More about this topic

United Kingdom

Church of England's shame over damning child sex abuse report

A new independent report found the culture of the Church of England "facilitated it becoming a place where abusers could hide".

06/10/2020

Green News

Religion plays an ‘enormous’ role in reversing climate change, says UN

Faith-based organisations control 8% of the Earth’s habitable land and 5% of commercial forests.

06/10/2020

No Comment

Watch: In Mecca, pilgrims return to Islam's holiest site

A very small number of people circled the Kaaba in Mecca on Sunday after Saudi Arabia lifted coronavirus restrictions that had been in place for months.

04/10/2020

No Comment

Colombian priest holds mass in drive-in Cinema

Quarantine restrictions have not been lifted in Colombia after almost five months of stay-at-home orders.

31/08/2020

No Comment

Pakistanis take part in Muslim mourning processions

Many participants hit their chests, performed self-flagellation and repeated the phrase "Ya Hussein" to express their grief.

29/08/2020

Turkey

Turkey is converting another former Byzantine church into a mosque

As with the Hagia Sophia, the decision is seen as being geared to consolidate the conservative and religious support base of Erdogan's ruling party at a time when his popularity is under strain.

21/08/2020

No Comment

Sumela monastery opens for the 'Ascension of the Virgin Mary' mass

The ancient Sumela Monastery, located in Macka district of Turkey’s Black Sea province of Trabzon, opened its doors to hold mass for the seventh time since resuming religious services after a pause of 88 years.

15/08/2020

No Comment

Watch: Greece's Tinos pilgrimage overshadowed by virus

The coronavirus pandemic has forced the suspension of many of the usual practices.

14/08/2020

USA

'He's against God": Donald Trump claims Joe Biden wants to 'hurt God'

Playing electoral defence, Trump claims Biden opposes God.

07/08/2020

No Comment

Worshippers observe final day of Hajj amid COVID-19 restrictions

Muslim pilgrims cast sanitised pebbles as they "stoned the devil" in the last major ritual of the hajj, which the Saudi king acknowledged had been tough to organise due to coronavirus pandemic.

02/08/2020

France

Netflix boycott calls over film deemed offensive to Muslims

The 2017 Egyptian film Sheikh Jackson was criticised for a scene which shows an imam being disturbed during his prayers in a mosque by a flash mob dancing to Michael Jackson's infamous Thriller choreography.

30/07/2020

Turkey

Hagia Sophia: Church body appeals for mosque decision to be reversed

The head of the World Council of Churches has appealed to the Turkish president to reversed the decision to turn the former Orthodox Christian cathedral from a museum into a mosque.

11/07/2020

World News

Drive-in confession in France during Covid-19 lockdown

One church in southwestern France is keeping up the sacrament of confession by introducing a drive-in version in its car park during the coronavirus lockdown

03/05/2020

Israel

Clashes among police and worshipers shake Jerusalem neighbourhood

Clashes among police and worshipers shake Jerusalem neighbourhood of Mea Shearim after a social-distancing defying religious gathering. Twelve people got arrested.

17/04/2020

Germany

German church resurrects prayer with Easter service at drive-in cinema

This church in Germany used a creative way of overcoming coronavirus lockdown restrictions.

10/04/2020

Spain

In Spain and beyond, Christians prepare to mark Easter in lockdown

In a world locked down by the coronavirus pandemic, Christians are commemorating the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus without traditional church services and processions.

10/04/2020

New Zealand

New Zealand cancels mosque shooting memorial over virus fear

New Zealand cancels mosque shooting memorial over virus fear

14/03/2020

My Europe Series

Unholy row exposes deep divisions in Montenegro

A dispute over church property is exposing deep divisions in the small Western Balkans country of Montenegro. While the conflict is rooted in history, it is also about Serbian identity.

21/02/2020

Cult

Dubrovnik celebrates the feast of Saint Blaise

In partnership with Croatia

People from all corners of the Dubrovnik region gather to honour Saint Blaise, the patron saint of the city for over a millennium, who according to legend, saved it from the attack of a Venetian fleet.

10/02/2020

No Comment

Thaipusam — a colourful Hindu festival in Malaysia

Crowds trekked for hours to reach the the Batu Caves complex before the final arduous climb up 272 steps to reach the temples.

08/02/2020