religion

Religion

Hospital Chaplain Discusses Ministry And Easter Celebration During Pandemic

10:03pm April 09, 2020

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Rev. Radu Titonea, a hospital chaplain in Queens, N.Y., about ministry and the celebration of holy days during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Queue Listen Now

Mormons Have Long Preached Preparedness — Which Is Coming In Handy Now

5:42pm April 09, 2020

by Sonja Hutson

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has long mandated that all members maintain months of food and supplies — in part to help less-prepared neighbors.

Queue Listen Now

Nearing Anniversary Of Devastating Fire, Notre Dame To Host A Good Friday Service

5:33pm April 09, 2020

by Eleanor Beardsley

April 15 will mark the first anniversary of the fire that ripped through the cathedral. The Paris archbishop says he wants to send a "message of hope" through a small Good Friday service.

Pope Francis hailed "the saints who live next door" during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying doctors and others who are still working are heroes. The pope is seen here celebrating Palm Sunday Mass behind closed doors because of the coronavirus.

'This Is Not Humanity's First Plague,' Pope Francis Says Of Coronavirus

12:47pm April 09, 2020

by Bill Chappell

The pope says the COVID-19 pandemic is exposing hypocrisy and misplaced priorities in the modern world, as he calls on people to remember their shared humanity.

On April 3, Iraqi volunteers in full hazmat gear prayed over the coffin of a 50-year-old who died of COVID-19. She was buried at a cemetery specifically opened for such deaths, some 12 miles from the holy city of Najaf.

Coronavirus Is Changing The Rituals Of Death For Many Religions

5:21pm April 07, 2020

The virus is upending burial traditions across cultures, from the washing of the body of a loved one in Iraq to the gathering of mourners in Israel.

Queue Listen Now

Religion

Another Break From The Past: Government Will Help Churches Pay Pastor Salaries

4:00pm April 07, 2020

by Tom Gjelten

The Small Business Administration says current regulations barring loans to religious institutions are "impermissible."

Queue Listen Now

"You'll be pleased to know that we do consider both the tooth fairy and the Easter Bunny to be essential workers," New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says, approving the rabbit's operations during a lockdown. Here, an Easter egg drawing is seen in

The Easter Bunny Is An Essential Worker, New Zealand's Ardern Says

1:56pm April 07, 2020

by Bill Chappell

A four-week lockdown will not keep the Easter Bunny from going about its mysterious business, the prime minister says, responding to rampant speculation by New Zealand's youngest citizens.

Cardinal George Pell makes his way through members of the media outside the court in Melbourne in February 2019. Australia's High Court has overturned his conviction for child sexual abuse.

Australia's High Court Overturns Cardinal Pell's Child Sexual Abuse Conviction

10:01pm April 06, 2020

by Barbara Campbell

The former Vatican treasurer was ordered released from prison, where he was serving a six-year sentence.

Economic Relief Provision For Churches Raises Debate Over Church-State Separation

4:59pm April 06, 2020

by Tom Gjelten

Under one provision of the CARES Act, churches and other religious organizations will be able to apply for emergency loans. Critics see the provision as further weakening church-state separation.

Queue Listen Now

Some Religious Leaders Defy Shutdown Orders

5:02pm April 05, 2020

by Tom Gjelten

Many houses of worship have canceled services in response to coronavirus shutdown orders. But some are continuing to gather, saying they should be able to do so as a matter of religious freedom.