Christians celebrate second Easter marred by COVID-19 pandemic
Christianity’s most joyous feast day is being celebrated worldwide with faithful sitting far apart in pews and singing choruses of “Hallelujah” through face coverings for the second Easter Sunday.
Iraqi Christians reenact Jesus carrying the cross on Good Friday
An Iraqi man was filmed carrying a wood cross through a small village in northern Iraq, one of many observances held to commemorate the Christian holiday of Good Friday.
Some Holy Land sites reopen as Christians mark Good Friday
Christians in the Holy Land are marking Good Friday this year amid signs the coronavirus crisis is winding down.
US church membership falls below 50% for 1st time in nearly a century
For the first time since the late 1930s, less than half of Americans say they belong to a church, synagogue or mosque, according to a new Gallup poll.
Hispanic church holds COVID-19 vaccine event for under-served communities
The church caters to a largely Hispanic community east of downtown Orlando. It’s a community that is traditionally under-served, when it comes to public health.
New Dead Sea Scrolls dating back nearly 2,000 years discovered in Israel
The new Dead Sea Scroll fragments bearing a biblical text are believed to have been hidden during a Jewish revolt against Rome nearly 1,900 years ago.
Vatican excludes gay union blessing as God ‘can’t bless sin’
The decree distinguished between the church’s welcoming and blessing of gay people, which it upheld, but not their unions.
Pope Francis calls on Christians to forgive in land ISIS once ruled
Pope Francis has urged Iraq's Christians to forgive the injustices committed against them by Islamic extremists.
Pope Francis holds historic, symbolic meeting with top Iraq Shiite cleric
Pope Francis and Iraq’s top Shiite cleric have delivered a powerful message of peaceful coexistence, urging Muslims to embrace Iraq’s long-beleaguered Christian minority during a historic meeting.
In visit to Baghdad, Pope Francis urges Iraq to embrace its Christians
Pope Francis has urged Iraqis to treat their Christian brothers as a precious resource to protect, not an “obstacle” to eliminate as he opens the first-ever papal visit to Iraq.
Abortion concerns prompt Catholic archdiocese warning on vaccine
Roman Catholic leaders in St. Louis and New Orleans are advising Catholics that the COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson, newly approved for use in the U.S., is “morally compromised” because it is produced using a cell line derived from an aborted fetus.
Ashes to be sprinkled over parishioners' heads during pandemic Ash Wednesday
The coronavirus pandemic will change the way ashes are distributed to Christians worldwide on Ash Wednesday, the start of the Lenten season.
Moment of silence in schools backed by Florida House
With the proposal’s sponsor saying children growing up now “have issues” in part because “they don’t have time for moments of reflection,” a House panel Tuesday approved a controversial bill that would mandate daily moments of silence in schools.
More churches turning into COVID-19 vaccine sites
Health officials are turning to places of worship to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
