Vulnerable people could face 'intangible' pressure to end their lives if the law on assisted dying is relaxed, the Archbishop of Canterbury has warned. The House of Lords will on Friday debate a new bill to enable terminally ill adults to legally seek assistance to end their lives. Archbishop Welby, 65, who lost his seven-month... Continue Reading →
A stunning 2,000-year-old lilac amethyst stone has been discovered in Jerusalem, including the first known depiction of balsam, a plant featured in the Bible. It would once have been worn on a ring, and includes an unusual engraving of a bird and a branch from a plant bearing five fruits, according to experts from the... Continue Reading →
Archaeologists excavating a Byzantine-period structure in Biblical Bethsaida believe they have found new evidence proving the ancient ruins are of the long-lost Church of the Apostles. The team unearthed a stunning mosaic flooring made of tiny yellow, red and orange tiles that bear two inscriptions written in ancient Greek. The flooring, dating back 1,500 years,... Continue Reading →
Thirteen days before 16 Americans and a Canadian were brazenly kidnapped at gunpoint by a notorious gang on the eastern outskirts of Haiti’s capital last weekend, a prominent pastor and two of his congregants were abducted on the streets of Port-au-Prince. Pastor Jean Pierre Ferrer Michel, a founding member of the church Jesus Center in... Continue Reading →
VATICAN CITY (RNS) — In a message read by his secretary of state to a women’s advocacy group meeting ahead of the G-20 summit, Pope Francis called for greater female leadership in world affairs on Monday (Oct. 18), telling the Women’s Forum G-20 that “our world needs the collaboration of women, their leadership and their... Continue Reading →
Many people, including CAM management and Haitian and U.S. authorities, are working diligently to bring our loved ones home safely. The ages of the adults being held captive range from 18 to 48. The ages of the children are 8 months, 3 years, 6 years, 13 years, and 15 years. Today, we again commit our... Continue Reading →
For half a decade, Russian evangelicals have feared the repercussions of anti-extremism laws that monitor and restrict religious life in the country. New amendments to the religion laws, set to go into effect this month, extend government regulations on religious training following a string of recent seminary shutdowns. The country has mandated that all clergy,... Continue Reading →
There are suggestions that hundreds of Anglican churches could face closure by 2026 as part of proposed plans by the Church of England. A report by the Church Commissioners, who manage the Church's investments, shows up to 368 church buildings could be at risk within the next two to five years. This figure comes from... Continue Reading →
A desperate search is underway for 17 missionaries who were kidnapped and taken hostage over the weekend. Among those abducted on Saturday include 16 Americans and one Canadian. The missionaries belong to Christian Aid Ministries (CAM), a conservative Anabaptist organization founded in 1981. The group was kidnapped outside Port-au-Prince while on their way home from... Continue Reading →
Committing Egypt to a five-year program of human rights reform, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi did not mince words about religion. “If someone tells me they are neither Muslim nor Christian nor a Jew or that he or she does not believe in religion, I will tell them, ‘You are free to choose,’” he said. “But... Continue Reading →
