(ANALYSIS) To discover that Christopher Columbus, long whispered to have Jewish heritage, had markers of Sephardic DNA is to me about as monumental as learning the Earth is round circa 1492. In other words, it’s a belated conclusion that should effectively change little about how we understand the world today — even if some would have it otherwise.
Read More(REVIEW) The England–Wales border is dotted with ancient churches, many of which have not heard a sermon or hymn in decades. They are the lonely stone relics of declining rural communities where faith has all but faded away. Since 1957, Friends of Friendless Churches has cared for many of these places of worship, working to protect their rich history and architectural legacy.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Earlier this year, “God Versus Aliens" premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. The documentary, directed by award-winning filmmaker Mark Christopher Lee, shines a light on the Vatican's secretive investigations into UFOs. It suggests, in no uncertain terms, that the Vatican has been quietly exploring extraterrestrial phenomena for years.
Read MoreThe Vatican’s doctrinal summit opened this week with one issue deemed to be out of bounds: female deacons. Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernandez, the Vatican’s prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, said that the church was not “rushing” on the issue.
Read MoreAmong the parade of priests and nuns who stroll in and around Vatican City, there is a special breed of journalist who is tasked with explaining the pope and the Roman curia to the world. These people are known as Vatican watchers — a “Vaticanista” in Italian — and they've been around since the 1960s. Even in the digital age, these journalists have become essential to understanding the church.
Read MoreSerbian judo star Nemanja Majdov was slapped with a five-month ban for making the sign of the cross before he competed at the recent Paris Olympics. He was accused by the International Judo Federation of violating its code of conduct for “having shown a clear religious sign when entering the field of play” and barred from participating in tournaments and other events.
Read MoreThe Vatican gave Catholics the green light to continue visiting the Bosnian village of Medjugorje, where children reported seeing visions of the Virgin Mary some four decades ago. The Vatican's doctrinal office released a statement that fell short of declaring the apparitions “authentic” — but instead recognized the “positive fruits” for pilgrims stemming from the spiritual experience.
Read MoreBocelli is often referred to as the most world-famous Italian national alive, which is not surprising if you think that he has managed to sell more than 90 million albums worldwide in a career that spans over 25 years. Motivated by his Christian faith, Bocelli's ability to connect with audiences worldwide has made him an international star.
Read MoreFor Ukrainian Christians, each day brings a terrible mix of hope, loss and uncertainty. Last month, the Ukrainian army launched an incursion into Russia’s Kursk region — invading its invader for the first time in the 2½-year-old conflict. In surprise attacks, Ukraine seized some 500 square miles of Russian territory and more than 90 villages.
Read More(PHOTO ESSAY) The U.S. president has the Secret Service as protection. The pope has the Swiss Guard. Who are these men donning multi-colored uniforms designed during the Middle Ages who march around St. Peter’s Square? Religion Unplugged takes you behind the Vatican walls for a closer look at the military unit.
Read MoreThe city is preparing for a jubilee year, a time when the Catholic Church invites pilgrims to Rome. The events, which will officially began on Christmas Eve this year and end on Dec. 28, 2025, constitute a special time dedicated to prayer and pilgrimage. Italy’s capital, which already draws an estimated 25 million visitors each year, could see that number increase to 32 million in 2025.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Keir Starmer's ascent as the U.K.'s first openly atheist leader marks a significant milestone in British political history. This development prompts the question: Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Unsurprisingly, the answer is rather complicated. Today's U.K. is vastly different from the country of Starmer's childhood.
Read More(ANALYSIS) When Jack Kerouac penned “On the Road,” he immortalized the American road trip as a quest for meaning, a journey that was almost existential in nature. His words sparked a generation's wanderlust, fueling a search for adventure, self-discovery, and — dare I say — even a higher power.
Read MoreHow about a trip on a Ferris wheel, walk a labyrinth or rest under the stars? It’s summertime, and British cathedrals took on a holiday atmosphere — complete with some unusual activities. You might even encounter creatures from the deep oceans or step back in time. Such activities have become very much part of a British summer.
Read MoreIs there a more recent dataset of European religion that I haven’t analyzed yet. And the answer is yes! There is one. It just released data from a survey wave that was administered in 2023 and 2024. It’s not all of Europe, just 13 countries. It doesn’t include France, but it does have a nice representation from Western Europe, Scandinavia and a few Eastern European countries thrown in there.
Read More(EXPLAINER) Riots have erupted across the United Kingdom over the past week as far-right groups launched attacks against hotels housing asylum seekers and mosques. A heavy security presence on Wednesday and a series of arrests across Britain has prevented a repeat of widespread rioting involving racist attacks targeting Muslims and other migrants that started late last month.
Read MoreAbout 200 Christians of multiple nationalities — Russian, Ukrainian, Iranian and Israeli, to name a few — sang a hymn of unity together, their citizenship on Earth far less important than a shared home in heaven. Some attendees drove 45 minutes. Others spent more than a day on planes and buses. They gathered in a city known for a particular distance — 26.2 miles.
Read More(ANALYSIS) These debates raged on and on because few combatants could agree on what took place, in part because that scene in the opening ceremonies were quickly removed from the official Olympics YouTube and NBC Universal accounts.
Read MoreFallout from the “Last Supper” scene during the Opening Ceremony at the Paris Olympics spilled over into a second week after bishops from around the world — and even the Vatican — issued statements calling out the display as offensive to Christians everywhere. The Holy See said ir was “saddened” by the display, while others called on the IOC to “repudiate this blasphemous action.”
Read More(ANALYSIS) The shot shared ‘round the world following the Olympics Opening Ceremonies was actually a brief matter of seconds in a four-hour live presentation. Whether it was — in fact — a shot at Christ and his followers using Leonardo da Vinci's iconography or just a misunderstood tableau for the feast of Dionysus, as the show producers claim, the moment is better understood in motion, as video shows better than stills.
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