Pope urges people to reach out to the elderly (while maintaining distancing)
Vatican CityAP Pope Francis led pilgrims gathered in St Peter’s Square for the weekly Sunday blessing in a round of applause for elderly people suffering from loneliness during the pandemic. Francis, on the feast day for Jesus’s maternal grandparents Saints Anne and Joachim, urged the faithful to consider every elderly person his or her own […]
Record numbers of coronavirus cases in every global region – Reuters tally
Reuters Almost 40 countries have reported record single-day increases in coronavirus infections over the past week, around double the number that did so the previous week, according to a Reuters tally showing a pick-up in the pandemic in every region of the world. The rate of cases has been increasing not only in countries like […]
Australia reports highest daily toll of coronavirus deaths
Melbourne, AustraliaReuters Australia reached a grim milestone on Sunday, recording its highest ever daily tally of deaths from the novel coronavirus, as authorities in Victoria state battled scores of clusters of infection and intensified efforts to trace their contacts. Victoria’s leader, Daniel Andrews, told a media briefing the state had reported 10 COVID-19 deaths in […]
Female priests now outnumber male ones in Church of Sweden
Stockholm, SwedenAP The Church of Sweden has more female than male priests for the first time, according to numbers released this month, a sign of huge strides for gender equality since women were first allowed to be ordained in 1960. The Lutheran institution, which was the official Swedish state church until 2000, now counts 1,533 […]
In the US, Christian abortion critics urge Dems to change platform
AP A group of more than 100 Christian pastors, religion professors and other advocates is urging the Democratic National Committee to adopt a party platform that’s friendlier to abortion opponents. In a letter organised by the anti-abortion group Democrats for Life and set to be sent Friday, the group of Christians calls on the Democratic […]
The Interview: Counsellor Aundi Kolber shares what it looks like to ‘Try Softer’ during a pandemic
EMILY MCFARLAN MILLER, of Religion News Service, interviews counsellor and author Aundi Kolber…