Tag - christianity

 
 

CHRISTIANITY

Francisco Marques, 27, participates in an "exorcism retreat." Wearing a black cassock and a Roman collar, Marques cuts the figure of a traditional Catholic cleric. But neither the Vatican nor local church authorities recognize his ministry.
WORLD / FOCUS
Jun 21, 2026
Portugal’s unofficial exorcism fever worries Catholic Church
A woman closes her eyes as a young man dressed as a priest places both hands on her forehead. Moments later, she falls to the floor in front of dozens of worshipers.
Fireworks explode during the inauguration of the Tower of Jesus Christ at the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona on Wednesday.
WORLD
Jun 11, 2026
With Pope Leo’s blessing, Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia reaches new heights
The pontiff said the fact the basilica is yet unfinished does not mar its beauty but rather serves to remind believers “that ‌the Christian life is always a journey.”
People attend the funeral procession of Pierre Moawad, an official of the Christian Lebanese Forces Party, and his wife Flavia, who were killed in an Israeli strike, in Yahchouch, Lebanon, on April 7.
WORLD
Jun 8, 2026
‘What will happen to us?’ southern Lebanese Christians ask
More than 400 Lebanese have been killed in Israeli strikes after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire that began mid-April was largely ignored, lifting the death toll to at least 3,400.
Pope Leo XIV, who will visit the Canary Islands during his June 6-12 trip to Spain, has repeatedly called for compassion for those seeking a better life abroad.
WORLD
Jun 3, 2026
Migrant journeys in focus ahead of pope’s visit to Spain’s Canary Islands
The pope will spend the final two days of his trip to Spain on the islands of Gran Canaria and Tenerife, where he will meet migrants and organizations working to support them.
Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical letter, which traditionally addresses issues of theology, morality, society and politics
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 1, 2026
Pope Leo XIV’s defense of humanity
Leo outlines in detail what needs to be done to govern digital devices and social media.
This photo handed out on May 25 shows Pope Leo XIV signing his first encyclical letter.
WORLD
May 26, 2026
Pope says AI should be ‘disarmed’ to avoid dominating humanity
Pope Leo XIV said artificial intelligence should be “disarmed” to protect humanity from its dangers, adding his voice to a heated debate over the extent to which governments should regulate a technology that is reshaping the world.
Pope Leo XIV holds the weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on May 13.
WORLD
May 19, 2026
Pope Leo to address rise of AI in first major text
The document, known as ‌an encyclical, ‌is likely to decry the use of AI in warfare and address how ​the technology is challenging workers’ rights, according to sources.
A dog sits near a U.S. military vehicle located near the border between the United States and Mexico, in Sunland Park, New Mexico, on Feb. 11.
WORLD
May 12, 2026
Catholic diocese fights U.S. bid to seize land for border wall
The court action marks the latest escalation of controversy over the site, and comes amid recent tensions between Trump and members of his administration and Pope Leo XIV.
Pope Leo XIV delivers a Regina Coeli address from the Apostolic Palace window overlooking St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican on April 26.
WORLD
May 10, 2026
Pope condemns fresh violence in Sahel after dozens killed
On Saturday, security sources said dozens of people in central Mali had been killed the day before by the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims, an Al-Qaida-linked group.
Pope Leo XIV shakes hands with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Vatican on May 19, 2025.
WORLD / Politics
May 7, 2026
Rubio to meet Pope Leo as Trump keeps up attacks on pontiff
The U.S. secretary of state’s Thursday visit at the Vatican is the first between the pope and a Trump cabinet official in nearly a year.
A U.S. flag is held up as Pope Leo XIV greets the faithful from the popemobile ahead of his inaugural Mass in Saint Peter’s Square, at the Vatican on May 18, 2025.
WORLD
May 6, 2026
A year into papacy, Pope Leo finds his ‘clarion voice’
The first U.S.-born pope, who sharply denounced war and despotism on a recent four-nation Africa tour, is expected to release his first in-depth teaching document this month.
Pope Leo XIV addresses the crowd from a window of the Apostolic Palace overlooking St. Peter's Square in the Vatican on Sunday.
WORLD
May 3, 2026
Pope marks World Press Freedom Day, laments violations and honors slain reporters
The pope ​urged the faithful to ⁠remember journalists and reporters who have lost their lives pursuing the truth, particularly ⁠in areas afflicted ​by conflicts.
A pile of small crucifixes on the day of the Christian Good Friday procession in Jerusalem's Old City on April 10. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that an Israeli soldier's desecration of a crucifix went against Jewish values of tolerance and that he would be punished.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 21, 2026
Israeli soldier’s desecration of crucifix in south Lebanon draws condemnation
A photo posted by Younis Tirawi, a Palestinian reporter, shows an Israeli soldier taking the blunt side of an axe to a fallen sculpture of Jesus on the ​cross.
Pope Leo XIV attends a meeting with the Algerian community at the Basilica of our lady of Africa in Algiers on Monday.
WORLD
Apr 14, 2026
Pope Leo vows to continue Iran war critiques after Trump attacks
The comments are likely to further escalate tensions between the president and the U.S.-born pope, who has been denouncing the war in Iran with increasing frequency.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media after disembarking Air Force One as he arrives at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Sunday.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 13, 2026
Trump attacks Pope Leo, calling him ‘terrible’ for foreign policy and ‘weak’ on crime
‌The U.S.-born pontiff has emerged as an outspoken critic of the U.S. president’s foreign and immigration policies.
Pope Leo XIV delivers a message from the main balcony of St. Peter's Basilica on April 5, Easter Sunday, at the Vatican.
WORLD
Apr 13, 2026
Pope Leo to begin 10-day Africa tour on mission to spotlight continent’s needs
The first U.S. ​pope’s whirlwind ‌tour includes 11 cities and towns, traversing nearly 18,000 km over ​18 flights.
Pope Leo XIV presides over a vigil and rosary for peace in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on Saturday.
WORLD
Apr 12, 2026
Pope says he is ‘closer than ever’ to Lebanese people
The leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics has repeatedly urged de-escalation in the current U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and a need for a diplomatic solution.
Pope Leo XIV  in Saint Peter square at the Vatican in October. Vatican officials and African Church leaders say the upcoming tour of four African countries is a personal priority for Leo and a sign of the value the church places on the continent, where Catholicism is growing fastest.
WORLD
Apr 10, 2026
Pope Leo heads to Africa on ambitious tour to urge help for continent
Vatican officials and African Church leaders say the upcoming tour is a personal priority for the pope and a sign of the value the church places on the continent.
U.S. President Donald Trump at the Faena Forum in Miami Beach, Florida, on March 27. Trump calling on Sunday the rescue of an airman in Iran an "Easter miracle" blurred the line ​between faith and policy by invoking religion to justify the war and shape the military’s conduct, critics said.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 6, 2026
Trump invokes religious rhetoric in praise of Iran rescue, drawing criticism
U.S. President Donald Trump’s blending of religious references with threats of military action drew criticism that it blurred the line ​between faith and policy.
Members of the clergy make their way to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for prayers on Palm Sunday, following restrictions on gatherings in large groups in Jerusalem's Old City on Sunday.
WORLD
Apr 5, 2026
Easter in Jerusalem disrupted by war and restrictions at Holy Sepulchre
All shops in the area were closed, heightening the sense of emptiness.

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