Greg Zanis, who honored shooting victims by building 26,000 crosses, dies
(RNS) — The 69-year-old retired carpenter from Aurora, Illinois, crisscrossed the country to erect his wooden memorials near the sites of massacres, big and small.
Rival Ukraine churches clash over Easter lockdown rules
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The Moscow-affiliated church said believers could gather outside places of worship despite a government ban on public gatherings, while the independent church called it a ‘Christian duty’ to stay home.
Religions can be part of the solution for peace, not the problem, faith leaders say
VATICAN CITY (RNS) — The Abrahamic Faiths Initiative group united 25 religious leaders representing Christian, Muslim and Jewish faithful to discuss practical ways of promoting peace and fraternity at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome this week.
Seeking the cross: Icy dips mark the feast of Epiphany
Orthodox Christians in Bulgaria celebrated Epiphany by jumping in frigid waters to retrieve a cross. The holiday commemorates the coming of the Wise Men.
Egypt arrests Coptic community rights activist amid heightened surveillance measures
CAIRO (RNS) — Early on Nov. 23, plainclothes police arrived at the home of Ramy Kamel, a tailor and advocate for the Coptic community. Human rights groups have expressed alarm over Kamel's arrest and a renewed crackdown on activists and journalists in Egypt.
Exhibition in Jerusalem challenges perceptions of modestly dressed women
JERUSALEM (RNS) — Featuring women from different cultures, the multimedia investigation of modest dress shows that the common denominator is a thirst for spiritual meaning.
Russian Orthodox Church considers a ban on blessing weapons of mass destruction
MOSCOW (RNS) — The ban would constitute a signal change in the church's official policy regarding Russia’s nuclear arsenal.
Greek Orthodox church in US gets 1st new leader in 20 years
NEW YORK (AP) — Elpidophoros was unanimously elected by senior Greek Orthodox officials last month to succeed Archbishop Demetrios, who recently retired at age 91 after serving in the post since 1999.
Russian Orthodox Church drops plan to build a new St. Catherine's Cathedral
MOSCOW (RNS) — Protesters caused Russian church officials to cancel plans for a new cathedral in Yekaterinburg, the country’s fourth-largest city. Protesters were angered that the cathedral was going to be built on a rare piece of green space.
Close vote in Israel extends tiny ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties' outsized sway
JERUSALEM (RNS) — Besides its effect on the everyday lives of Jewish Israelis, the influence of haredi parties promises to exacerbate tensions between the Israeli government and non-Orthodox Diaspora Jews.
For Orthodox Jewish men, the hat known as a Borsalino is tops
(RNS) — A fedora worn by Rihanna and Indiana Jones has also been the hat of choice for Jews from Eastern Europe to the United States for more than a century.
Putin assails Ukraine Orthodox church reform
(AP) — Putin said the push for the new church was rooted in “the struggle for power” and provoked “animosity and intolerance.”
Greeks bridle at historic deal to split Orthodox church from state
ATHENS, Greece (RNS) — Next month, the country's parliament is expected to vote on an agreement to make the Greek state neutral toward religion, ending the primacy of Greek Orthodoxy in the country’s constitution.
Greek Orthodox Church faces Israeli homeowners' ire after land sales
JERUSALEM (RNS) — The secretive sale by the church, the country's second largest landowner, to a group of investors has outraged residents and church members alike.
Is it OK to blame ultra-orthodox Jews?
When did it become OK to generalize about the Jews?