NEWS OF THE WEEK
Pope Francis officially presented a papal bull, or decree, proclaiming an extraordinary Holy Year to begin in December. It will be focused on mercy. Normally, Catholic holy years are once every 25 years. The next one wasn’t expected until 2025.
In the wake of several fatal shootings of black men, religious groups are keeping up pressure for police reforms. People of faith have been part of protests against police violence. Many congregations have been sponsoring discussions about race and law … More
This week marked one year since more than 200 school girls in Nigeria were abducted by the terrorist group Boko Haram. The anniversary was observed in many countries. Here in the US, New York’s Empire State Building was lit up … More
Thursday (April 16) was Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. In Israel, the day was observed with the traditional two-minute stand-still. Meanwhile, a new report from Tel Aviv University says the number of violent anti-Semitic attacks around the world rose 40 … More
ISIS released a new video this week bragging about its demolition of the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrod in Iraq. Historians believe the city was named after one of Noah’s descendants. There was international condemnation after reports last month about … More
For Bahai’s, sundown April 20th marks the beginning of the twelve-day festival of Ridvan. It celebrates the days the founder of their faith, Bahaullah, spent in the Iraqi Garden of Ridvan in 1863. During that time, he declared himself to … More
At the White House this week, a celebration of Gospel music: The Obamas hosted many prominent musicians for a special concert. The president praised the role of Gospel music in America: President Obama: “Gospel music has evolved over time, but … More
People of faith were among those taking part in protests and vigils after an unarmed African-American man was shot and killed by a white police officer in South Carolina. The officer claimed self-defense, but a bystander’s video showed the officer … More
This coming week, a federal jury in Massachusetts will consider whether 21-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev should get the death penalty after he was found guilty on all 30 counts for his role in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. Three people were … More
As Western Christians celebrated Easter last week, and Eastern Orthodox Christians do so this weekend (April 12), the issue of religious persecution has been weighing heavily for many. Security was raised around churches in Kenya after last week’s massacre that … More
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