Church of England attendance plunges to record low
2016-01-13
Sunday attendance slumps by 22,000 to 765,000 as older worshippers die and Archbishop of Canterbury warns of struggle in ‘anti-Christian culture’Continue Reading
‘The Name of God is Mercy’: new book by Pope Francis
2016-01-11
Vatican: “The Name of God is Mercy” is the title of a new book set to be released in 86 countries on Tuesday (12 Jan), in which Pope Francis reveals his vision of God’s mercy in a series of interviews with Vatican reporter Andrea Tornielli. Several extracts were made availableContinue Reading
US library uploads 200,000 images for free use
2016-01-11
The New York Public Library just released a treasure trove of digitized public domain images, featuring epic poetry from the 11th century to photographs of used car lots in Columbus, Ohio from the 1930s. Over 180,000 manuscripts, maps, photographs, sheet music, lithographs, postcards, and other images were released online WednesdayContinue Reading
Pope Francis baptizes 26 babies, tells moms to nurse
2016-01-10
Vatican City: Some slept, some squirmed, some smiled and some screamed. And a few were named Francesco or Francesca.Pope Francis welcomed 13 boys and 13 girls into the Catholic Church today during the annual ceremony that marks the day in the liturgical calendar when Jesus was baptized. Gurgles and wailsContinue Reading
‘Mein Kampf’ published in Germany for first time since WWII
2016-01-08
A German historical institute is launching an annotated edition of “Mein Kampf,” the first version of Adolf Hitler’s notorious manifesto to be published in Germany since the end of World War II. Bavaria’s state Finance Ministry had previously prevented the book’s publication, but its copyright expired 70 years after theContinue Reading
ISIS militant executes mother for “apostasy”
2016-01-08
London: In a shocking low even by the standards of the Islamic State, a militant has publicly executed his own mother after accusing her of apostasy. The activist group Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently (RIBSS) said 20-year-old jihadi Ali Saqr al-Qasem shot his mother Lena, 45, in the head withContinue Reading
In first prayer video, Pope stresses interfaith unity: ‘We are all children of God’
2016-01-07
Vatican City: The Pope’s first-ever video message on his monthly prayer intentions was released Tuesday, highlighting the importance of interreligious dialogue and the beliefs different faith traditions hold in common, such as the figure of God and love. “Many think differently, feel differently, seeking God or meeting God in differentContinue Reading
Pope to launch monthly intention video on social media
2016-01-06
Pope Francis’ monthly prayers will soon broadcast on social media so Catholics around the world can watch his message and pray with him, a Jesuit-led prayer coalition has announced. The Jesuit-led Apostleship of Prayer program announced on Vatican Radio this week that starting on Jan. 6 the pontiff’s monthly prayerContinue Reading
Franciscan priest freed from captivity in Syria
2016-01-05
Jerusalem: Roman Catholic officials said Tuesday that a Franciscan priest who had been abducted by militants in Syria has been freed. The custodian of the Catholic Church’s properties in the Holy Land said the priest, Father Dhiya Azziz, was released late Monday. The office of the custodian, Rev. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, saidContinue Reading
Saudi Arabia executes top Shia cleric: Iran
2016-01-02
Tehran: Saudi Arabia will pay “a high price” for executing prominent Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr on Saturday, Iran’s foreign ministry said. Ministry spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari strongly condemned the execution, which came after his Shia country repeatedly asked its Sunni-ruled rival to pardon the cleric, The Times of India reported.Continue Reading