SOMALIA: CHRISTIAN WORKERS WORSHIP IN SECRET, FEAR AL-SHABAAB
TONNY ONYULO, of Religion News Service, reports on hardships facing Christians in Somalia…
POSTCARDS: AS LAHORE CHOKES ON WINTER SMOG, PAKISTAN MOVES TO CUT AIR POLLUTION
RINA SAEED KHAN, of Thomson Reuters Foundation, reports from Pakistan…
Pope Francis warns against resurgence of nationalism around the world
Pope Francis has warned against the resurgence of nationalism around the world, saying that politics should not be limited to seeking short-term solutions. In a New Year’s speech to the diplomatic corps on Monday – known informally as his “state of the world” address, the Pope said the resurgence of nationalist impulses being seen in […]
Human trafficking worsens in conflict zones as militants deploy slaves – UN
Thomson Reuters Foundation Human trafficking is becoming more “horrific” in conflict zones, where armed groups keep women as sex slaves and use child soldiers to spread fear, the United Nations said on Monday, warning of widespread impunity. From girls forced to wed to boys made to cook and clean, militants are using trafficking as a […]
Catch them young: Indian writers tell tales of land rights for kids
Thomson Reuters Foundation Deadly disputes over land and indigenous rights are not obvious themes for children’s books, but Indian writers are using real-life conflicts to help the next generation understand their impact on communities across the country. I Will Save My Land by Rinchin is about the impact of coal mining on a village, while […]
Biggest Christian cathedral in Middle East opens in Egypt
The biggest Christian cathedral in the Middle East was inaugurated in Egypt on Sunday. The newly constructed Coptic cathedral, the Cathedral of the Nativity, was formally opened by Egypt’s President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi on Sunday, the eve of Coptic Christmas. The President later reportedly attended a midnight Mass which was presided over by Coptic Pope […]
FILM: NEW DOCUMENTARY CHRONICLES A GRASS-ROOTS CATHOLIC “MAGISTERIUM”
MICHAEL MCKINLEY reports for Religion News Service on a new documentary film looking at how members of the Catholic Church have been engaging with the stories of ordinary people in the Appalachian Mountains in North America…
525th anniversary of first Catholic Mass on American continent celebrated in Dominican Republic
The 525th anniversary of the celebration of the first Catholic Mass on the American continent was commemorated in the Dominican Republic on Saturday. The first Mass was celebrated on 6th January, 1494, in La Isabela, Puerto Plata, by priest, Bernardo Boil, who was part of the entourage of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus’ second trip to the […]