A restoration project on YouTube has rendered a short piece of film depicting Pope Leo XIII into never-before seen quality. David Martin, who restored the footage from 1896 into color, spoke to ReligionUnplugged.com about the scenes of Pope Leo XIII captured and the identities of the men surrounding him, long forgotten.
Read MorePope Francis told the media aboard his papal plane that he has never denied Holy Communion to anyone and that he once gave the Eucharist to a Jewish woman in a nursing home. In Catholic Church law, only confirmed Catholics in good standing may receive Communion. But the pope found the encounter to be a positive mishap.
Read MoreThe U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops announced its cooperation with the U.S. government to organize and process the tens of thousands of Afghan refugees entering the country as the U.S. withdraws troops and the Taliban assumes control over Afghanistan.
Read MoreAhead of the world day of prayer for the Catholic Church in China on May 24, Pope Francis asked that the faithful pray the Holy Spirit would help Chinese Catholics “to be bearers of the happy message, witnesses of goodness and charity, and builders of justice and peace in their country.”
Read MoreHeraldic achievements — a personal ecclesiastical coat of arms — have historically been one of the most important possessions of high-ranking Catholic clergymen and contain layers of meaning. But today they are an increasingly ignored art form inside and outside the Church. Will the Church abandon heraldry traditions going back centuries or will more bishops resurrect the practice?
Read MoreHong Kong pro-democracy leader and Catholic Cardinal Joseph Zen told Religion Unplugged that if the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) were to pull out of cooperation with the Vatican and attempt to maintain an entirely Chinese Catholic Church without the pope as its head, the entire organization will be rejected by the laity. New regulations on the Church go into effect May 1 and appear designed to block the Vatican’s control of the Church inside China.
Read MoreThe Duke and Duchess of Sussex caused major waves via their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey. Accusations of racism, betrayal and a lack of empathy dominated the talk, but one key detail dropped about the couple’s wedding has left the Church of England in a difficult position.
Read MoreIn 2017, Catherine Mardon and her husband were surprised with memberships into the Catholic Church’s Order of St. Sylvester for their work with disability advocacy and management of several activism campaigns.
Read MoreThe Catholic Church in Germany is already the most disruptive and wealthiest national church in communion with the Pope of Rome. Now, the bishops of the German Catholic Church are dropping a massive, controversial document onto the Vatican’s lap that seeks to break away from Catholic doctrine in the realms of sexual morality, ordination of women and episcopal authority.
Read MoreSr. Nathalie Becquart, a French nun, was appointed as under-secretary for the Synod of Bishops on Saturday, Feb. 6. The decision has been divisive for Catholics. Becquart is the first woman to be appointed to the Synod, a Catholic institution established by Pope John Paul II as an advisory council for the pontiff made up of clergymen from around the world.
Read MoreMyanmar’s coup could bring even more harm to religious minorities there, like Rohingya Muslims who have been the targets of ethnic cleansing by the military. In the U.S., faith leaders of the sanctuary city movement are pushing back on fines, and a new American coalition of non-religious elected officials hopes to counter White Christian nationalism.
Read MoreThis week while much of the media dissected why some Christians were drawn to QAnon, investigated pastors’ links to the rioters, and examined the Christian symbols present in photos from the protest, smaller but important stories slipped through the cracks.
Read MoreThe Catholic Church’s office for liturgical practices released guidelines Jan. 12 for clergy performing Ash Wednesday ceremonies next month during the coronavirus pandemic.
Read MoreWeeks after the abduction and subsequent release of a high-ranking church official in Nigeria, faith leaders and police investigators are still scratching their heads as they try to understand what the kidnappers wanted.
Read MoreCatholic clergy showed concern for the future of the United States and displayed a rare public patriotism after an insurrectionist mob broke into the Capitol building and resulted in the deaths of at least five people.
Read MoreA professor who departs from Gordon College’s religious views on LGBTQ is suing to protect her promotion, while a federal judge turned down Michigan Catholic parents’ plea for an exemption to a mask mandate. Read five of the latest religious freedom struggles.
Read MoreJews are fed up with being told where they can worship and what they can build, and the Department of Justice has swept in to have their back. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives is having a rare moment of bipartisan unity begging other countries to stop persecuting religious minorities. In India, fears of “love jihad” have fueled a new anti-conversion law in the country’s most populous state, appeasing Hindu nationalists. Finally, California churches have won a step forward in a lawsuit against the governor.
Read MorePope Francis is known for his aesthetic: simplicity and modesty with plain white robes, a few silver pieces of jewelry, and black orthopedic shoes. His wristwatch is no exception: a Casio MQ24-7B2, a departure from previous popes who sported expensive time pieces.
Read MoreThe highest court in the U.S. overturned an attendance limit on New York houses of worship, Europeans deal with miscommunication over anti-radicalization policy, Greece joins the Serbian Orthodox Church in a battle over safety in worship as the pandemic tears through their highest-ranking clergy, and China eyes a new law to control religious appointments.
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