A Muslim Civil Guard officer has asked Spanish authorities to fund his pilgrimage to Mecca, since colleagues have received funding for Christian holy trips. The officer, based in Melilla, one Spain’s two exclaves on the North African coast, wrote to
England’s state church has backed a motion calling for new vicars to be trained in “ecotheology” and “eco-justice” alongside more traditional Christian ethics. In a motion debated at a meeting of the General Synod in York, Church of England leaders
In a statement Monday, the archbishop likened the decision to the principle of “truth in advertising,” saying that schools describing themselves as Catholic “take on the responsibility of teaching and witnessing the Catholic faith in a manner true to Catholic belief. There’s nothing complicated or controversial in this. It’s a simple matter of honesty.”
Two prominent Christian peers have rejected the Pope’s recent encyclical on climate change as backwards and more likely to increase not reduce poverty. They accuse the Pope of falling foul of thinking on climate change that hankers for a time before
An Islamic theologian has become the brunt of countless jokes on social media after comments he made regarding oral sex live on late night Turkish television.
In the final major address of his Latin American tour, Pope Francis met with a throng of young people Sunday, urging them to “shake things up.” He left aside his prepared speech to speak off the cuff, but he decided to leave them the text he had written for them, and published it, as well. Comparing life to a soccer match, Francis wrote that there are two opposing teams, one coached by Jesus and the other by the devil; each person must decide which team to play for.
In the final major address of his three-country trip in Latin America, Pope Francis met with hundreds of thousands of young people Sunday evening, tossing aside his prepared remarks and urging his audience to make a difference in life, even if it means making a mess.
The Church of England has been criticised by one if its own bishops as “borderline racist”. The Right Rev Stephen Cottrell, Bishop of Chelmsford, said the church needed to do much more to recruit ethnic minorities, accusing it of “complacency
On July 2, the Wall Street Journal carried an article by Shawki Allam, the Grand Mufti of Egypt, who claimed that “violent extremists” are distorting the true purpose of fatwas and thereby, the true meaning of Islam. He goes on to extoll the virtues of Muhammad’s many roles – calling him a divine inspiration, social reformer, military leader, statesman, and also a Mufti.
In his visit to a children’s hospital in Paraguay Saturday, Pope Francis told the young patients that Jesus loved children, enjoyed spending time with them, and wanted to be their friends. He also said Jesus put them forward as a model for adults.
“I encourage you to continue working to strengthen democratic structures and institutions, so that they can respond to the legitimate aspirations of the nation’s people,” Pope Francis said. Like other Latin American countries, Paraguay suffers from extensive political corruption as well as an underdeveloped rule of law and civil society.
Pope Francis invited California Governor Jerry Brown to lend his expertise on global warming and climate change to a summit at the Vatican later in the month.
In one of his more powerful and impassioned addresses of his week-long Latin American visit, Pope Francis rallied thousands of members of popular movements Thursday, urging them to take stock of the grim situation of the world but not to succumb to pessimism or wait around for politicians to solve their problems.
Last week, the Supreme Court ordered the Obama administration not to enforce the contraceptive mandate against Catholic organizations from Pennsylvania, making this case the government’s sixth loss in a row at the Supreme Court. Currently, four petitions are before the Supreme Court asking for final resolution of the issue by June 2016.
With a whopper of a crowd waiting out in the Christ the Redeemer Square in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, Pope Francis slipped into a nearby Burger King restaurant Thursday to change into his liturgical vestments for Mass.
In its sexual misconduct policy, Baylor University has removed language stipulating disciplinary action for those who engage in “homosexual acts,” a change that school administrators said better reflects its values as “a caring community.”
Pope Francis rebuked Bolivian President Evo Morales when he presented him with a crucifix mounted on the symbol of Communism – a hammer-and-sickle. “That’s not right,” said the Pope, who appeared to be taken aback by the gift. He and
Gov. Beshear told county clerk Casey Davis Thursday that he should issue same-sex marriage licenses or resign, reports Kentucky.com. Davis said he is refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples because same-sex marriage is against his religious beliefs, and he is also refusing to resign his post.
Newsbusters reported on Pope Francis’ reaction to Bolivian President Evo Morales handed the him a communist crucifix carved in the shape of a hammer and sickle. Pope Francis said in Spanish, “No está bien eso,” translated “That’s not right.” President
The Communist government of Shanghai has mandated that Catholic priests and nuns of the diocese undergo “reeducation” classes on the central theme of the National Congress of the Communist Party.
Actress Candace Cameron-Bure shocked the panel of The View Tuesday, when she vigorously defended the Christian owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa, who refused to make a cake for a gay wedding and were subsequently served a $135,000 fine and a gag order.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria has released an official statement reaffirming its commitment to fight for traditional marriage in the wake of the US Supreme Court ruling that imposed same-sex marriage in all 50 states.
A Wisconsin atheist group called the Freedom from Religion Foundation has sued the government to have a World War II memorial affectionately known as “Big Mountain Jesus” removed from a Montana ski slope, insisting that the monument signifies an unconstitutional endorsement of religion by the Forest Service.
But did the Pope really say that or could it be the product of an over-exited headline writer at the Associated Press? In fact, Francis said at God’s judgment, “…it will be revealed if [the powerful of the Earth] really tried to provide for Him in every person, and if they did what they could to preserve the environment so that it could produce this food.” Not even a close approximation of the headline in the story and in Alito’s ads.
Gov. Sam Brownback (R) of Kansas is acting to protect clergy and religious organizations from punishment for refusing to recognize or provide services for same-sex marriages.
