tradición que se remonta a los primeros años de Chile como república.
Read MoreCategorizing those who do violence is a messy business. The very individuals who are called heroes, warriors and revolutionaries by some can be categorized as villains, murderers and radicals by others. But when the morality of a violent person is highly controversial or just ambiguous, we have a separate, more fuzzy term – we call them a vigilante.
Read MoreThey waited patiently with unlit tapers, waiting for their turn as the Holy flame passed from person-to-person, eventually illuminating the whole crowd of more than 18,000. Some participants would take their flames as far away as Greece or Romania, where the faithful were waiting to see their own miracle.
Read MoreEvery year, between late May and early June, something happens on the 43-mile road to the Catholic sanctuary of Popenguine, outside Dakar, that is unremarkable in Senegal and extraordinary almost anywhere else in Africa or the world: Muslim youth walk the route alongside their Christian peers.
Read More(ANALYSIS) What should have been a routine game for Spain’s national soccer team at home against Egypt on March 31 instead became a revealing and deeply uncomfortable moment — one that placed superstar striker Lamine Yamal at the center of a broader conversation about identity, faith and belonging.
Read More(ANALYSIS) A year ago, King Charles III, in an Easter message that made little news, proclaimed that the love Jesus showed “when he walked the Earth reflected the Jewish ethic of caring for the stranger and those in need, a deep human instinct echoed in Islam and other religious traditions. ... The abiding message of Easter is that God so loved the world — the whole world — that He sent His son to live among us to show us how to love one another, and to lay down His own life for others in a love that proved stronger than death.”
Read More(ANALYSIS) The man who would become one of Christianity's most formidable minds spent his early life doing things he knew were wrong and deploying his considerable intelligence to explain why that was probably fine. Saint Augustine of Hippo would go on to forever change his life, and with it, Christianity.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Christianity is growing globally, especially in the Global South and parts of Europe, with record adult conversions in Monaco, France, Austria, Belgium and rising U.S. Catholic baptisms. But earlier claims of a British revival were debunked, and U.S. secularism, though temporarily declining, remains high among younger generations, suggesting long-term Western decline.
Read More(REVIEW) What will the legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese add to these depictions of Mary that we haven’t seen before? Frankly, not much.
Read MoreIn Wales, hymn singing is not just for church services. It is part of the national culture, a unique choral tradition. You can hear them sung in pubs, concerts, choral competitions and even rugby games.
Read MoreA federal appeals court should have applied a different level of scrutiny to determine whether a Colorado law infringed on a Christian counselor’s protected speech, the Supreme Court ruled in an 8-1 vote. Kaley Chiles, a licensed counselor, argued the state’s 2019 Minor Conversion Therapy statute violated her free speech while discussing issues such as same-sex attraction.
Read More(ANALYSIS) In war-torn Iraq, Muslims will join Christians in celebrating Easter every year, fostering a spirit of solidarity and coexistence. The celebrations have gained prominence since ISIS was forced out of major strongholds. Around 140,000 Christians in Baghdad, Mosul, the disputed territory of Nineveh plains celebrate Lent, which culminates with Easter Sunday.
Read MoreVery few superheroes wear their faith on their sleeves like Daredevil. But the Season 2 opener for Disney+ series “Daredevil: Born Again” has pulled back on those elements. If that reflects the rest of the season, it will be to the show’s detriment.
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