SAN GABRIEL, Calif, July 12, 2020: A fire early July 11 destroyed the rooftop and most of the interior of a Catholic church in California that was undergoing renovation to mark its upcoming 250th anniversary celebration. Fire alarms at the San Gabriel Mission rang around 4 a.m. When firefighters arrived,Continue Reading
Johannesburg, July 11, 2020: Police in South Africa say five people are dead and more than 40 have been arrested after an early-morning hostage situation at a church near Johannesburg. A statement says police and military who responded to reports of a shooting at the International Pentecostal Holiness Church inContinue Reading
By Massimiliano Tubani and John Newton Königstein (Germany), July 11, 2020: A kidnapped Christian girl in Pakistan has phoned her parents to say she is pregnant after being raped by her abductor, who has imprisoned her in one room of his house. Tabassum Yousaf, the lawyer fighting for the freedomContinue Reading
Paris, July 10, 2020: Paris’ centuries-old Notre-Dame Cathedral will be rebuilt as it was before being engulfed in a fire last year, the public body in charge of its restoration said on July 9. The April 15, 2019 blaze destroyed the Gothic landmark and major tourist attraction, destroying the spireContinue Reading
Abu Dhabi, July 9, 2020: A group of youngsters from a church in Abu Dhabi will honor some 40 frontline workers from more than a dozen hospitals and healthcare providers. The Youth Movement of the Church of South India Parish in Abu Dhabi will organize a virtual function through ZoomContinue Reading
Hubei, July 9, 2020: Heavy rains and landslides in China have left at least 14 people dead or missing over the past day, burying houses and causing scenic areas to temporarily shut. Six people have been unreachable since a landslide in southwestern Guizhou province hit three villages on July 8,Continue Reading
London, July 8, 2020: Pope Francis has appointed Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti as new Apostolic Nuncio for Great Britain. Archbishop Gugerotti has served as nuncio to Ukraine since 2015. He was previously the Pope’s representative to Georgia and Armenia, as well as to Azerbaijan, and later served as Nuncio to Belarus.Continue Reading
Rome, July 8, 2020: Benedict XVI watched his brother’s funeral via livestream on July 8 as his secretary Archbishop Georg Gänswein read the pope emeritus’ message of remembrance at the Mass in Germany. “When I said goodbye to him in the morning on Monday, June 22, we knew it wouldContinue Reading
Addis Ababa, July 8, 2020: The death count from demonstrations and ethnic violence that erupted in Ethiopia in July first week following the murder of a popular singer from the Oromo ethnic group has risen to 239, according to police. Pop star Hachalu Hundessa, a hero to many Oromo whoContinue Reading
Seoul, July 6, 2020: Church-goers in South Korea, where religious services are typically characterized by large in-person gatherings, are growing increasingly dissatisfied with online worship, an inevitable reality at times given the government’s social distancing directives and the protracted coronavirus pandemic. According to a survey conducted by a publication operatedContinue Reading
