Five years after challenging miracle of Holy Fire, Greek journalist is acquitted
RNS On Friday, Dimitris Alikakos, a Greek journalist, walked out of court in Athens without the shadow of prosecution for the first time in almost half a decade. His alleged crime: debunking miracles. Christian pilgrims hold candles as they gather during the ceremony of the Holy Fire at Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where many […]
With pilgrimages on hold, Holy Land Easter programming fills a gap
United States RNS Holy Week is typically a time when church groups flock to Israel to walk in the way of Jesus before his crucifixion in Jerusalem. But not this year. With the Hamas attack on Israel on 7th October, and the fierce ground assault on Gaza that has followed, most US church groups are […]
Philippines’ Catholic devotees nailed to crosses to re-enact crucifixion
Cutud, Philippines Reuters Catholic devotees were nailed to crosses in sweltering heat north of the Philippines capital Manila on Good Friday in a re-enactment of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion. Around 20,000 Filipino and foreign tourists flocked to San Pedro Cutud village in Pampanga province to witness this annual display of devotion, which the Roman Catholic Church […]
New York City’s Mayor gets baptised in jail by Rev Al Sharpton on Good Friday
AP New York City Mayor Eric Adams marked Good Friday by receiving a jailhouse baptism from the Rev Al Sharpton, joining in on the religious rite with a group of men incarcerated at the troubled Rikers Island jail complex. The ceremony came as part of a visit to the jail complex where Adams was scheduled […]
Outspoken Cuban priest cries foul as country marks Good Friday
Havana, Cuba Reuters Cuban Roman Catholics held public processions across the Communist-run country on Friday to mark Good Friday, but there was at least one exception in Havana where 150 of the faithful were relegated to the church parking lot. Father Lester Zayas Diaz, 45, pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish of Vedado, told […]
Crew support: Ministers aid seafarers caught in Baltimore bridge crisis
“Everyone’s still kind of rattled and trying to figure things out,” said Rev Joshua Messick, who has Bibles ‘in every conceivable language’ to distribute upon request. ADELLE M BANKS, of Religion News Service, reports…
Nigerian village celebrates the return of kidnapped students
Kuriga, Nigeria Reuters The whole village of Kuriga ran towards the convoy of buses shouting “Our children are back!” and “Alhamdulillah,” meaning “Thank you, God”, to welcome home more than 100 students and staff who were abducted this month in Nigeria’s north-west. The army announced on Sunday it had rescued 137 hostages – 76 female […]
Sudan needs “immediate action” on hunger to avert widespread death, UN-backed report says
United Nations Reuters Immediate action is needed to “prevent widespread death and total collapse of livelihoods and avert a catastrophic hunger crisis in Sudan,” a United Nations-backed global authority on food security warned on Friday. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) had been due to issue an update to its December analysis that found […]
Israel kills dozens in airstrikes across the Gaza Strip
Cairo, Egypt Reuters Israel sustained its aerial and ground bombardment of the Gaza Strip on Friday, killing dozens of Palestinians, as fighting raged around Gaza City’s main Al Shifa hospital, Palestinian officials and the Israeli military said. Palestinian health officials said two Israeli strikes on the Al-Shejaia suburb in eastern Gaza City killed 17 people, […]
Girl, eight, only survivor of bus crash that kills 45 Easter pilgrims on South Africa’s deadly roads
Mmamatlakala, South Africa AP An eight-year-old girl was the lone survivor after a bus full of pilgrims making their way to a popular Easter festival in rural South Africa slammed into a bridge on a mountain pass and plunged more than 150 feet into a ravine before bursting into flames, killing all 45 others onboard. […]