Retired Pope Benedict XVI issued a strongly-worded defense for priestly celibacy — countering his successor Pope Francis who’s been considering allowing married men to be ordained in the Amazon to deal with a shortage in that part of the world.
Read MoreThe Travels of Guðríður Símonardóttir tells the little-known story of an Icelandic woman in the 17th century who was captured by North African pirates. She was enslaved at a harem in Algiers until ransomed, then married Iceland’s most famous poet. His hymns, inspired by the couple’s suffering, are still sung in churches and at funerals.
Read More(OPINION) The media’s reaction to the slap, from social media to major news organizations, again showed the divide that continues to exist among Catholics around the world. Those who like Francis saw a man being grabbed and reacting like anyone would. His detractors saw a man with little patience for parishioners.
Read MoreCrowds of Romanians gathered on the coast of the Black Sea to watch priests bless holy water and throw three crosses into the water, representing God in the trinity of father, son and holy spirit. Then the race in near-freezing water began to retrieve a cross, believed to bring its owner blessings in the new year.
Read MoreThe Media Project staff, board and members worldwide submitted nominations for the best efforts in religion journalism that we admired most in 2019.
Read More(OPINION) This time of year brings with it pieces looking back on the biggest stories of the year. It’s also a time to look ahead. The coming year will certainly be a busy one once again for journalists who cover Catholicism, Pope Francis and the church’s hierarchy.
Read More(OPINION) Some observers anticipate a breakup of the United Kingdom once it leaves the European Union. There are a few scenarios that could play out for the nation’s churches if that happens.
Read MoreA Torah scroll that survived the destruction of the Jewish community in Ozorkow, Poland was recently refurbished and will be rededicated at Ahavath Achim Synagogue on Jan. 5.
Read More(OPINION) An in-depth examination of the euthanasia case of a celebrated athlete by The New York Times neglected to grapple with religion’s role in the debate. There was plenty of opportunity to.
Read More(OPINION) An experiment planned for 2020 could pave the way for scientists in the field to “play God.” We should all be paying attention, and journalists should be helping us facilitate an important conversation.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Americans continue to be generous — but churches and some faith-based groups have suffered the most these days when it comes to donations. A drop in donations to these non-profits would also have a global impact.
Read More(REVIEW) Ghayasuddin Siddiqui founded a handful of Islamist organizations in the U.K. and feels responsible for attitudes that may have inspired London’s Islamic terrorist attacks. By the nineties, he recanted his Islamist views and today leads social justice and assimilation efforts in the British Muslim community.
Read More(OPINION) Acts of violence based on religion or belief are on the increase globally. This includes atrocities that amount to genocide and crimes against humanity. While such acts of violence affect all religious groups (especially minority religious groups), over the recent months, report after report has been raising the issues that relate to the persecution of Christians globally.
Read More(OPINION) For those who have never heard of it, L’Osservatore Romano is a daily newspaper that reports on the Vatican. It is printed in Italian with weekly editions in six languages, including English, and once a month in Polish.
Read More(REVIEW) What happens when you get a pope and a cardinal together? In real life, you’d get some interesting discussion. In the movie “The Two Popes,” you get lots of made-up conversation cloaked as a behind-the-scenes look at the current state of the Catholic church.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Rehman Chishti, a British Muslim and conservative born in Pakistan, will address the event on behalf of beleaguered Christians, who number 80% of all those in the world who are attacked for their faith, according to the FCO. At least 120 public buildings and 30 cathedrals across the UK will also light red.
Read More(OPINION) It’s hard to say why certain patron saints are more frequently searched than others, but search rankings give us some ideas.
Read MoreAn American professor reflects on his work with students at a Christian liberal arts university in Lithuania, many of whom come from war-torn countries.
Read More(OPINION) Let’s start with a loaded question. But it’s a questions that journalists really need to ask, because of trends during recent events in Catholic life. Is the Vatican’s press office helping to push a progressive agenda that could forever change the Catholic church?
Read More(BOOK REVIEW) Discovering Pope Francis is in a way an opportunity for fans of this papacy to defend him. It also tries to lay out common ground between those who may be liberal or conservative politically, but also Roman Catholic.
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