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Culture news

'I'm not much of a saint': Pope Francis makes TV talk show debut

The pope appeared remotely in an hour-long segment from his home in the Vatican, weighing in on the migrant crisis and his 'few but true' close friends.

07/02/2022

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A shouting man denouncing the Church disrupts an audience by Pope Francis at the Vatican

A shouting man denouncing the Church disrupts an audience by Pope Francis at the Vatican, before being escorted outside by police

02/02/2022

Tech News

Meet the church pastor helping worshippers find God in the metaverse

A pastor didn’t realise how much the metaverse would take off when he established VR Church in 2016. But partly due to COVID, attendance is soaring.

01/02/2022

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Buddhist priests bathe in cold river in annual purification ritual

Buddhist priests and their followers have performed a purification rite by bathing in a cold stream in western Japan's Koyasan. They also prayed for the end of the pandemic.

31/01/2022

Culture news

Tu Bishvat: What is the Jewish holiday for trees?

Get your seder plates and gardening gear ready: it's time to celebrate Tu Bishvat.

16/01/2022

Culture news

You caught me: Pope congratulates reporter who saw him at record shop

Pope Francis recently paid a private visit to Rome's Stereosound record store, but was rumbled by a journalist who happened to be in the area.

14/01/2022

Culture news

Pope Francis pays a rare private visit to Rome record store

The leader of the Catholic church spent time at Stereosound to bless the store's latest renovation and browse their classical collection.

13/01/2022

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Beninese pray to Voodoo's sea goddess of fertility and beauty

The Beninese pay tribute to the deities of Voodoo, a religion that worships gods and natural spirits along with respect to revered ancestors.

11/01/2022

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Worshippers pray for good health in ice water purification ceremony

Tokyo worshippers participate in the annual ice water purification ritual at the Teppozu Inari Shrine, an event to pray for good health in the new year. The participants warm up by stretching their bodies and jump into a pool of cold water with huge ice blocks in it.

09/01/2022

Culture news

Annual Greek cold water plunge causes a splash on day of Epiphany

Orthodox Christians across Greece came together for Epiphany Day with a dive into cold sea water in the name of retrieving a wooden cross.

07/01/2022

Culture news

Serbia's Orthodox Christians gather for January's Christmas traditions

Though Serbia's COVID-19 figures are at new highs, hundreds attended the traditional Christmas Eve Divine Liturgy in the St. Sava temple in Belgrade, Serbia.

07/01/2022

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Madrid celebrates return of Three Kings parade

Madrid's traditional Three Kings parade was celebrated on Wednesday delighting children after it was cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Thousands of families packed the streets of the Spanish capital despite the rain, to watch the procession of impressive mechanical puppets.

06/01/2022

India

12 dead in crowd surge at popular Hindu shrine in Kashmir

Deadly crowd surges are fairly common during Indian religious festivals where huge gatherings, sometimes in the millions, cover small areas with few safety or control measures.

01/01/2022

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Cuban youth take refuge in Abakua religion

Cuban youth take refuge in Abakua religion in difficult pandemic year

29/12/2021

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Moving nativity scene draws visitors to Polish monastery

One of the larger moving nativity scenes in Poland was created at famous Jasna Gora Sancturay, south Poland.

26/12/2021

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Archbishop Pizzaballa holds mass in Bethlehem on Christmas eve

Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa salutes the crowd upon crossing through Israel's controversial separation barrier into the biblical city of Bethlehem where he leads a mass on Christmas eve

24/12/2021

Culture news

Spain's youngest bishop stripped of powers for marrying erotica author

Xavier Novell may be an example of nominative determinism after having been professionally undone by that particular literary form.

13/12/2021

Culture news

What is Romuva? Inside the ancient religion's bid for state approval

Followers of Romuva have been attacked by the Catholic church, Teutonic Knights and the Soviets, but they've just been given a massive break.

12/12/2021

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Pilgrims fill reopened Guadalupe basilica in Mexico

Pilgrims fill reopened Guadalupe basilica in Mexico

11/12/2021

Design

Notre Dame's controversial 'kitsch' restoration plans approved

Renovations of the treasured cathedral should commence next year and be completed just in time for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

09/12/2021