Religion

Ecuador Is The First Stop On Pope Francis' South America Trip

1:50pm July 07, 2015

by John Otis

The Argentine pontiff has embarked on a nine-day swing through Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay, some of the region's poorest countries. Francis is focusing on issues that affect the downtrodden.

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In A Time Of Grief And Recovery, A Sunday Sermon Foretold

6:42pm July 04, 2015

The Rev. John Black, of the Campbell Chapel AME Church in Bluffton, S.C., talks to NPR's Arun Rath about grief, forgiveness and rebirth — themes in the sermon he has planned for this Sunday.

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Syrian Christians Face New Threat From Rebel Alliance

4:43am July 04, 2015

by Deborah Amos

Syrian Christians face new threats from a rebel coalition that is fighting both the self-declared Islamic State and the regime.

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St. Laurentius, a polish Catholic church in Philadelphia's Fishtown neighborhood, was closed in March amid fears that it would collapse. Since then, the community has pushed back to save the historic building.

In Philadelphia's Fishtown, A Fierce Debate Over The Fate Of A Polish Church

6:31pm July 03, 2015

by Bobby Allyn

The Philadelphia Archdiocese has plans to demolish the city's oldest Polish church, but it's facing strong resistance: Longtime parishioners and neighborhood newcomers have joined forces in protest.

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Iceland's Pirate Party Wins Repeal Of Blasphemy Law

12:46pm July 03, 2015

by Scott Neuman

The insurgent political movement, which has just three members in parliament, led the rollback of the 75-year-old law that made it a crime to "ridicule or insult" religious teachings.

Same-Sex Marriage Ruling Doesn't Make It Biblically Correct, Pastor Says

4:00pm July 01, 2015

by John Burnett

Conservative churches and their congregants voiced the strongest opposition to same-sex marriages. Some church leaders say they'll continue to obey a higher authority.

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Pope In U.S. Visit Will Meet With Poor, President, Politicians

4:51pm June 30, 2015

by Krishnadev Calamur

The Vatican announced that Pope Francis will visit Cuba and the U.S. Sept. 19-28. He will become the first pope to address Congress.

Flowers left at the front door of Glover Grove Baptist Church in Warrenville, S.C.

Investigators Probe Fires At 6 Black Churches In 5 Southern States

12:55pm June 30, 2015

by Sam Sanders

Authorities are investigating fires that have damaged or destroyed black churches in South Carolina and nearby states following the shooting deaths of nine people at Charleston's Emanuel AME Church.

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A religious activist is carried away by police after he tried to stop a gay pride parade in Seoul last year. Christian activists are planning to disrupt the parade again this year.

A Showdown Looms At South Korea's Gay Pride Parade

2:30pm June 27, 2015

by Elise Hu

In Seoul, a parade that has gone on for 15 years is at the heart of a bitter standoff between organizers and Christian activists. Church groups threaten to stop the parade — in the name of God.

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A glass window at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., shows Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. The dean of the cathedral has called for its removal.

National Cathedral Should Not Be Stained With Confederate Flag, Dean Says

10:30am June 27, 2015

by NPR Staff

The Very Rev. Gary Hall says glass windows in honor of Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee need to go. "We couldn't with credibility address the race agenda" with the windows in place, he tells NPR.

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