Philosophy and Religion News
News stories from the Philosophy and Religion category, your source for latest news about philosophy, religion, ethics, spirituality, moral issues and religious topics.
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| Church's Light Relief to Save the World Clergy and congregation encouraged to cut floodlighting of ancient churches to reduce carbon emissions |
Italy: Silvio Berlusconi Under Fire As Pope Appears to Back Warning About Fascism Ministers defensive after sermon condemns racism and Catholic magazine criticizes attacks on Roma |
| Absolutely Scandalous Joanna Lumley avoids politics and rarely gets angry, but have her support for Tibet and fury at celebrity magazines changed... |
Mission America Leader: Pope Benedict has plenty of reasons to say something of consequence on his US trip |
| Faith Healing Church Parents Charged Over Toddler's Death Two followers of a fundamentalist Christian church are to be prosecuted for manslaughter after their daughter died of a... |
Religion Doesn't Rule in This Clash of Moral Universes Polly Toynbee: Clerics cannot randomly intervene in contentious bills, nor should the church take priority over ministers'... |
| Protests in Tibet Erupt Into Violence Fiercest anti-government protests in almost 20 years turn violent as Chinese security forces clash with Tibetans welding... |
An Olympian Test Leader: Tibetan monks demand the return of their leader in run up to Beijing games |
| Gay Bishop Declines Official Conference Invitation Gay bishop claims his ability to participate in Lambeth conference is so limited that invitation constitutes a 'non-offer' |
Muslim Leaders to Meet Pope in Rome Vatican prelates and Islamic representatives arrange historic encounter |
| Catholic Church 'not Opposed' to Multi-faith Schools The Catholic church refutes claims that it is opposed to expanding the number of multi-faithacademies. |
Buddhism Forced to Turn Trendy to Attract a New Generation in Japan Priests visit bars to reach out to young skeptics amid dramatic decline |
| Bibles and Blue Suede Shoes Rock Huckabee Rally God and rock and roll were invoked by Republican Mike Huckabee in his final campaign rally in Iowa, with quotes from the... |
Anglican Rift on Gay Clergy Leads to Breakaway Summit Conservative Anglican leaders have revealed plans for a breakaway summit for the hundreds of bishops who are expected to... |
| MPs Challenge 'doctrinaire' Bishops Roman Catholic bishops are to appear in front of a powerful committee of MPs amid fears that they are pushing a... |
Blair Looks to Rome As Catholic Sunday Worshippers Outstrip Anglicans Cardinal welcomes conversion of ex-PM · Church of England queries congregation figures |
| TV Clip Archbishop in Mugabe Protest The Archbishop of York dramatically cut up his dog collar during a live television interview yesterday, and vowed not wear... |
German Ministers Try to Ban Scientology Germany paved the way yesterday for a ban on the Church of Scientology, with federal and regional ministers declaring that... |
| Under Pressure Romney Calls for Greater Role for Religion Texas speech attempts to woo hesitant evangelicals with attacks on the 'elimination of religion from the public square' |
Romney Seeks to Allay Suspicion Over His Mormon Beliefs Mitt Romney yesterday moved to dampen suspicion among Republican voters about his Mormon beliefs and recapture his front... |
| Archbishop Thrown Into Row Over Us Middle East Policy · Muslim magazine hardens thrust of wide interview · Conservative Christians hit back at Williams |
New Cardinal for Ireland For the first time in Irish history, Ireland has three living Catholic cardinals |
| Vatican to Bring in Performance-related Pay No one expected Benedict XVI's new secretary of state to be quite so goal-minded as to bring performance-related pay to the... |
Fatah Targets Mosques in Latest Anti-hamas Campaign West Bank preachers arrested or sacked · Imams ordered to stop spreading dissent |
| Atheists Arise: Dawkins Spreads the A-word Among America's Unbelievers · Author outlines campaign to give godless a voice · New organisation appeals to 'downtrodden' millions |
Pope Lets Critic of Mugabe Quit After Sex Video The Pope accepted the resignation of Zimbabwe's archbishop, Pius Ncube, yesterday after the cleric was filmed by Robert... |
| The Very Rev Alan Webster Obituary: Determined liberal cleric who skilfully negotiated the complex politics of St Paul's Cathedral. |
John Moriarty Obituary: A philosopher-poet, he sought the rebirth of Christianity. |
| Pope to Appoint More Women in Top Vatican Jobs Pope Benedict is working on a plan to put more women in top jobs at the Vatican, his spokesman has disclosed. |
Pope's Move on Latin Mass 'a Blow to Jews' The inclusion of prayers calling for conversions has led to sharp criticism of the Vatican. |
| Joel Osteen Profile: Joel Osteen, the leading light of a new generation of TV evangelists in the US, comes to Britain. |
Canadian Anglicans' Vote Could Split Communion Canadian Anglicans - not usually the most demonstrative or cantankerous of folk - are preparing to take decisions this... |
| Vatican Urges Prayer Behind the Wheel Driving a Bugatti Veyron across France not long ago, Jeremy Clarkson remarked that 'the roar from the tires was biblical'.... |
Pope Backtracks After Muslim Outcry U-turn quietly reinstates council for inter-faith talks - Earlier decision to dissolve body had fueled mistrust |
| Pope Faces German Revolt As Anger Grows in Latin America Benedict tries to row back on 'colonial' speech - Former colleagues sign petition against Vatican |
US Anglicans in Huge Legal Case The first of a series of multi-million dollar court disputes between the US Episcopal church and conservative parishes that... |
| Jerry Falwell, Standard Bearer of Us Christian Right, Dies at 73 The Rev Jerry Falwell, the televangelist who helped make the religious right a dominant force of American politics, died... |
Pope Warns Latin America Against Marx Pope Benedict XVI attacked Marxism and unfettered capitalism as twin scourges of Latin America at the end of a trip to... |
| Gay Us Bishop Plans Civil Partnership Ceremony The openly gay US bishop whose appointment threatened to split the global Anglican church has said he hopes to hold a civil... |
Pope Issues New Green Message for World's Catholics Pope addresses climate change conference - US church leaders lobby Bush on global warming |
| Papal Envoy's U-turn on Memorial The papal nuncio in Jerusalem reversed his decision to boycott the annual Holocaust memorial service, it was announced... |
Vatican Ambassador to Boycott Holocaust Memorial in Row Over Photo The Vatican ambassador to Israel has sparked a public row after refusing to attend this Sunday's annual Holocaust memorial... |
| Madrid's Rebel Priests Defy Church to Mark Easter Archbishop had declared 'red church' closed - Celebrities and locals mix at protest before mass |
On Via Dolorosa, World's Pilgrims Gather By Souvenir Stalls Jerusalem crowded with pilgrim tourists as several of the largest Christian sects celebrate Holy Week and Easter Sunday on... |
| Pope's Book Accuses Rich Nations of Robbery Benedict hails Marx's analysis of modern man - Publication planned for 80th birthday |
Miracle Nun: 'i Wrote John Paul Ii's Name and I Was Cured' Across the cloistered courtyard of a southern French seminary college, dressed in a white habit, wimple and navy cardigan,... |
| Chocolate Christ Exhibition Cancelled The overwhelming force of the religious right was demonstrated yesterday when an exhibition by an international artist to... |
Catholic Fury at Chocolate Jesus The unveiling of an anatomically detailed sculpture of Christ made entirely out of milk chocolate has infuriated Catholic... |
| Mystery Nun the Key to Pope John Paul Ii's Case for Sainthood Pontiff cured Parkinson's, claims Frenchwoman - Benedict XVI insists on beatification formalities |
Archbishop Urges Church to Consider Slavery Reparations The Church of England should contemplate paying reparations for its historical role in the slave trade, the Archbishop of... |
| Evangelical Christians Attack Use of Torture By Us The uncoupling of American evangelism from the administration of George Bush gathered pace yesterday when one of the... |
Anti-mafia Agents Hunt 'jesus' The Cosa Nostra's 'boss of bosses', who was seized last year after 43 years on the run, had a powerful and as yet... |
| Jean Baudrillard Obituary: French philosopher and sociologist who explored the changing nature of reality in the media age. |
Conservapedia - the Us Religious Right's Answer to Wikipedia It has been attacked many times in its short life, most notably by a former aide to Robert F Kennedy and the editor of... |
| Rev Julian Cummins Obituary: He made a mark in the church, politics and business with a zest and boyish enthusiasm that defied cliche. |
Williams Gets Tough on Liberals to Save the Church Episcopalians ordered to give up on gay blessings - Anglicans must wait on decision of US bishops |
| Anglican Leaders Avoid Church Split Over Homosexuals US Episcopalians take steps to avoid rift - Archbishop's report seen as rebuff to conservatives |
Why Some Greeks Are Worshipping the Ancient Gods After a break of 16 centuries, Greek pagans are worshipping the ancient gods again - despite furious opposition from the... |
| Survey Exposes Divide Between Pope and Priests A yawning gulf between the stern doctrines preached by Pope Benedict and the advice offered by ordinary Roman Catholic... |
Nuns on the Run After Their Greek Knitting Business Fails A group of nuns were last night holed up behind the protective walls of the Xenia monastery in the central Greek town of... |
| Communist-era Links Force Out New Polish Archbishop Vatican ends backing after secret police admission Liberals condemn press reports as witchhunt |
Religious Leaders Arrive in Bethlehem for Three-day Pilgrimage The Archbishop of Canterbury and Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor will be leading prayers for the beleaguered West Bank town... |
| Two Anglican Parishes Lead Anti-gay Split From Us Church Two of the oldest Anglican parishes in the United States voted to split from the Episcopal church yesterday over its... |
Action By Tanzanian Bishops Risks New Gay Priests Row A group of African bishops has issued a new challenge to the splintering worldwide Anglican communion by saying they will... |
| Pope Backs Public Display of Christian Symbols Pope Benedict XVI stepped into an increasingly international debate on the display of religious symbols at the weekend,... |
Pope on a Tightrope for Trickiest Visit Yet Protests and violence likely as Benedict XVI heads to Istanbul. |
| Archbishop Ushers in Detente With Vatican Pope Benedict XVI and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, today acknowledged there were "serious... |
Black American Stars Fire Sales of Audio Bible PlayStation 3 may be the holy grail of American consumerism this Christmas but another item is causing an unexpected stir... |
| Ted Mather Obituary: Ted (the Rev JE Mather), has died aged 71 after a painful year of one sapping illness on top of another. |
Call to Restrict Role of 'a La Carte' Catholics 'Part-time' catholics and their children should possibly be denied sacraments, a religious order's magazine has suggested. |
| French Philosophy Teacher in Hiding After Attack on Islam · Writer calls Muhammad 'mass-murderer of Jews' · Death threats provoke freedom of speech debate |
Pope Urges Dialogue Between Christians and Muslims Pope Benedict XVI today told Muslim diplomats "our future" depends on dialogue between Christians and Muslims. |
| Pope Seeks to Calm Storm Over 'evil Islam' Comment The Vatican yesterday sought to quell the storm engulfing Pope Benedict XVI by claiming that the pontiff 'sincerely... |
Muslim Leaders Demand Apology for Pope's 'medieval' Remarks Pope Benedict XVI was last night facing angry demands from Muslims that he apologise for a speech in which he appeared to... |
| Faith, Reason and the University: Memories and Reflections The speech given by Pope Benedict XVI at the University of Regensburg in Germany on September 12. |
Church Condemns Abortion Performed on Raped Girl, 11 A Vatican official has said the Catholic church will excommunicate a medical team who performed Colombia's first legal... |
| Pope Prepares to Embrace Theory of Intelligent Design Philosophers, scientists and other intellectuals close to Pope Benedict will gather at his summer palace outside Rome this... |
Pope Prepares to Shift Vatican's View of Evolution Philosophers, scientists and other intellectuals close to Pope Benedict will gather at his summer palace outside Rome this... |
| After 45 Years of Lonely Toil, Justo's Diy Cathedral Gets a Little Help From His Friends Spanish artists and craftsmen offer to put final touches to 81-year-old's mammoth project. |
Iran Urged to Release Philosopher International pressure is growing on Iran to release a prominent philosopher and writer, Ramin Jahanbegloo, who was... |
| Pagans Have Their Rites, Too Does dancing in a circle, decked out in ancient garb, in the dead of night, while banging a tambourine, constitute a crime?... |
Pope Names Vatican 'prime Minister' Pope Benedict XVI today gave the Vatican a new 'prime minister' - Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who led the Catholic church's... |
| Anglican Acclaim and Fury Over Woman Bishop · Williams offers greetings but no congratulations · Conservatives say US vote will deepen divisions |
US Anglicans Accused of Setting Up Own Religion · British bishop intervenes in dispute over gay clergy · Episcopal church meets to elect new leader |
| US Church Elects First Woman Leader The US Episcopal church stunned Christians across the world last night by unexpectedly electing the first woman primate in... |
Pope Pays Homage to John Paul With Trip to Poland Pope Benedict XVI yesterday began his first papal trip to Poland on a visit designed to pay homage to his predecessor John... |
| Obituary: Alexander Zinoviev Satirist-philosopher who exiled himself between the west and modern Russia. |
Anglican Relief As California Diocese Elects Straight Bishop The Anglican church has avoided a new split after the US Episcopal diocese of California elected a heterosexual father of... |
| Bible-bashing American Football Team Must Keep God Off the Pitch An American football team from the bible belt has been prevented from spreading the word of God during a game tomorrow. |
Obituary: Jane Jacobs Urban philosopher and activist with an intimate interest in how things work. |
| US Church Leader Edges Away From Gay Bishops Confrontation The leader of the US Episcopal church, which is in danger of being expelled from the worldwide Anglican communion for its... |
Pope Denounces 'greedy Liar' Judas Pope Benedict XVI is trying to combat efforts to rehabilitate Christianity's most hated villain after the presentation this... |
| Has Le Philosophe Been Undone? Bernard-Henri Levy, the open-shirted media star of intellectual life in France, has been savaged in a new book, writes... |
Jesus Was Walking on Thin Ice, Claim Scientists Jesus may have appeared to be walking on water when he was actually floating on a thin layer of ice, formed by a rare... |
| Pope's Choice of Cardinals Scrutinised The 15 cardinals appointed today by Pope Benedict will eventually help choose his successor. |
Vatican Appoints New Cardinals Pope Benedict XVI added 15 members to the College of Cardinals today, and ordered them to spread charity and love around... |
| Pope's Olive Branch to Divorcees Benedict surprises critics with decision to help fast-track annulments of failed marriages. |
Pope Surprises Catholics With Warm Words on Power of Love First message to flock warns against word being reduced to a sexual commodity. |
| Buddhist Monks to Produce Video Route to Nirvana If the Thai masses won't come to Buddha then Buddha will come to the Thai masses by video, an alliance of monks, Buddhism... |
Priest Who Fathered Child Prompts Celibacy Debate The Catholic Church in Ireland faced calls for an open debate on the compulsory celibacy of priests yesterday after a... |
| Witnesses Protection Programme Stephen Bates reports on the religious leaders who objected to a website that spread their church's teachings. |
Timeline: Hajj Disasters The annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, known as the hajj, has been plagued by disaster in recent years, leaving... |
| Obituary: Heinrich Harrer Mountaineer who taught the Dalai Lama and wrote Seven Years in Tibet. |
Condom Statue Angers Catholics A British artist has outraged Roman Catholics around the world by advertising a statuette of the Virgin Mary enveloped in a... |
| Christians Ask If Jesus Would Shop at Wal-mart Where would Jesus shop? The critics of Wal-Mart have launched a campaign against the world's biggest retailer, based on the... |
Jews and Catholics Bid for Pope's Family Home The two rooms and a kitchen in southern Poland where Karol Wojtyla was born in 1920 is now a shrine to the memory of the... |
| John Paul's Sainthood Opposed A group of prominent Roman Catholic theologians and writers has revealed it is trying to stop the late pope John Paul II... |
Babies to Be Freed From Limbo The world's 30 leading Roman Catholic theologians were meeting behind closed doors in the Vatican yesterday to discuss a... |
| Vatican Rules Firmly Against Gay Priests · Pope's first order rejects active homosexuals · Move may cause problems in number of seminaries |
Vatican Rules Against Gay Priests The Vatican has today published its long-awaited statement on homosexuals and the priesthood, affirming that those with... |
| Obituary: Oswald Hanfling Philosopher engaged with Wittgenstein and the Open University. |
Televangelist Condemns Anti-creationism Policy America's best known televangelist, Pat Robertson, has warned a Pennsylvania town that it could face divine retribution for... |
| Cathedral Hit By Raf is Rebuilt Tens of thousands of Dresdeners packed the square in front of the Frauenkirche - or Church of Our Lady - to celebrate its... |
German Squad Hopes for Papal Inspiration He has not been known for his interest in the game. But tomorrow the German pope, Benedict XVI, will bestow his blessing on... |
| God Bloggers' Religious and Political Power Three-day gathering at Biola University brought together around 135 Christian bloggers to discuss topics ranging from their... |
It's Gr8 News 4 Believers - Da Bible Sent 2 u in Txt An Australian group has translated the entire Bible into SMS format, enabling verses to be sent direct to mobile phones. By... |
| Fists Fly Over Living God's Crown One million followers and £600m in assets are at stake in fight for title of 17th karmapa. |
Bird brains US Christian Right misfires again - If ever the world needed reminding about the oddities of America's Christian Right, its... |
| Pope Meets Controversial Writer Oriana Fallaci, the controversial Italian author who is awaiting trial on charges of vilifying Islam, has been granted a... |
Vatican Plan to Block Gay Priests The new Pope faces his first controversy over the direction of the Catholic church after it was revealed that the Vatican... |
| Straight and Narrow: Church's 'gay Cure' Alarm raised over Memphis evangelicals' "reparative therapy". |
Europe Beset By Self-pity, Pope Says in First Interview In his first interview as pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI warned yesterday that Europe was caught up in a crisis of... |
| Cologne cathedral may lose UN status in skyscraper row One of the Europe's most spectacular cathedrals faces being stripped of its world heritage title unless city planners... |
Anglican Share Vote Angers Israelis Anglicans yesterday voted to urge their member churches to consider disinvesting from companies involved in Israel's... |
| Pope's Old Home Goes Up for Sale Ever since Joseph Ratzinger was announced as the new Pope, hundreds of tourists and pilgrims have knocked on Mrs Dandl's... |
Billy Graham Returns to Sin City for Swansong Frail and ailing, fire and brimstone preacher goes back to New York, eschewing politics to unite his flock. |
| Philippines Mourns Cardinal The Philippines' spiritual leader-cum-political powerbroker extraordinaire, Cardinal Jamie Sin, died yesterday after a long... |
Archbishop Calls for Strong Leader to Oust Mugabe One of Robert Mugabe's fiercest critics, the Catholic Archbishop of Bulawayo, Pius Ncube, has accused Zimbabwe's opposition... |
| Pope Sets Predecessor on Road to Sainthood in Record 26 Days Pope Benedict yesterday revealed that he had set his predecessor, John Paul II, on the road to possible sainthood just 26... |
Pope vows to defend Catholic church's 'pro-life' doctrine Pope Benedict XVI sent a clear message at the weekend that he intends to stick rigidly to the "pro-life" stance... |
| 'Bin Laden's nightmare' seeks Islamic reformation A Muslim woman author, once described as Osama bin Laden's worst nightmare, is to call for the setting up of an Islamic... |
Ancient Rituals to Find a Modern Pope When a pontiff dies the cardinals go into conclave to choose a successor. But unlike in the past they will not be forced... |
| Obituary: Father Luigi Giussani Italian priest and founder of the controversial Catholic pressure group, Communion and Liberation. |
Ailing Pope is No Longer Actively Running Catholic Church, Spokesman Indicates In a statement announcing that the ailing pontiff was now being fed through a tube in his nose, his spokesman said merely... |
| Greece in Revolt As Scandals Sweep the Orthodox Church Archbishop Christodoulos, head of the Greek Orthodox Church, is facing trying times. |
Vatican Appoints Official Da Vinci Code Debunker Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Archbishop of Genoa and a possible successor to the Pope, has been appointed by the Vatican... |
| Quiet Revolution of the Punk Priest The son of a shamed TV preacher is winning converts to Christianity. |
How Jesus Told a Good Gag It's not a book known for its comedic value, but look beyond the death, disease and destruction of the Bible, and lo, you... |
| Vatican Tightens Code for Annulments Facing an increasing number of marriage annulments, the Vatican yesterday made its first move in 70 years to try to ensure... |
Pope's Four-word Window Blessing The Pope appeared at his hospital window yesterday and uttered four almost unintelligible words of blessing to the crowds... |
| Religious Right Fights Science for the Heart of America Creationists take their challenge to evolution theory into the classroom. Al Frisby has spent the better part of his life... |
Cardinal Says Condoms Could Help to Stop Aids A senior Vatican official has supported the use of condoms to fight Africa's Aids pandemic, contradicting the Catholic... |
| Hundreds Die in Pilgrimage Crush Hundreds of Hindu pilgrims were crushed or burned to death in a stampede and electrical fire at a religious festival in... |
Hitler Plot to Kidnap the Pope Revealed Weeks before Nazi troops abandoned Rome, Adolf Hitler personally ordered the SS to kidnap the then pope so he could be... |
| 'Where is God in All This?' - the Problem for Religions As religious leaders strive to make sense of disaster, Archbishop of Canterbury admits there are no simple answers. |
Attack on Smoking Gets Papal Blessing The Vatican has signalled that it is considering adding its global influence to the campaign against smoking, in an article... |
| Vatican Hit By New Row Over War Role Pope kept Jewish families apart. The Vatican secretly issued instructions to the Catholic church in France not to return... |
After 800 years, church leaders are still making bones over claim to saintly relics Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians were last night locked in dispute over an 800-year-old war crime and a box of 1... |
| Italian Church Seeks to Woo Back Wedding Couples The Catholic church in Italy is to offer a marriage service tailored to the needs of lapsed Catholics in one of several... |
Anglicans Pray for Eames Rescue Deal Millions of Anglicans across the world will be praying this weekend that a report to be published on Monday will save their... |
| 'World's Greatest Philosopher' Dies Jacques Derrida, the French thinker once described as the most influential philosopher in the world, has died at the age of... |
Spanish Church Prepares for Battle on Gay Marriage Catholic leaders call for people to take to the streets to protest against new laws. In his vicarage overlooking the beet... |
| British Priest Held in Bangkok Over Sex Case A British Anglican priest has been arrested in Thailand following a request from Australia where he is wanted on paedophile... |
Preacher Who Produces 'miracle Babies' Wanted By Kenyan Police An evangelical preacher who claims to help infertile couples in his congregation have "miracle babies" but is... |
| US Bishops' Cash Threat As Split Over Gays Widens Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, is being warned that North American bishops will cut off funds from the... |
Vatican Steps Up Criticism of China Over Arrests of Catholics The Vatican has issued a strong denunciation of religious repression in China because of fears that 23 Roman Catholics -... |
| Lourdes Needs Manna From Heaven The Catholic shrine of Lourdes yesterday opened a special bank account and appealed for donations from the faithful after... |
A Woman's Place is to Wait and Listen, Says the Vatican The Vatican yesterday depicted what it claimed were women's characteristic traits: 'Listening, welcoming, humility,... |
| Pope Warns Feminists Bishops told to take hard line on issue of gender. The Pope will call on leaders of the Roman Catholic church today to... |
Pope to Visit 'most Loyal' Irish Flock The Pope is to return to Ireland a quarter of a century after his last visit inspired a bout of unprecedented religious... |
| Austrian Bishop Derides Orgy Claims The powerful Austrian Catholic church was plunged into its second big sex scandal in a decade yesterday when a seminary run... |
Pope Returns Icon to Russia Pope John Paul is to remove one of the Orthodox church's most revered icons from his private chapel and dispatch it to... |
| Sex Abuse Payouts Bankrupt Diocese The archdiocese of Oregon today filed for bankruptcy, becoming the first Roman Catholic diocese in the US to seek financial... |
Spain Being 'taken Back to Moorish Times' Archbishop attacks new government over religion. Spain's leading archbishop, Cardinal Antonio María Rouco, yesterday... |
| Kung Fu Monks Look for Legal Protection Shaolin temple, the home of kung fu, has extended its self-defence strategy from martial arts to trademark protection. |
Monumental Church Dedicated to Controversial Saint Padre Pio His bearded face can be seen everywhere in Italy - tucked into the frames of mirrors behind bars; taped on to taxi drivers'... |
| Vatican Birth Control Policy Spurned The Vatican's conservative policies on birth control have received a blow from one of the Roman Catholic Church's most... |
US Southern Baptists Split World Alliance The Baptist church is engaged in an extraordinary internecine row, incorporating accusations of slander and deceit, after... |
| Dresden Church Rises From the Ruins After 60 Years Restoration work on one of Germany's most famous baroque churches was completed yesterday nearly 60 years after allied... |
Evangelicals Shatter 'unity' in Gay Debate An attempt by Canadian Anglicans to maintain the fragile unity of the worldwide communion by postponing a decision on... |
| Canadian Anglicans Put Off Gay Blessings Synod avoids internal split and worldwide evangelical revulsion. The Canadian Anglican church narrowly avoided a... |
Canada's Anglicans Debate Blessing of Gay Unions Fears of split grow as African leader says church is 'going berserk'. The precarious international unity of the worldwide... |
| Tsar Vladimir's Bell Rings Out to Repair Stalin's Destruction The largest church bell in Russia rang yesterday in the sacred Orthodox town of Sergei Possad for the first time since it... |
'Pilgrims' Turn Wilderness Trek Into Week of Debauchery Up to a million people were reportedly packed into the sandy streets of the small Spanish town of El Rocío last night as... |
| Pope Gives Top Position to Disgraced Boston Cardinal The former Archbishop of Boston, accused of covering up the activities of paedophile priests and forced to resign, was... |
English Bishops Soften Vatican's Moral Line The Catholic Church in England and Wales will today soften the harsh moralistic language of the Vatican in setting out its... |
| Catholic Politicians Face Us Church Ban Over Abortion Laws America's Catholic church yesterday faced the prospect of a backlash from its congregations against a campaign by hardline... |
Pope Canonises Mother Who Refused Abortion A mother who refused cancer treatment and died so her fourth child could be born was elevated to sainthood yesterday in a... |
| Carving of Christ Goes on Show A small but anatomically perfect wooden Christ on the cross appears in Florence for the first time, billed as a hitherto... |
Papal Envoy Breaks Ranks on Gay Couples The Pope's ambassador to one of Europe's leading Catholic countries has hinted that the church should... |
| Vatican Rebuff to Spanish Muslims The Vatican will not allow Muslims to pray once more in the Mezquita, the former mosque that is now the cathedral of Cordoba... |
Sprightly Pope Announces Six More Beatifications Pope John Paul II announced six beatifications in four different languages and then braved wind and rain to kiss several... |
| Heed not the fanatics Only by rebutting fundamentalism in all its forms can we stop ourselves being plunged into a new Dark Age. |
On Tour With the Harbingers of Doom US readers flock to meet evangelists at the helm of a publishing phenomenon - a fictionalised account of the apocalypse. |
| Pope to Publish Polish Memoirs Pontiff's latest book will look back over John Paul's years as a bishop in Poland. He's a proven bestseller, one of the few... |
Kant's Wild Years According to three new biographies, the celebrated German philosopher Immanuel Kant was not such a dry stick as has... |
| Europe Faces Up to Islam and the Veil Muslims claim discrimination in legal battles over religious symbol. Spilling out of their school in Saint-Ouen, north of... |
244 Hajj Pilgrims Killed in Stampede A stampede during the ritual stoning of pillars symbolising the devil left 244 worshippers trampled to death, Saudi... |
| France Divided Over Headscarf Ban The government, the media and the feminists say the Islamic scarf is a repressive symbol, but many French Muslims say the... |
Pope to Beatify 'buffoon' Who Was Austria's Last Emperor Critics suspect political agenda behind campaign. In the ranks of his admirers nostalgic for the old empire, he was a... |
| US Anglicans Plot to Break Up Church American Anglican traditionalists are plotting the break-up of their national church and the creation of a new... |
Papal Envoy Shot Dead in Burundi Ambush The Vatican's ambassador to Burundi was shot dead yesterday when his car was raked with gunfire in an apparent ambush which... |
| New Generation Finds It's Hip to Be Hebrew New York's Jewish population is reinventing its identity. It all started with a T-shirt. Young New Yorkers often emblazon... |
France to Ban Pupils' Religious Dress Outlawing headscarves at school is persecution, say Muslims. Muslim headscarves and other religious symbols are almost... |
| Granada Rediscovers Its Muslim Roots Five hundred years after being hounded out by the Catholic monarchs Isabel and Ferdinand, Spain's Muslims have built a... |
Vatican Accused of Skewing Conference on Food Production The Vatican looks set to lend its vast moral authority to the cause of genetically modified crops, despite a row over the... |
| Gay Consecration Splits Church Breakaway by US parishes as Robinson is consecrated. Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the modern history of... |
Bush Says God Chose Him to Lead His Nation Book reveals how President's religious and political beliefs are entwined - and claims he did pray with Blair. |
| Muslim Wins Italian Court Ban on Crucifixes in Classroom A Muslim rights advocate has scored a victory over the Catholic Church and conservative Italians, winning a court ruling... |
Gay Bishop Vows to Accept Us Post The Anglican communion's first openly gay bishop pledged at the weekend that he would defy the world leaders of the church... |
| Cardinals Rebel at Second-class Status Cardinal Achille Silvestrini celebrated his 80th birthday yesterday, joining the 59 other cardinals who, because of their... |
Everyone Else Can Go to Hell, Americans Say Hell, wrote Jean-Paul Sartre, is other people. But a new survey of Americans' views of the afterlife suggests that hell is... |
| Pope Beatifies 'servant of the Least' 300,000 worshippers flock to St Peter's Square to see Mother Teresa come closer to sainthood. Under a clear sky tinged with... |
US Defends Role for Evangelical Christian The Pentagon stepped up to defend the high-level appointment of an evangelical Christian general who has described... |
| Pope 'losing the Power of Speech' The Pope will today celebrate a quarter of a century in office amid growing concern that illness could prevent him carrying... |
Vatican Eggs on Anglican Split in Us Cardinal praises conference planning break over gay bishop. The Vatican has publicly endorsed US Episcopalian hardliners... |
| Crowds throng Pompeii for a glimpse of Pope They came in their thousands, doubling the population of the ancient city of Pompeii, straining to catch a glimpse of the... |
US Anglicans set for split over gay bishop US Anglicans opposed to the election of a gay bishop are set to adopt a stern resolution at an emergency conference in... |
| Gay bishop opponents meet in US US evangelicals opposed to the election of their church's first openly gay bishop are gathering in Dallas, Texas, today to... |
Church rifts remain after Pope meets Archbishop The ailing Pope John Paul II spoke yesterday of growing divisions between the Churches after a symbolic meeting in the... |
| Pope's aides admit he is unable to work normally The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, has been told by the Pope's aides not to expect a substantive discussion with... |
Cardinal Francis Arinze Despite the taboo within the Vatican about discussing papal succession, some cardinals have begun to say openly that the... |
| Cheers and tears for ailing Pope A frail Pope held his weekly general audience yesterday, encouraged by an applauding crowd of 12,000, some crying amid... |
Cardinal Adds to Concerns Over Ailing Pope One of Germany's leading cardinals admitted last night that the Pope is "in a bad way", fuelling speculation that... |
| Ailing Pope Names New Cardinals Pope John Paul II, who is in declining health, yesterday announced 31 new cardinals to join the ranks of those who will... |
African Bishops Clash on Gay Issue The leader of the Anglican church in Africa has launched a furious verbal assault on one of his fellow primates after the... |
| Anger at Vatican Plan to Ban Altar Girls A heated battle has been joined in the Vatican between moderates and conservatives over a directive, called for by the Pope... |
Eritrean children locked up for having Bibles, says Amnesty Eritrea has locked up dozens of children in metal shipping containers at a military base as punishment for possessing Bibles... |
| Villagers Try to Block Athens Mosque Plan It was meant to showcase Athens as a modern, multi-ethnic city in the year that it stages the Olympic Games. Instead, a... |
Frail Pope Rallies But Thoughts Turn to His Successor The Vatican insisted there was no cause for alarm over the health of Pope John Paul after he presided yesterday at a long... |
| Church Used in Porn Film May Need Reconsecration The bishop of a diocese in the uplands of central Italy was last night mulling over whether to reconsecrate one of his... |
$85m for church's sex victims The Catholic Church in Boston, the starting-point of the child sex abuse scandal which spread across the United States, has... |
| Polish Catholics urge sainthood for EU founding father It's enough to make a Eurosceptic blanch, but Robert Schuman, one of the founding fathers of the European Union, may be... |
Dalai Lama Eyes End to 45-year Exile In an exclusive interview, Tibet's spiritual leader says China must allow his return without conditions. The Dalai Lama is... |
| Talks with Beijing raise speculation that Dalai Lama could return to Lhasa Negotiations between Tibet's government in exile and leaders in Beijing have prompted international speculation that the... |
Church mounts rearguard action as Chile votes to allow divorce Chile, one of the few countries in the world where divorce is banned, is set to change the law in a move hailed as a major... |
| Marching Orders for Alabama's Ten Commandments A contentious granite monument inscribed with the ten commandments and other religious references was finally removed from... |
A Jew Among 25,000 Muslims Even as a young girl in Wimbledon Susan Nathan knew she would one day move to Israel. But why did she choose to settle in... |
| Church Man Chosen to Lead Liberia A mild-mannered business-man and church leader was chosen yesterday to be the head of the transitional government in... |
Row Over Vatican Order to Conceal Priests' Sex Abuse A confidential order issued by the Vatican 40 years ago instructing Roman Catholic bishops to conceal cases of sex abuse is... |
| Vatican Told Bishops to Cover Up Sex Abuse Expulsion threat in secret documents. The Vatican instructed Catholic bishops around the world to cover up cases of sexual... |
Vatican Backing Sparks Gm Row Report set to anger Catholics in developing world. Plans being laid at the Vatican to throw the Pope's vast moral influence... |
| Rabbi Yitzhak Kolitz Powerful conservative mediator in Israel's religious quandaries. Many of the flock of the Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Jerusalem... |
Storm Over Gay Bishop Election Anglicanism in tumult at US church's appointment. The Anglican church in Britain and across the world was yesterday... |
| US Anglicans Elect Gay Cleric As Bishop The American cleric Gene Robinson became the first openly gay bishop in the worldwide Anglican communion last night after... |
Turmoil Over Gay Bishop Vote Confirmation of US Episcopal church's first openly gay bishop sensationally postponed at the last minute as an... |
| Spain: Price of Preaching Against Terror Priest forced out after attacking Eta violence from the pulpit. The large, honey-coloured church of San Lazaro in the... |
Florence Accused of Neglecting Churches Church officials in Florence have intervened to turn down the heat of a blazing row with the city's administration, set off... |
| $10 to Listen to the Sermon - As Long As You're White It's a special offer for this month only: a race-based bonus in the name of integration, diversity and the good Lord... |
Pope Calls for Halt to 'evil' Gay Marriages The Vatican yesterday urged Catholic politicians to actively campaign against legalising gay marriages which it said were... |
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