Sydney cars, houses sprayed with antisemitic graffiti in latest attack on Australian Jews
Sydney, Australia Reuters Cars and houses in Sydney were daubed in antisemitic graffiti, police said on Sunday, the latest in a string of incidents targeting Jews in Australia’s biggest city. The spate of attacks in recent months has alarmed the country’s Jewish community, drawn criticism from Israel and placed pressure on the government of Prime […]
Rome’s chief rabbi criticises Pope Francis over Israel remarks
Rome, Italy Reuters Rome’s chief Jewish rabbi on Thursday sharply criticised Pope Francis over the pontiff’s recent ramping up of criticism against Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, in an unusually forceful speech during an annual Catholic-Jewish dialogue event. Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni speaks with Pope Francis during an inter-religious prayer for peace at the Colosseum […]
Saints of Past Ages: Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Amid ongoing controversy surrounding the German theologian executed by the Nazis, PETER SMITH, of Associated Press, looks at his life and legacy…
Vatican decides not to put keffiyeh back in nativity
Vatican City RNS After receiving backlash from Jewish groups, the Vatican chose to not put the keffiyeh back in its original place on the manger of the Palestinian-made nativity scene in the Paul VI Hall. The nativity scene was crafted by artists from Bethlehem using local materials and was inaugurated by Pope Francis before Palestinian […]
In the US, 119th Congress adds two Hindus, two nones, remains mostly Christian
United States RNS A new Pew Research Center report on the religious composition of the 119th session of Congress, convening on Friday for the first time, reveals that the majority of its members are Christian. The “Faith on the Hill” report draws on data gathered by CQ Roll Call, a publication that compiles congressional data […]
Wow!: New documentary tells America’s story of religious freedom
FIONA ANDRÉ, of Religion News Service, reports on the new documentary, ‘Free Exercise: America’s Story of Religious Liberty’…
Latest Vatican mystery surrounds missing keffiyeh from Palestinian nativity
Vatican City RNS In the moments before Pope Francis’ arrival at the Paul VI Hall on Saturday, a final addition was made to a nativity scene gifted by Palestinian artists: A keffiyeh, the black-and-white checkered scarf that has come to represent the Palestinian cause, was placed on the manger beneath the baby Jesus. Sitting in […]
The Explainer: Was Jesus Palestinian?
In an article first published on The Conversation, PHILIP C ALMOND, of The University of Queensland, looks at the evidence on a controversial question…
Essay: We’re ignoring the power of religion to resolve conflicts
URIEL SIMONSOHN, in an article first published on Religion News Service, says religion is here to stay so, rather than dismissing it as a hindrance to peace, we should consider it a potential catalyst for reconciliation…
Nearly half of world’s migrants are Christian, Pew Research shows
United States RNS The world’s 280 million immigrants have greater shares of Christians, Muslims and Jews than the general population, according to a new Pew Research Center study released on Monday. “You see migrants coming to places like the US, Canada, different places through Western Europe, and being more religious – and sometimes more Christian […]