Rome, Italy | AFP | Pope Francis attended a service at the All Saints’ Church in Rome on Sunday, becoming the first pontiff in history to visit an Anglican church in the Italian capital. Francis’s visit marked the 200th anniversary of the All Saints’ church, furthering a rapprochement between the …
Read More »Timbuktu bars smashed by Muslim protesters in Mali
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 …
Read More »Sistine chapel photographed in unprecedented detail
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 …
Read More »Pope calls for quick accord to end DR Congo violence
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 …
Read More »Vatican ‘House of Cards’ as pro and anti-pope factions clash
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 …
Read More »Enter the dragon: rural Chinese honour mythical beast
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 …
Read More »Opus Dei names new chief
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, …
Read More »The secret world of Japan’s hidden Christians
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 …
Read More »Pope Francis hits 80 – and he’s not slowing down
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 …
Read More »Bunyoro Kitara diocese gets new bishop
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 …
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