Associated Press
Associated Press is an author at Religion News Service.
All Stories by Associated Press
Bulgarians pay their last respects to the late Orthodox patriarch
By Associated Press — March 18, 2024
SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Neophyte, who became patriarch in 2013, was the first head of the Bulgarian church to be chosen after the fall of Communism in 1989.
Polish Catholics get a new leader as the church struggles to reckon with sexual abuse
By Associated Press — March 15, 2024
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A number of Poland's archbishops and bishops have retired or stepped down, with the Vatican's approval, for ignoring or trying to cover up abuses cases and for downplaying the trauma of the victims.
Yeezy shoe sales lead Adidas to plan to donate $150 million to anti-hate groups
By Associated Press — March 14, 2024
LONDON (AP) — The company has made donations to the Anti-Defamation League and the Philonise & Keeta Floyd Institute for Social Change.
In rights landmark, Greek novelist and lawyer are the first same-sex couple wed at Athens city hall
By Associated Press — March 11, 2024
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A cross-party majority of Greek lawmakers approved same-sex marriage in a vote on Feb. 15, despite strong opposition from the socially conservative Orthodox Church.
Excitement and skepticism meet Algeria’s decision to import beef to meet high demand during Ramadan
By Associated Press — March 11, 2024
ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — For Algerians flocking to new imported meat stores staffed by butchers in white coats, the arrival of beef from as far away as Australia has raised both excitement and skepticism.
Pope appears unable to climb a few steps as respiratory and mobility problems take their toll
By Associated Press — March 7, 2024
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Last Wednesday, Francis went to the hospital for unspecified diagnostic tests, the results of which have not been released.
Church authorities in Greece slap religious ban on local politicians who backed same-sex marriage
By Associated Press — March 6, 2024
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Church authorities on the northwestern island of Corfu accused the two opposition lawmakers of committing “the deepest spiritual and moral error” in voting for the law, which was approved with cross-party support on Feb. 15.
A new Holocaust Museum shows how three-quarters of Dutch Jews were deported and killed
By Associated Press — March 6, 2024
AMSTERDAM (AP) — Three-quarters of the prewar Dutch Jews were among the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis, the largest proportion of any country in Europe.
Swiss teenager arrested on suspicion of stabbing an Orthodox Jewish man on a Zurich street
By Associated Press — March 5, 2024
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The Swiss Organization of Jewish Communities said it was “deeply shocked that a community member fell victim to such an attack.”
French police hunt an assailant who attacked a man leaving a Paris synagogue
By Associated Press — March 5, 2024
PARIS (AP) — A sharp rise in antisemitic acts in France has been reported in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
Pope asks an aide to read a speech aloud for him, raising further concerns over his health
By Associated Press — March 4, 2024
VATICAN CITY (AP) — The 87-year-old Pontiff, who was taken to a Roman hospital on Wednesday for diagnostic testing after having to cancel some public audiences, handed his speech to his aide, Mons. Filippo Ciampanelli.
Spanish bishop rebukes priests who joked about wishing pope goes to heaven soon
By Associated Press — February 29, 2024
MADRID (AP) — Archbishop Francisco Cerro Chaves of Toledo posted a statement on the archdiocese website Wednesday saying it rejected the comments and warned that it may take “corrective measures,” without elaborating.
Tep Vong, the leader of Cambodia’s Buddhist community, dies at 93
By Associated Press — February 27, 2024
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia's Ministry of Cult and Religion said Tep Vong died Monday after an extended illness.
Algeria inaugurates Africa’s largest mosque after years of political delays and cost overruns
By Associated Press — February 26, 2024
ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — Built by a Chinese construction firm throughout the 2010s, the Great Mosque of Algiers features the world's tallest minaret, measuring at 869 feet (265 meters)
Stained glass window showing dark-skinned Jesus Christ heading to Memphis museum
By Associated Press — February 26, 2024
WARREN, R.I. (AP) — Measuring 12 feet tall and 5 feet wide (3.7 meters by 1.5 meters), the window depicts two biblical passages in which women, also painted with dark skin, appear as equals to Christ.
