The Columbian

Churches & Religion

Fadel Alkhudr from Syria poses beside his wooden model of the word heritage Cologne Cathedral on display at the Domforum in Cologne, Germany, Monday, June 20, 2022. Fadel Alkhudr, 42, a woodcarver and artist orginally from Aleppo, Syria, fled the war in his home country and arrived in the western german city of Cologne in 2015. In 2019 he started to carve the local Cologne Cathedral in his small basement - without any plans or drawings, using only cell phone photos of the cathedral as a template.

Syrian carves model cathedral

June 25, 2022, 5:41am Churches & Religion

When Syrian refugee Fadel Alkhudr arrived in Germany in 2015, the first thing he saw when he stepped out of the train in Cologne was the city’s majestic cathedral. Read story

Pope Francis arrives to attend the Festival of Families in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican, on the first day of the World Meeting of Families, Wednesday, June 22, 2022.

Vatican releases pope’s Canada itinerary in sign trip is on

June 23, 2022, 9:26am Churches & Religion

The Vatican on Thursday released the itinerary for Pope Francis’ July 24-30 visit to Canada, providing a sign he intends to go ahead with the trip despite knee problems that forced him to cancel a six-day visit to Africa also planned for next month. Read story

Pope Francis attends in a wheelchair the funerals for late Cardinal Angelo Sodano in St. Peter's Basilica at The Vatican, Tuesday, May 31, 2022. Pope Francis canceled a planned July trip to Africa on doctors' orders because of ongoing knee problems, the Vatican said Friday, June 10, 2022, raising further questions about the health and mobility problems of the 85-year-old pontiff.

Pope cancels trip to Congo and South Sudan due to bad knee

June 10, 2022, 7:55am Churches & Religion

Pope Francis canceled a planned July trip to Africa on doctors’ orders because of ongoing knee problems, the Vatican said Friday, raising further questions about the health and mobility problems of the 85-year-old pontiff. Read story

FILE - Naas?n Joaqu?n Garc?a leads a service at his church "La Luz del Mundo" in Guadalajara, Mexico on Aug. 9, 2018. Garc?a, the leader of the Mexican megachurch La Luz del Mundo, pleaded guilty Friday, June 3, 2022, to sexually abusing three girls, California state prosecutors said.

Mexican megachurch leader faces more than 16 years in prison

June 8, 2022, 10:28am Churches & Religion

The leader of a Mexican megachurch faces more than 16 years in a California prison when sentenced Wednesday for sexually abusing three girls who were followers. Read story

FILE - President Truman's envoy to the Vatican, Myron C. Taylor, left, has an audience with Pope Pius XII at Castelgandolfo near Rome, on Aug. 26, 1947. The Vatican has long defended its World War II-era pope, Pius XII, against criticism that he remained silent as the Holocaust unfolded, insisting that he worked quietly behind the scenes to save lives.

Vatican’s Pius XII archives begin to shed light on WWII pope

June 7, 2022, 6:04pm Churches & Religion

The Vatican has long defended its World War II-era pope, Pius XII, against criticism that he remained silent as the Holocaust unfolded, insisting that he worked quietly behind the scenes to save lives. A new book, citing recently opened Vatican archives, suggests the lives the Vatican worked hardest to save… Read story

Indian Muslims shout slogans as they react to the derogatory references to Islam and the Prophet Muhammad made by top officials in the governing Hindu nationalist party during a protest in Mumbai, India, Monday, June 6, 2022. At least five Arab nations have lodged official protests against India, and Pakistan and Afghanistan also reacted strongly Monday to the comments made by two prominent spokespeople from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party.

Muslim nations slam India over insulting remarks about Islam

June 6, 2022, 8:06am Churches & Religion

India is facing major diplomatic outrage from Muslim-majority countries after top officials in the governing Hindu nationalist party made derogatory references to Islam and the Prophet Muhammad, drawing accusations of blasphemy across some Arab nations that have left New Delhi struggling to contain the damaging fallout. Read story

Wassim Mukdag, Borys Slowikowski, Eden Cami and Or Rozenfeld of Arab-Israeli-Jewish band Kayan Project acknowledge the applause of the audience during a concert at the Jewish theatre boat 'MS Goldberg' in Berlin, Sunday, May 29, 2022. The Berlin band Kayan Project, with a diverse cast of musicians from across the Middle East, might never been able to perform together in the members' home countries. But it has risen to local fame in Berlin, Germany, with its unique style that combines oriental tunes with both Arabic and Hebrew lyrics. The band members include an Arab-Druze singer from northern Israel, a Syrian refugee and a Jewish Israeli bassist.

Middle Eastern musicians unite

June 4, 2022, 6:05am Churches & Religion

When Eden Cami closes her eyes and starts singing ancient tunes in Arabic and Hebrew, Jewish-Israeli bassist Or Rozenfeld plays the contrabass, and Syrian band member Wassim Mukdad creates sparkling sounds on his 12-string oud, they take their audience on a musical journey through the Middle East. Read story

A member of the Abubakar As-Saddique Islamic Center recites the Islamic call to prayer, or adhan, on Thursday, May 12, 2022, in Minneapolis. The adhan exhorts men to go to the closest mosque five times a day for prayer, which is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. Abubakar, which hosts some 1,000 men for Friday midday prayers, plans to hold meetings with neighbors before publicly broadcasting publicly the call this summer.

Muslims broadcast call to prayer in Minneapolis

June 4, 2022, 6:02am Churches & Religion

The chant in Arabic blasted from rooftop loudspeakers, drowning out both the growl of traffic from nearby interstates and the chatter and clinking glasses on the patio of the dive bar that shares a wall with Minneapolis’ oldest Somali mosque. Read story

FILE - Migrants watching Pope Francis' Mass in Juarez, Mexico, from a levee along the banks of the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas, take part in Communion, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. According to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research conducted in mid-May 2022, only 31% of lay Catholics agree that politicians supporting abortion rights should be denied Communion, while 66% say they be allowed access to the sacrament.

AP-NORC poll details rift between lay Catholics and bishops

June 4, 2022, 6:00am Churches & Religion

The hardline stances of many conservative Catholic bishops in the U.S. are not shared by a majority of lay Catholics. Most of them say abortion should be legal, favor greater inclusion of LGBT people, and oppose the denial of Communion for politicians who support abortion rights, according to a new… Read story

$2M relic stolen, angel statue beheaded at Brooklyn church

May 30, 2022, 9:02am Churches & Religion

A few Hail Marys won’t absolve these sins. Read story