Posts in Europe
Catholicism at a crossroads: 3 takeaways from the Amazon Synod

(OPINION) The battle for the future direction of the church was played out among the bishops who participated in the synod aimed at addressing issues affecting Catholicism in the region of the Amazon that encompasses a great swath of South America. It’s ramifications, however, could very well impact the global church.

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The Georgian Saint revered for fighting Soviet communism

(OPINION) Gabriel Urgebadze changed the trajectory of his life when he lit a portrait of Vladimir Lenin on fire and told a crowd to follow Jesus instead. Today, more than a hundred pilgrims visit his grave everyday, praying for miracles.

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Halloween's Catholic Origins Often Overlooked By The Secular Press

(OPINION) For many, Halloween is some extension of witchcraft and paganism. It’s a holiday, some Christians believe, that is celebrated by satanists. It is also a big part of Christianity, specifically Roman Catholicism. That’s the part most often overlooked by the mainstream news media.

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Why the Vatican is debating priestly celibacy in the Amazon

A discussion in Rome this week will include whether the church should allow flexibility in its traditional vow of celibacy for priests to ordain married men in the remote Amazon. The decision could very well impact Catholicism around the world.

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Chaput-Martin feud highlights media distortion of Catholicism

Who is made a cardinal can be loaded with intrigue. It’s why the Catholic church is covered like a political institution and less like a religion. It is this dangerous tendency, largely on the part of the secular press, to reduce theological positions to political ones that has fueled divisions during the Pope Francis era.

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What does 'Evangelical' mean in 2019?

(OPINION) “Evangelicals” is often used as a stand-in for conservative white Protestants. This misses the diversity and changing nature of a religious movement that is important in its own right, not just for its political clout.

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Why many evangelicals believe climate change is a hoax

Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old from Sweden, received widespread support for her recent actions to combat climate change — except from those who believe it’s a hoax. Among them: evangelical Christians. Here’s why so many of them oppose the politics of climate change.

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Jewish pilgrimage to a Ukrainian rabbi’s grave is growing

Pilgrimages to Rabbi Nachman’s grave site resumed at a trickle under communism. Now, more than 70 years after the devastation of World War II and communism, Jews of all kinds are visiting Uman and moving back.

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Cardinal Robert Sarah’s new book puts the spotlight on what ails the modern world

(BOOK REVIEW) Cardinal Robert Sarah’s new book examines the spiritual decline of the West amid scandals in the Catholic Church and secularization. He’s hopeful prayer can reverse the trend.

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How the oldest surviving Latin Bible was scribed in England

(TRAVEL) A recent trip to Northumbria, England and Florence, Italy had an unexpected connection — a text of the Bible that’s arguably shaped Christianity more than any other, revitalizing Roman Christianity for Anglo-Saxons.

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'Notre Dame is our church’: Why famed cathedral must be rebuilt to its past glory

Despite Europe’s increased secularization, traditionalists argue Notre Dame’s renovation should include no contemporary flair as part of a larger effort by Christians to protect their religious heritage wherever it may be located around the world,

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This Eritrean Orthodox community is filling an empty church in Germany

Germany’s influx of refugees since 2015 tends to spark discussions about how the country will change. Overlooked is the number of Christian immigrants, like many Eritreans. A group of Eritrean Orthodox Christians are borrowing an empty church for their services and helping orient the latest arrivals to their new lives in Germany.

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Faith and Religion Search For Post-Communist Footing in Bulgaria

Paying for prayers, bishops with ties to the Kremlin and communist structures built around ancient churches — the society ruled by the Byzantines, then the Ottomans and then the Soviets is now reckoning with finding faith on its own.

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Don’t underestimate the Vatican’s power in Italian politics

(OPINION) Italy’s government has been plunged into chaos after the nationalist-populist coalition that had struck fear across the European establishment collapsed. It means that Italians could potentially be going to the ballot box once again this fall. It’s also a reminder of how powerful the Catholic church remains in determining the country’s politics.

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Will the new British Foreign Secretary take religious persecution seriously?

(COMMENTARY) Jeremy Hunt’s resignation puts his plan for an international overhaul of asylum requests, from persecuted Christians especially, in limbo with the UK’s new foreign secretary Dominic Raab.

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Meet the Vatican’s revamped press office and the challenges it faces

(NEWS ANALYSIS) The Vatican press office may be second only to the White House communications department when it comes to ranking the world’s busiest public relations operation. The upcoming Synod for the Pan-Amazon Region will be their first real test.

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Former Times bureau chief investigates rash of French church vandalism cases

A recent piece posted to Real Clear Investigations takes a deep dive into the trend of church vandalism in France, quantifying it with anecdotes, lots of data and interviews with people in the know. The reporting sheds a spotlight on the attacks and may be one of the best reported pieces on what’s been going on there by any news organization to date.

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