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Photos of the Week

(RNS) — This week’s gallery includes the Hindu Shivaratri festival, varieties of communal prayer, and more.
Photos of the Week
A Jewish male prays at the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, in Jerusalem's Old City, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2020. As concerns over the coronavirus's spread rise, Jewish faithful held a prayer session Sunday at the wall in search of divine intervention to help stave off the contagious disease. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

(RNS) — Each week Religion News Service presents a gallery of photos of religious expression around the world. This week’s gallery includes the Hindu Shivaratri festival, varieties of communal prayer, and more.

A man prays at the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, in Jerusalem’s Old City, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2020. As concerns over the coronavirus’s spread rise, Jewish faithful held a prayer session Sunday at the wall in search of divine intervention to help stave off the contagious disease. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)


Models display Muslim clothing designs during the Muslim Fashion Festival in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, Feb. 21, 2020. The event was held ahead of the upcoming holy month of Ramadan. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)

A Hindu holy man offer prayers at a shivling, a representation of Hindu god Shiva, during Shivaratri festival at Keesaragutta, on the outskirts of Hyderabad, India, Friday, Feb. 21, 2020. Shivaratri, or the night of Shiva, is dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva, the Hindu god of death and destruction. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A)

A Hindu Holy man chants religious slogans and dances during Shivaratri, or the night of Shiva, a festival dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva, as other devotees gather at Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, Friday, Feb. 21, 2020. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

Pope Francis is kissed by a man during his weekly general audience, at the Pope Paul VI hall, at the Vatican, Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Muslims gathered at a mosque to pray for the victims of the shooting in Hanau, Germany, Friday, Feb. 21, 2020. A 43-year-old German man shot and killed several people, most of Turkish descent, on Wednesday night in an attack that began at a hookah bar. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Christians raise their hands in praise during an International Grace of God Church event led by televangelist R.R. Soares,  at Botafogo beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020. With President Jair Bolsonaro in attendance, tens of thousands of people celebrated the 40th anniversary of the evangelical church. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Hindu devotees participate in a procession to mark Shivaratri, or the night of Shiva, a festival dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva, in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh state, India, Friday, Feb. 21, 2020.  Shiva is the Hindu god of death and destruction. (AP Photo/ Rajesh Kumar Singh)


Women of the Pentecostal La Luz del Mundo movement fill a section of stands at the Fairplex fairgrounds on Friday, Feb. 14, 2020, during the third and final day of La Luz del Mundo’s Holy Supper ceremony in Pomona, California. RNS photo by Alejandra Molina

Graduates pray before the arrival of President Donald Trump to deliver the commencement address at the “Hope for Prisoners” graduation ceremony, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

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