News

John Lennon's inspiration for 'Strawberry Fields' bears new fruit for Salvation Army

Let me take you down to Strawberry Fieldsâ no, not the memorial in New York's Central Park to the former Beatle John Lennon, who was slain in Manhattan in 1980, but to the place that inspired his song, where the Salvation Army is conducting an experiment in mixing tourism with faith and social action.

Pope Francis expresses concern over Ukraine's ban on Russian-linked church

Pope Francis has expressed concern over a newly passed law in Ukraine that bans groups with historic ties to the Russian Orthodox Church, seeing it as an attack on religious freedom.

Pope Francis meets Italian man freed after 33 years in prison for wrongful triple murder conviction

Pope Francis held a private meeting on Friday with Beniamino Zuncheddu, an Italian man exonerated earlier this year after spending 33 years in prison for crimes he did not commit. The encounter took place in the library of the Apostolic Palace.

First Bible translation for indigenous ethnic people groups completed in Colombia

The Colombian Bible Society has unveiled the first complete translation of the Bible into an indigenous language - Wayuunaiki, which will serve two indigenous ethnic groups in Colombia.

Barnabas Aid founder Patrick Sookhdeo suspended amid reports of 'chaos' in the organisation

There are reports of internal turmoil at Barnabas Aid after the suspension of its founder Patrick Sookhdeo, his wife Rosemarie and two trustees, Caroline Kerslake and Dr Prasad Phillips.

Legalising assisted suicide in Scotland would 'undermine' value of human life

Scottish politicians have been warned against legalising assisted suicide as Holyrood prepares to scrutinise a Bill brought forward by Lib Dem MSP Liam McArthur.

Egyptian man allowed to list Christian faith on ID card a decade after clerical error

After over a decade of persistent denial of his religious identity, an Egyptian Christian man has successfully corrected the religious affiliation on his identification documents, marking a significant victory for religious freedom in Egypt.

Christian parents regain custody of three girls in Pakistan

In rare case, judge allows children to talk with parents.

Victims of stabbing attack in Manchester were 'good church-going family'

A Baptist pastor remains in hospital in critical condition after a stabbing attack in which his wife was killed.

Historic churches once lost to the Black Death re-open together after 650 years

Two ancient churches in Kent, closed for over 650 years after the outbreak of the Black Death plague decimated their congregations, have finally re-opened to the public in a celebratory event.

Ukraine's ban targeting Russian-linked faith groups raises religious freedom concerns

Even some supporters of Ukraine see the ban as an overstep in the name of national security, a violation of religious freedom and a potential risk to continued foreign military aid.

Worship numbers drop as churches close, poll finds

Some people may never return to church if their own church closes its doors, a new poll has found.

Nicaragua forces 1,500 churches, non-profits to close

The Nicaraguan government has canceled the legal registration of 1,500 nonprofit organizations, including churches, intensifying a years-long crackdown in this Central American nation. A notice in the government Gazette, La Gaceta, claimed these groups were non-compliant with financial reporting requirements spanning one to 35 years.

Nearly half of world\'s migrants are Christian, Pew Research shows