Postcards: Young Catholics bring the spiritual lessons of the Synod on Synodality home
Invited to participate in a global meeting of Catholic bishops and lay leaders, young Philadelphians found themselves hopeful about the future of the church. KYLE DEROSIERS, of Religion News Service, reports…
Bangladesh turnout low in election set to keep PM Hasina in power
Dhaka, BangladeshReuters Bangladeshis largely stayed away from the polls in a general election on Sunday set to give Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina a fourth straight term, after a vote boycotted by the main opposition party and marred by violence. Rights groups have warned of virtual one-party rule by Hasina’s Awami League in the South Asian […]
Two dead in Ukraine city of Kherson as Russian soldiers celebrate Orthodox Christmas on front line
Kyiv, Ukraine AP The southern Ukrainian city of Kherson was subjected Sunday to numerous shelling attacks from Russian-occupied parts of the Kherson region, across the Dnieper River, local officials said. The head of the Kherson city administration, Roman Mrochko, said two people died in the shelling attacks and several others were wounded. Communal workers prepare […]
Senior Vatican official makes case for a married priesthood
Vatican CityReuters The Roman Catholic Church should “seriously think” about allowing priests to marry, a senior Vatican official and advisor to Pope Francis said in an interview published on Sunday. “This is probably the first time I’m saying it publicly and it will sound heretical to some people,” Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta, who is […]
Japan premier vows “ceaseless” aid as snow hampers quake relief
Wajima, JapanReuters Japan’s Prime mMinister vowed to provide “ceaseless” support to areas devastated by the New Year’s Day earthquake as snow and sleet hampered rescue and relief efforts and local media reported that the disaster had now claimed at least 126 lives. The adverse weather on the Noto peninsula continued to vex survivors at the […]
Western diplomats seek to prevent Gaza spillover after three months of war
Amman, Jordan/Cairo, Egypt/JerusalemReuters Top US and European diplomats urged leaders in the Middle East on Sunday to keep the Gaza war from spreading across the region, but three months into the conflict, more bloodshed underlined the challenge as Israel presses ahead with its offensive. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the European Union’s top […]
Fire leaves nearly 7,000 Rohingya homeless in Bangladesh camp
Dhaka, BangladeshReuters A fire swept through a Rohingya refugee camp in south-eastern Bangladesh in the early hours of Sunday, destroying about 800 shelters and rendering thousands homeless, officials said. Fire service officials and Rohingya volunteers brought the blaze under control around three hours after it hit Camp 5 in Cox’s Bazar, a border district with […]
On Orthodox Christmas Putin vows to back soldiers who “defend” Russia
Reuters President Vladimir Putin vowed on the eve of Orthodox Christmas to back soldiers who “with arms in hands” defend Russia’s interests, ordering his government greater support of those who fight and calling on his people to be merciful and just. “Many of our men, our courageous, heroic guys, Russian warriors, even now, on this […]
Prominent Black church in New York sued for gender bias by woman who sought to be its senior pastor
United StatesAP Over its 215-year history, the Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York City has earned a reputation as the flagship of the Black church in America. Based in Harlem, it became a famous megachurch with the political rise of Rev Adam Clayton Powell, Jr, perhaps the most influential of the many men who have […]
Congo’s election commission cancels 82 candidates in disputed December polling
KinshasaReuters Congo’s election commission said it has cancelled votes cast for 82 of the 101,000 legislative candidates in the disputed December general election over alleged fraud and other issues, amid fresh opposition calls for a re-run of the vote. Those disqualified include contenders for national, provincial and municipal assemblies, the results of which are yet […]