Religion

Pope calls for nations to overcome divisions in Christmas address as communities celebrate worldwide

Pope Francis in his traditional Christmas message has urged “all people of all nations” to find courage during this Holy Year “to silence the sounds of arms and overcome divisions” plaguing the world, from the Holy Land to Ukraine, Africa to Asia.

Pope Francis kicks off a yearlong Jubilee that will test his stamina and Rome’s patience

Seafarers move global trade — and Christmas gifts. These ministries bring them holiday cheer

NFL players who use platform to share their faith say it’s their duty to spread their love for Jesus

Cities worldwide hold subdued Christmas Eve celebrations amid conflicts

Centuries-old angels uncovered at Boston church made famous by Paul Revere

Conservators have uncovered eight angels in a historic Boston church that counted Paul Revere as a bell ringer and played a pivotal role in the Revolutionary War.

UN publishes new death toll for massacre of older people and Vodou religious leaders in Haiti

The United Nations has raised the death toll of a recent massacre in which dozens of older people and Vodou religious leaders were killed by a gang in Haiti.

How faith communities can be welcoming of believers with disabilities this holiday season and beyond

This holiday season, some religious congregations across the U.S. are holding events designed to be accommodating to and inclusive of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Girls will be part of St. Paul’s Cathedral choir on Christmas Day for first time

LONDON (AP) — For the first time in its 900-year history, girls will form part of the choir performing at the Christmas Day service on Wednesday at London’s majestic St.

In the ruins of a bombed-out church in Lebanon, there’s now a tiny Christmas tree

A Christmas tree stands among the fallen stones in the ruins of a Catholic church in southern Lebanon that was hit by an Israeli airstrike during the war with Hezbollah.

Bethlehem plans another somber Christmas under the shadow of war in Gaza

The city of Bethlehem in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the traditional birthplace of Jesus, will not have the usual trappings of the city’s favorite holiday: no public Christmas tree, no raucous scouts march, no decorations and no twinkling lights, in deference to the ongoing war in Gaza.

It’s the holidays in Zimbabwe. Time to celebrate by unveiling a family tombstone

Some of the most festive times of Zimbabwe’s holiday season occur around the unveiling of tombstones for late relatives.

A Holy Year is about to start in Rome. Here’s what you need to know

Pope Francis is formally inaugurating the 2025 Holy Year, reviving an ancient church tradition encouraging the faithful to make pilgrimages to Rome.

‘El Gordo’ lottery in Spain spreads Christmas riches worth $2.8 billion

Spaniards have been anticipating the arrival of “El Gordo” or “The Fat One” for weeks. That’s the name of the first prize in Spain’s hugely popular national Christmas lottery.

Scary, weird, but more ‘biblically accurate’ angels top some Christians’ Christmas trees

About 7 in 10 U.S. adults say they believe in angels, but what, exactly, is an angel? Typical portrayals in Western art depict them as human-looking, but with wings.

Pope Francis calls for a ceasefire on all fronts in his prayer ahead of Christmas

Pope Francis has called for a ceasefire on all war fronts in his Sunday prayer ahead of Christmas celebrations, condemning the “cruelty” of bombing schools and hospitals in Ukraine and Gaza.

Vatican advances beatification process for Belgian king who abdicated rather than approve abortion

The Vatican has taken the first main step to implement Pope Francis’ wish that Belgium’s late king be beatified.

In a calendar rarity, Hanukkah starts this year on Christmas Day

Hanukkah, Judaism’s eight-day Festival of Lights, begins this year on Christmas Day. That’s only happened four times since 1900.

13 people including children die in stampedes in Nigeria at Christmas charity events

Authorities in Nigeria say At least 13 people, including four children, were killed in two separate stampedes in the country, as large crowds gathered to collect food and clothing items distributed at annual Christmas events.

What to know about Hanukkah and how it’s celebrated around the world

Hanukkah — also spelled Chanukah or other transliterations from Hebrew — is Judaism’s “festival of lights.”

Ten people including children die in a stampede in Nigeria at a Christmas food distribution event

Authorities in Nigeria say ten people, including four children, have been killed in a stampede in the capital city as a large crowd gathered to collect food items distributed by a local church at a Christmas event.

What we know about the suspect behind the German Christmas market attack

Authorities have not formally named the suspect in the car ramming in the city of Magdeburg that killed at least five people and wounded hundreds, saying only that he is a Saudi doctor who has lived in Germany for nearly two decades and that he acted alone.

Pope has a cold and will skip outdoor Sunday prayer ahead of a busy week

Pope Francis is suffering from a cold and will deliver his Sunday blessing from indoors. The Vatican cited the cold temperatures outside and Francis’ busy week ahead.

Florida students are giving up Saturdays to learn Black history lessons their schools don’t teach

Thirty years after Florida required schools to teach African American history, how the subject is taught remains inconsistent across Florida classrooms, a review by The Associated Press has found.

After shooting, Wisconsin school and church lean into Christmas message for comfort

For Christians around the world, Christmas is the joyful celebration of the birth of Jesus. The faith community at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, is leaning into the belief that God is present and hasn’t abandoned them just days after a deadly shooting there.

Minneapolis softens law on obstructing abortion clinics in response to free-speech lawsuit

Minneapolis has softened an ordinance that prohibited obstructing entrances and driveways to abortion clinics after anti-abortion activists sued to challenge it on free-speech grounds.

Trump to nominate the head of Catholic advocacy group as US ambassador to the Vatican

President-elect Donald Trump says he’s nominating the president of the advocacy group CatholicVote to be the U.S. ambassador to the Vatican.

US civil rights probe faults Philadelphia school district over handling of antisemitism reports

Federal education officials say the Philadelphia school district failed to show it protected Jewish students from harassment despite “repeated, extensive notice” that students, teachers and administrators were engaging in antisemitic behavior.

University of California campuses resolve discrimination complaints stemming from Gaza protests

The U.S. Department of Education said Friday it has reached an agreement with the University of California system resolving complaints from Jewish and Muslim students of discrimination and harassment during protests last spring over the war in Gaza.

Wisconsin police chief overseeing school shooting probe is named to Seattle job

The Madison, Wisconsin, police chief has been named as the chief of police in Seattle. Friday’s announcement comes five days after he was thrust into the national spotlight because of a school shooting in Madison that killed a teacher and student.

Warring tribes in Pakistan’s northwest ordered to hand over weapons after weeks of deadly clashes

Pakistani authorities in the northwest want warring tribes to hand over their weapons after weeks of deadly clashes.

Young nuns: Two diverse paths to a rare life of faith

Born in Ghana, Sister Seyram Mary Adzokpa had never encountered a nun until adulthood. Growing up a cradle Catholic in Pennsylvania, Zoey Stapleton was surrounded by them.

Takeaways from AP’s reporting on young nuns

Fewer than 1% of nuns in the U.S. today are under 30. Those who do enter into a religious vocation give up many trappings of modern life — dating, material wealth, sometimes even cell phones.

Meet the young women joining the ranks of Catholic nuns, a journey that can take up to ten years

Less than 1% of nuns in the United States today are 30 or younger. That number has remained steady in the past decade but shows little signs of increasing.

For some, the pope’s big Holy Year only aggravates housing crisis as overtourism pushes out Romans

When Pope Francis formally opens the Holy Year next week, he will launch a dizzying 12-month calendar of events that include special Jubilee Masses for the faithful from all walks of life.

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