Skip to content

Religion News

Turkey formally opens another former Byzantine-era church as a mosque

Turkey formally opens another former Byzantine-era church as a mosque

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan formally opened a former Byzantine church in Istanbul as a mosque on Monday, four years after his government had designated it a Muslim house of prayer , despite criticism from neighboring
Read more >
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7

A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7

KIBBUTZ MEFALSIM, Israel (AP) — When Hamas fighters invaded southern Israel on Oct. 7, the militant group that rules the Gaza Strip perpetrated the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust.
Read more >
Netanyahu uses Holocaust ceremony to brush off international pressure against Gaza offensive

Netanyahu uses Holocaust ceremony to brush off international pressure against Gaza offensive

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday rejected international pressure to halt the war in Gaza in a fiery speech marking the country’s annual Holocaust memorial day, declaring: “If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel
Read more >
$400 million boost in federal funds for security at places of worship

$400 million boost in federal funds for security at places of worship

NEW YORK (AP) — A $400 million increase in federal funding is available for security in places of worship, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Sunday.
Read more >
A milestone reached in mainline Protestant churches' decades-old disputes over LGBTQ inclusion

A milestone reached in mainline Protestant churches' decades-old disputes over LGBTQ inclusion

The fight to allow same-sex marriage and gay clergy has defined much of the last half-century for major mainline Protestant denominations in the U.S., mirroring in many ways the broader fight for LGBTQ+ inclusion in civic life.
Read more >
Ukraine marks its third Easter at war as it comes under fire from Russian drones and troops

Ukraine marks its third Easter at war as it comes under fire from Russian drones and troops

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — As Ukraine marked its third Easter at war, Russia on Sunday launched a barrage of drones concentrated in Ukraine’s east, wounding more than a dozen people, and claimed its troops took control of a village they had been targeting.
Read more >
Methodists end anti-gay bans, closing 50 years of battles over sexuality for mainline Protestants

Methodists end anti-gay bans, closing 50 years of battles over sexuality for mainline Protestants

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — It took just a few days for United Methodist delegates to remove a half-century's worth of denominational bans on gay clergy and same-sex marriages .
Read more >
Cheers and flames as Orthodox worshipers greet the ancient ceremony of the 'Holy Fire'

Cheers and flames as Orthodox worshipers greet the ancient ceremony of the 'Holy Fire'

JERUSALEM (AP) — Bells and clamor, incense and flames. One of the most chaotic gatherings in the Christian calendar is the ancient ceremony of the “Holy Fire,” with worshipers thronging the Church of the Holy Sepulcher on Saturday.
Read more >
Damaged in war, a vibrant church in Ukraine rises as a symbol of the country's faith and culture

Damaged in war, a vibrant church in Ukraine rises as a symbol of the country's faith and culture

LYPIVKA, Ukraine (AP) — This Orthodox Easter season, an extraordinary new church is bringing spiritual comfort to war-weary residents of the Ukrainian village of Lypivka. Two years ago, it also provided physical refuge from the horrors outside.
Read more >
United Methodist delegates repeal their church’s ban on its clergy celebrating same-sex marriages

United Methodist delegates repeal their church’s ban on its clergy celebrating same-sex marriages

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — `United Methodist delegates on Friday repealed their church’s longstanding ban on the celebrations of same-sex marriages or unions by its clergy and in its churches.
Read more >