Tag Archives: Religion

Bamako, Mali | AFP |  Dozens of young Muslims opposed to alcoholic beverages smashed bars and liquor stalls in the northern Malian city of Timbuktu on Saturday, saying they were “places of depravity”, local sources said. “The youngsters were very organised, having targeted what to destroy,” said a resident reached …

Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | The famous frescoes of the Sistine Chapel, whose ceiling was painted by Michelangelo, can now be examined in minute detail thanks to an unprecedented photographic venture, the Vatican Museums have said. By combining innovative digital technology and special LED lamps which aimed to …

Vatican City, Holy See | AFP |  Pope Francis on Sunday urged leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo to act quickly to resolve its political crisis and curb violence, condemning in particular the use of child soldiers. Violence has flared across the country in recent months, including deadly confrontations …

Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | A real-life version of the hit political drama “House of Cards” is unfolding at the Vatican, from cardinals openly defying the pope to anonymous posters sullying his name. In the latest episode, a group of powerful Princes of the Church released a statement …

Liancheng, China | AFP | Dragons several hundred metres long snake their way down pastoral roads and through country hamlets, part of centuries-old Chinese folk celebrations for a mythical creature revered as a blessing. The visually striking festival is among a range of colourful traditional observances unique to eastern Fujian …

Rome, Italy | AFP |  Controversial Roman Catholic organisation Opus Dei said Tuesday it had named Fernando Ocariz as its new chief following the death of its 84-year-old leader. Pope Francis officially named Ocariz, 72, as the organisation’s fourth leader, an Opus Dei statement said. He replaces bishop Javier Echevarria, …

Ikitsuki, Japan | AFP | Japanese rice farmer Masatsugu Tanimoto doesn’t think of himself as a Christian, and you’d almost never find him in a church. But every so often, he and others meet to recite prayers drawn from another time and place. The group, dressed in sober kimonos and …

Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | Pope Francis turns 80 on Saturday with no sign of slowing down in his drive to reshape the Catholic church to reflect his own vision of compassion and humility. Three years and nine months after his election, the first pope from the Americas …

Rev Canon Samuel Kahuma, 57, has been consecrated as the new Anglican Bishop of Bunyoro Kitara diocese in Hoima. Kahuma was presented before Archbishop Stanley Ntagali formally for a few queries to determine whether he was qualified for admission into the church administration. “I am determined by God’s grace. I …

Cairo, Egypt | AFP | A bombing in a Cairo church on Sunday near the headquarters of the Coptic pope killed at least 25 people, state media reported. It was the deadliest suspected attack on the country’s beleaguered Christian minority in recent memory. The explosion ripped through the church around …