Thursday, September 5, 2024

This Week in Religion - Pope undertakes record-setting 11-day trip to Asia

Lead story

A crowd of people gathered for Pope Francis's visit. At the front of the group is a child holding a painting of Saint Francis with a flock of sheep.

Editor's note:

Pope Francis is partway through the longest, farthest and most challenging trip of his pontificate. His destinations include Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore. By the time the trip ends on Sept. 13, he will have traveled more than 20,000 miles. In his first stop, Indonesia, he has sought to encourage its Catholic communities and celebrate the tradition of interfaith harmony in a country with the world’s largest Muslim population. His itinerary in the capital, Jakarta, includes both the Catholic cathedral and the city’s main mosque, which are connected by an underground “Tunnel of Friendship.” In East Timor, Francis will confront the legacy of the clergy sexual-abuse scandal. Revered East Timor independence hero and Nobel Peace Prize winner Bishop Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo was secretly sanctioned by the Vatican in 2020 for sexually abusing young boys.

A headshot of David Crary, Religion News Director at The Associated Press.
 

Religion News

Is Usha Vance’s Hindu identity an asset or a liability to the Trump-Vance campaign? 

Usha Vance's presence in the Trump-Vance campaign has energized some Indian Americans, particularly Hindu American conservatives. She has despite spoken openly about her Hindu upbringing, yet she has been coy about discussing her own faith and her interfaith relationship with vice presidential candidate JD Vance. By Deepa Bharath/The Associated Press 

Catholic diocese sues US government, worried some foreign-born priests might be forced to leave

The Catholic Diocese of Paterson, New Jersey, has sued the federal agencies overseeing immigration. It argues that a procedural change threatens the ability of thousands of priests and nuns from abroad to continue ministering in the United States. By Giovanna Dell’Orto/The Associated Press 

‘Is the Black church dead? I think it really varies depending on which traditions we’re talking about,’ said Shelton, a sociologist at the University of Texas at Arlington. By Adelle M. Banks/Religion News Service

A man in a tropical shirt worships at church. There are three surfboards decorating the ceiling that are visible behind his head.

At this church in Portugal, parishioners surf before they worship 

The city of Porto in northern Portugal is home to a church where its members surf before they worship. Surf Church was established by a Brazilian surfer who is also a Baptist pastor as a way to spread the Gospel in a once-devoutly Catholic country. By Luis Andres Henao/The Associated Press 

Neo-Buddhists push back against Hindu claims on ancient cave monasteries in India

In western India, where thousands of monks once worshipped in caves chiseled into the rocky hills, a fight is on to keep Hindu chauvinists from erasing a 2,000-year-old Buddhist site. By Priyadarshini Sen/Religion News Service

 

Commentary and Analysis

Many believe the Shroud of Turin to be the cloth used to bury Jesus after his crucifixion. Scientists have investigated the claim and here's what they found. By Eric Vanden Eykel for The Conversation

The Nuremberg Code was developed during trials for Nazi officials accused of performing inhumane experiments − but its influence has been far wider. By George J Annas for The Conversation

If you have spent 40 years of your life working 40 hours a week, retirement isn't just a financial consideration, writes a philosopher. By Marianne Janack for The Conversation

Let our kids feel all the love we can give. By Joshua Hammerman/Religion News Service

 
A crowd of people lay hands towards a single individual at the center of the group.

Revelers pay respect before forming human pyramids while celebrating Janmashtami, a festival that marks the birth of the Hindu Lord Krishna, in Mumbai, India, Aug. 27, 2024.(AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

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