Poland: Church cancels lease of liberal Catholic magazine
Warsaw, PolandAP A liberal Roman Catholic magazine in Poland that recently criticised some high-ranking church officials says local church authorities in Krakow have terminated the publication’s office lease after almost 76 years. The Tygodnik Powszechny (General Weekly) said on Facebook and on its website that a letter from the Krakow Curia delivered Monday gave the […]
Lifestory: In Cameroon, a 24-year-old youth pastor is helping hundreds displaced by conflict
INNOCENT ETENG, writing for Religion Unplugged, profiles Heline Babiene Eweni, founder of the Exceptional Youth Initiative which is helping displaced pregnant girls and women in war-torn Cameroon…
At the funeral of another Black man shot dead by police in the US, Rev Al Sharpton says firing the officer is not enough
Columbus, Ohio, USAP As light snow fell around the Ohio church Tuesday morning, Andre Hill’s family, friends and strangers angry about his death – clad in their Sunday best and Black Lives Matter masks – walked in to honour his life. Inside the church in Columbus, a photo of Hill, 47, surrounded by the faces […]
Spain tries to keep Epiphany tradition despite pandemic
Madrid, Spain AP The three wise men received a subdued reception in Spain on the eve of the Western observance of Epiphany due to a pandemic-related prohibition against large public events. Men representing the Three Kings, wearing face masks to prevent the spread of coronavirus, arrive to distribute Christmas presents at the Canada Real shanty […]
WHO’s Tedros “very disappointed” China hasn’t granted entry to coronavirus experts
Zurich/Geneva, SwitzerlandReuters The head of the World Health Organization said on Tuesday he was “very disappointed” that China has still not authorised the entry of a team of international experts to examine the origins of the coronavirus. The 10-strong team had been due to set off in early January as part of a long-awaited mission […]
China doubles down on COVID narrative as WHO investigation looms
Shanghai, ChinaReuters As a team from the World Health Organization prepares to visit China to investigate the origins of COVID-19, Beijing has stepped up efforts not only to prevent new outbreaks, but also shape the narrative about when and where the pandemic began. China has dismissed criticism of its early handling of the coronavirus, first […]
Satellite alerts seen helping fight deforestation in Africa
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation A system using satellite data to send free alerts when trees are destroyed has been linked to a significant drop in forest losses in Africa, researchers and academics said on Monday. Deforestation dropped by an average of 18 per cent across nine central African countries after the alerts were introduced, found […]
117th US Congress, like the old, is overwhelmingly Christian, heavily Protestant
RNS The 117th session of Congress got off to a testy start on Sunday, including an opening prayer from an ordained member whose pairing of “A-woman” with the traditional “Amen” raised both hackles and questions about the meaning of the word. But what is rarely at question is the religious composition of Congress, as the […]
Historic Black church in DC sues Proud Boys for destroying Black Lives Matter sign
Washington DC, USRNS A historic Black congregation in Washington, DC, is suing the group Proud Boys for destroying a church-owned Black Lives Matter sign last month, aiming to “hold the Proud Boys, its leadership, and certain…members accountable.” The lawsuit, which was filed in DC Superior Court on Monday, accuses the Proud Boys, an organisation the Southern […]
England goes into new lockdown as COVID-19 variant rampages
London, UKReuters British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday ordered England into a new national lockdown to contain a surge in COVID-19 cases that threatens to overwhelm parts of the health system before a vaccine program reaches a critical mass. The announcement came just hours after the government hailed Britain’s success in becoming the first […]