Canterbury Cathedral has been a significant pilgrimage destination for over a thousand years. Despite the West’s growing secularization, there seems to be no shortage of travelers from around the world looking to make the journey to the English house of worship. These days, people come for historical, cultural as well as spiritual reasons.
Read MoreA day after being chosen the first U.S.-born pontiff, Pope Leo XIV said on Friday that his election was both a blessing and a cross to bear. The Chicago-born Augustinian missionary Robert Prevost surprised the world on Thursday when the conclave elected him pope, overcoming the traditional prohibition against a pontiff from the United States.
Read MorePeace be with you! Dearest brothers and sisters, this was the first greeting of the risen Christ, the good shepherd who gave His life for the flock of God. I, too, would like this greeting of peace to enter your hearts, to reach your families and all people, wherever they are; and all the peoples, and all the earth: Peace be with you.
Read MoreIt was the white plume of smoke that ushered in a new pope — and the reaction that the head of the Catholic Church is an American sparked reaction across the nation. Everyone had something to say about Cardinal Robert Prevost, now known as Pope Leo XIV. The pope, who hails from Chicago’s South Side, had made history as the first U.S.-born pontiff in the church’s 2,000-year history.
Read More(REVIEW) “Vote of Faith” combines ethnographic storytelling with academic analysis. Readers might find the engaging stories and conversations captivating, like a great novel. However, some sections filled with jargon and less common vocabulary may slow down the reading pace. Overall, the book is well-researched and intriguing, providing valuable insights into the relationship between religion and politics.
Read MoreWhat’s in a name? That’s a question Catholics often ask after a new pope is elected. One of his first official acts of a new pope is to choose a name. Deeply symbolic, the name often reflects the pope's values or spiritual inspirations.
Read MoreEl nuevo papa León XIV saludó en su primer discurso como jefe de la Iglesia Católica Romana a la diócesis de Chiclayo, donde ejerció como misionero y arzobispo emérito en el norte del Perú, país donde ha realizado gran parte de su ministerio religioso.
Read MoreIn his first address as head of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV offered a special greeting to the Diocese of Chiclayo in northern Peru, where he once served as a missionary and Archbishop Emeritus. Peru is celebrating his election as a historic milestone, as he becomes the first pope with dual citizenship — American by birth and Peruvian by naturalization.
Read More(ANALYSIS) We have a new pope! May the Holy Spirit guide you, Papa! These are my thoughts, on the fly, as a relatively new Catholic, having entered the church two years ago.
Read MoreWith clouds of white smoke emanating from the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel and to the loud cheers of thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square, the 133-member conclave elected a new pope on Thursday — choosing Cardinal Robert Prevost. Following the closed-door process known as the conclave, the new pontiff chose the name Leo XIV as the 267th head of the Catholic Church.
Read More(EXPLAINER) As tensions rise between India and Pakistan, questions about what constitutes a lawful war are once again in focus. International law makes a clear distinction between jus ad bellum (the right to go to war) and jus in bello (the rules governing conduct in war). These are framed by the United Nations Charter, customary international law and treaties such as the Geneva Conventions, all of which define what states and their leaders can — and cannot — do during conflict.
Read MoreThe smell of popcorn wafts through the air, ball players are raring to go, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” plays through the sound system, and parents are ready to cheer their kids on. It sounds like an everyday American Little League baseball game, but this league is different. With absolute joy on their faces, some waving their hands, these young players are affected by various disabilities. Some are in wheelchairs, others are non-verbal.
Read MoreSadhu Sundar Singh, a Christian pastor, serves Adivasi/tribal communities in Odisha’s Balasore district. He helps people in these communities move away from alcoholism, hooliganism and the consumption of unsafe water. However, because he also shares his Christian faith with them, he has received death threats.
Read MoreThree men from different faiths sit side by side on a stage. It’s nearly sundown just outside Berlin, with more than 100 people gathered for an interfaith iftar — the fast-breaking evening meal of Muslims during Ramadan. Each religious leader speaks about the power of fasting in their tradition, their words framed by the clatter of Turkish food being prepared in the kitchen.
Read MoreThe wooden churches of Chiloé stand as a landmark of this archipelago in this southern Latin American nation. Built in the 18th, 19th and early 20th century, they survive amid restoration challenges and fewer faithful attending Mass. In 2000, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization declared 16 of these churches as World Heritage Sites.
Read MoreBelief in the supernatural — including life after death and the idea that animals and nature can possess spirits — is common across diverse cultures and religions, with younger and older generations sharing similar views, a new survey reveals. The findings paint a nuanced picture of global spirituality, suggesting that beliefs in the unseen are deeply rooted in human cultures and persist even as traditional faith fades.
Read MoreIndia launched a military strike deep into Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir early on May 7, saying it targeted sites used by terror groups responsible for the April 22 attacks on civilians in the Kashmir region. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called the attack a “blatant act of war,” promising that it “will not go unpunished” and claiming that a “resolute response is already underway.”
Read MoreThe end of the Vietnam War, recognized on April 30, marked the end of a chapter for John Cope. But it also started another. An 18-month tour with the Air Force in the country ended in 1971. During his time there, though, Cope had grown fond of the South Vietnamese people.
Read More(ANALYSIS) This may be unsettling to those who’ve invested in the idea of a steadily secularizing globe, but the numbers don’t lie. In the long run, the groups that reproduce tend to shape the narrative. If religion continues to dominate global culture through the 21st century, it won’t be because it won a war of ideas. It’ll be because believers have more babies.
Read MoreFounded in 2013, Radio Sharda has grown into a powerful cultural project — broadcasting Kashmiri-language content to a global diaspora and anchoring displaced people to their roots. Named after the goddess of learning and the ancient Sharada Peeth temple, Radio Sharda is more than a radio station. It is a living archive of a vanishing language, a meeting point for artists and a shared refuge for memory.
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