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For desperate family members of the roughly 150 people kidnapped by Hamas militants, there is little to do but wait for word of their loved one’s fate. The Associated Press reports the hostages include a grandmother who learned Arabic to build bridges with neighbors and a nurse who delivered thousands of babies to Israeli and Palestinian parents.
Militants took the hostages in Saturday raids of Israeli communities along the Gaza Strip border. They vowed to start killing them if Israel’s airstrikes target civilians without providing a warning to flee.
Israel’s prime minister has said Israel will “crush and destroy” Hamas in response to its weekend attack that killed hundreds. Hamas, which seeks Israel’s destruction, says it is defending Palestinians' right to freedom and self-determination. Hamas also citied the dispute over the sensitive Al-Aqsa Mosque that is sacred to Muslims and Jews, who know it as the Temple Mount.
Religion News
Synod on Synodality finds its voice after Pope Francis enforces silence
Pope Francis said ‘the church is taking a break’ to turn its gaze inward. By Claire Giangravé/Religion News Service
A modest Buddhist ceremony marks the anniversary of a day care center massacre in Thailand
About 200 people gathered in the small northeastern town of Uthai Sawan on Friday for a quiet ceremony marking the one-year anniversary of Thailand’s deadliest mass killing. By Jintamas Saksornchai/The Associated Press
Burnout and deteriorating mental health symptoms like anxiety and depression are affecting religious leaders at a worrisome pace. By Giovanna Dell’Orto/The Associated Press
Black churches play a key role in connecting communities to broadband internet
‘There are churches near, and people near, places where there are no internet carriers at all,’ said the Rev. Barbara Williams-Skinner. By Adelle M. Banks and Yonat Shimron /Religion News Service
In Poland, church and state draw nearer, and some Catholic faithful rebel
Many Poles are questioning their relationship with the Catholic Church, and some cite its closeness to the government as a key reason. By Joanna Kozlowska and Michal Dyuk/The Associated Press
Commentary and Analysis
A scholar who studies alternative expressions of spirituality visited secular, atheist and psychedelic churches and interacted with attendees. Here is what he found. By Morgan Shipley for The Conversation
The conflagration of violence will likely transform the Middle East for the worse. By Joshua Stanton and Olivia Brodsky /Religion News Service
The Al-Aqsa mosque, a flashpoint in Hamas' recent assault against Israel, hosts daily prayers and Friday gatherings. It lies adjacent to important Jewish and Christian religious locales. By Ken Chitwood for The Conversation
Narges Mohammadi is the second Iranian woman, after Shirin Ebadi, to win the Nobel Peace Prize. She remains locked up in Evin, Iran’s most notorious prison for political detainees. By Pardis Mahdavi for The Conversation
New cardinals at St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on Sept. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca)
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