Ukraine’s military says Russian forces are trying to storm Azovstal plant
Reuters Russian forces attempted to storm the Ukrainian-held Azovstal steel plant in the besieged south-eastern city of Mariupol on Sunday, Ukrainian officials said, despite Russian President Vladimir Putin’s comments last week that the complex did not need to be taken. Ukraine’s armed forces command wrote on Facebook that Russian forces were firing and performing “offensive […]
Ukraine marks Orthodox Easter with prayers for those trapped; Pope calls for truce
Kyiv, UkraineAP The sun came out as Ukrainians marked Orthodox Easter in the capital, Kyiv, on Sunday with prayers for those fighting on the front lines and others trapped beyond them in places like Mariupol. St Volodymyr’s Cathedral in Kyiv was ringed by hundreds of worshippers with baskets to be blessed. Inside, a woman clutched […]
France’s Macron defeats far-right, pledges change
Paris, FranceReuters Emmanuel Macron comfortably defeated his far-right rival Marine Le Pen on Sunday, heading off a political earthquake for Europe but acknowledging dissatisfaction with his first term and saying he would seek to make amends. His supporters erupted with joy as the results appeared on a giant screen at the Champ de Mars park […]
Christian Orthodox spiritual leader says indescribable tragedy in Ukraine
Istanbul, TurkeyReuters Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual head of Eastern Orthodox Christians worldwide, called overnight for the opening of humanitarian corridors in Ukraine where he said “an indescribable human tragedy is unfolding”. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the spiritual head of some 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide, leads the Easter Resurrection Service at the courtyard of […]
Vatican clears aide to John Paul II of negligence claims
Rome, ItalyAP A Vatican investigation into allegations that the former top aide to St John Paul II was negligent in handling sex abuse claims in his native Poland has cleared him of wrongdoing, the Vatican’s embassy in Poland said Friday. A statement from the embassy, or nunciature, said the investigation conducted by a Holy See […]
For Ukrainian Orthodox in US, war news casts pall on Easter
AP The rituals leading up to Easter are the same. The solemn Good Friday processions. The Holy Saturday blessings of foods that were avoided during Lent. The liturgies accompanied by processions, bells and chants. But while Easter is the holiest of holy days on the church calendar, marking the day Christians believe Jesus triumphed over […]
Pope appoints key posts, including nun in development office
Rome, Italy AP Pope Francis made key appointments in his newly reformed Vatican bureaucracy Saturday, naming new deputies for the doctrine office and confirming the highest-ranked woman in the Holy See as the number two in the development office. The appointments are some of the first since Francis last month issued his long-awaited overhaul of […]
Truth-telling: Philippine “Avengers” battle disinformation before election
RINA CHANDRAN and MANUEL MOGATO, of Thomson Reuters Foundation, report on how Philippine fact-checking coalitions involving everyone from lawyers to priests are fighting fake news on platforms like YouTube, Facebook and TikTok ahead of the 9th May election…
“A great pity”: Ukrainian village faces a churchless Easter
Lukashivka, Ukraine AP A single metal cross remains inside the church of shattered brick and blackened stone. Russian soldiers used the house of worship for storing ammunition, residents said, and Ukrainian forces shelled the building to make the Russians leave. There will be no Orthodox Easter service here Sunday in this small village in northern […]
Israeli restrictions on ‘Holy Fire’ ignite Christian outrage
JerusalemAP Christians celebrated their “Holy Fire” ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on Saturday against a backdrop of rising tensions with Israel, which imposed new restrictions on attendance this year that it said were needed for safety. Israel says it wants to prevent another disaster after a crowd stampede at a […]