RNS Photos of the Week: Cold waters, Trump inauguration

We want to let you know that Photos of the Week will be discontinued as a standalone newsletter and will merge with our daily Morning Report newsletter. We appreciate your support and look forward to bringing you even more content through our consolidated newsletter.   Shrine parishioners throw ice cold water on themselves during the annual cold-endurance festival at Kanda Myojin Shinto shrine in Tokyo, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, a traditional Japanese way of purifying their soul and praying for their health in the new year. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)   Men exit a pond after plunging themselves in icy waters to celebrate the Orthodox Epiphany at the Izmailovsky Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)   Christian Orthodox believers swim to retrieve a cross from the Drina river during Epiphany celebrations in Visegrad, Bosnia, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)   Lithuanian Orthodox believers bathe in icy water shortly after midnight during a traditional Epiphany celebration in a lake near Vilnius, Lithuania, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)   A priest blesses the icy water before celebrating the Orthodox Epiphany near the St. Serafimovsky Monastery on Russian Island in the Russian far east port Vladivostok, Russia, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. (AP Photo)   Priests pull Christian Orthodox believers from the cold water of the Danube river in Belgrade, Serbia, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)   Supporters of President Donald Trump pray while watching inauguration ceremonies taking place at the U.S. Capitol on screens at Capitol One Arena in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)   President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, left, attend a prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral, Jan. 21, 2025, in Washington. (RNS photo/Jack Jenkins)   President Donald Trump, from front row left, first lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, his wife Usha Vance, and from back row left, Eric Trump, his wife Lara Trump, their children Carolina and Luke, and Tiffany Trump attend a prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)   The Rt. Rev. Mariann Budde leads a prayer service attended by President Donald Trump at the Washington National Cathedral, Jan. 21, 2025, in Washington. (RNS photo/Jack Jenkins)   The Rev. Al Sharpton, center, leads an oath to support DEI at Metropolitan AME Church during a Martin Luther King Day rally organized by the National Action Network, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (RNS photo/Adelle M. Banks)   A billboard congratulating U.S. President-elect Donald Trump hangs on the Friends of Zion Museum in Jerusalem on Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)   President-elect Donald Trump talks with Vice President-elect JD Vance and Usha Vance as he arrives for a service at St. John’s Church, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, ahead of the 60th Presidential Inauguration. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)   Displaced Palestinians flash V-sign as they return to Rafah, while a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas went into effect, in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Mariam Dagga)   Israelis celebrate the release of three hostages who had been held captive by Hamas in Gaza as they gather in Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)   Archival Photos   The “Big Three” of the civil rights movement, from left, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth and the Rev. Ralph Abernathy, put their heads together just before releasing a May 10, 1963 statement, as part of the negotiations to end the Birmingham campaign. (RNS archive photo)   Friends and relatives of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. pray alongside his grave in Atlanta on Apr. 4, 1981, during a ceremony marking the 13th anniversary of Dr. King’s assassination. The Rev. Joseph Lowery, right, is shown leading the group, which included, from far left: Martin Luther King III; Coretta Scott King, the slain leader’s wife; Christine Farris, his sister, and his father, the Rev. Martin Luther King Sr. Meanwhile in New York, 1300 people marched to Herald Square from outlying areas, to commemorate the occasion. (RNS archive photo. Photo courtesy of the Presbyterian Historical Society.)   The Rev. Bernard Braskamp, right at microphone, chaplain of the House since 1949, leads Representatives in prayer to open the second session of the 84th Congress on Jan. 3, 1956, in Washington, D.C.. Standing at top center is Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn. (RNS archive photo. Photo courtesy of the Presbyterian Historical Society.)   Talk to Us We want your feedback on the RNS Photos of the Week — what you think we're doing right and what we should be doing differently. Send us an email at Comments@ReligionNews.com Subscribe to other RNS Newsletters. Forward this email to a friend. View the archive of past newsletters. RNS is free to read, but it's not free to produce. If you value our reporting, please consider making a donation today. If you prefer to mail a donation, please address to: Religion News Foundation, PO Box 1808, Columbia, MO 65205. Yes, I support the work you're doing! Forward this email to a friend

RNS Photos of the Week: Wildfire Losses; Maha Kumbh

(RNS) — Each week RNS presents a gallery of photos of religious expression around the world. This week’s photo gallery includes the aftermath of California wildfires, the Maha Kumbh festival in India and more.     Faithful pray at a religious service in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire at Trinity Lutheran Church, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)     Corpus Christi Church destroyed by the Palisades Fire is seen in Palisades, Calif., Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)     The remains of the Masjid-Al-Taqwa mosque are seen in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)     The Altadena UMC church is left damaged by the Eaton Fire Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)     The facade of the Altadena Community Church stands amidst damage from the Eaton Fire on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)     Swami Bhupender Giri, center, Naga Sadhu of Niranjani Akhara, arrives for a ritualistic dip at Sangam, the confluence of the Rivers Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati, on the auspicious day Makar Sankranti, for the Maha Kumbh festival, which is one of the world’s largest religious gatherings, celebrated every 12 years in Prayagraj, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, India, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)     Hindu devotees cross pontoon bridges at Sangam, the confluence of the Rivers Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati, on Makar Sankranti Day during the Maha Kumbh festival in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh state, India, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)     A man rides a horse through a bonfire as part of a ritual in honor of Saint Anthony the Abbot, the patron saint of domestic animals, in San Bartolome de Pinares, Spain, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)     A Voodoo worshipper dances during the annual Voodoo Festival in Ouidah, Benin, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)     Mourners attend the funeral ceremony of Turkey’s Chief Rabbi Isak Haleva at the Neve Shalom Synagogue in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)   Archival Photos     The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., of Atlanta, Ga., is congratulated by Norway’s Crown Prince Harald, left, and King Olav after being presented with the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize on Dec. 10, 1964. Looking on is his wife, Coretta Scott King. King, a Baptist minister, was honored for his non-violent leadership in the Civil Rights Movement. He accepted the award on behalf of the movement and “all men who love peace and brotherhood.” He had announced the prize money, about $54,000, would go to aid the struggle for social justice. He is the second Black American and the youngest person — at 35 — to win the Nobel Peace Prize. (RNS archive photo. Photo courtesy of the Presbyterian Historical Society.)     The 300-voice Mormon Tabernacle Choir participates in the inauguration of President Lyndon B. Johnson at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20, 1965, in Washington. (RNS archive photo. Photo courtesy of the Presbyterian Historical Society.)     Coretta Scott King, wife of the jailed integration leader the Rev. Martin Luther King, gets assistance from their three children as they pack this picnic basket with extra provisions on Aug. 5, 1962. The Atlanta pastor spent two weeks in jail for his integration activity. From left are: Martin Luther King, III, 4; Yolanda Denise King, 6; and Dexter Scott King, 18-months-old. Dexter was named after the Dexter Avenue Baptist church in Montgomery, Ala., where his father started is integration work. (RNS archive photo. Photo courtesy of the Presbyterian Historical Society.)   Talk to Us We want your feedback on the RNS Photos of the Week — what you think we're doing right and what we should be doing differently. Send us an email at Comments@ReligionNews.com Subscribe to other RNS Newsletters. Forward this email to a friend. View the archive of past newsletters. RNS is free to read, but it's not free to produce. If you value our reporting, please consider making a donation today. If you prefer to mail a donation, please address to: Religion News Foundation, PO Box 1808, Columbia, MO 65205. Yes, I support the work you're doing! Forward this email to a friend

RNS Photos of the Week: Orthodox Christmas; Jimmy Carter funeral

(RNS) — Each week RNS presents a gallery of photos of religious expression around the world. This week’s photo gallery includes Orthodox Christmas, Jimmy Carter funeral rites and more.   A man walks in front of the burning Altadena Community Church, Jan. 8, 2025, in the downtown Altadena section of Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)     The Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center burns during wildfires in Pasadena, Calif. (Video screen grab)     The intact First Church of Christ, Scientist is framed through the ruins of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church next door, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)     People watch a lightshow projected on the facade of the Naval Cathedral of Saint Nicholas on Orthodox Christmas Eve in the city of Kronstadt, outside St. Petersburg, Russia, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)     Children take part in a religious procession to the Holy Trinity Cathedral to mark Orthodox Christmas in Tbilisi, Georgia, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Shakh Aivazov)     Christian Orthodox believers, who follow the Julian calendar and celebrate Christmas on Jan. 7, burn dried oak branches, the Yule log symbol for the Orthodox Christmas Eve, in front of St. Luke Church in Belgrade, Serbia, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)     Ethiopian pilgrims pray during an Orthodox Christmas Eve service at the Bole Medhane Alem Church in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo)     A Lithuanian Orthodox woman lights candles before the liturgy on Orthodox Christmas Eve in the Orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit in Vilnius, Lithuania, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)     An Aymara Indigenous spiritual guide blesses a statue of baby Jesus with incense after an Epiphany Mass at a Catholic church in La Paz, Bolivia, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)     Soldiers carry in the casket of former President Jimmy Carter, delivering his body to lie in state on Jan. 7, 2025, in the Capitol rotunda. Carter died Dec. 29 in his home state of Georgia at the age of 100. (RNS photo/Jack Jenkins)     A joint services body bearer team carries the casket of former President Jimmy Carter after a state funeral service at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)     President Joe Biden speaks during the state funeral for former President Jimmy Carter at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)   Archival Photos     Lutheran Dr. Manas Buthelezi, left, South Africa’s only black doctor of theology, was served with a government “banning order” under the so-called Suppression of Communism Act in 1973. The order imposed on Dr. Buthelezi, who is director of the anti-apartheid Christian Institute of South Africa in the Province of Natal, prohibits him from attending social, political or educational gatherings and from teaching students. No newspaper could publish what he says — or anything he has ever said in his life at all, even before he was banned. Buthelezi, 38, is shown with the Rev. Will Herzfeld, former staff member of the Lutheran Council in the USA and now pastor of Bethlehem Lutheran church in Oakland, Calif., during a visit to the United States. (RNS archive photo. Photo courtesy of the Presbyterian Historical Society.)     Farouk Kaddoumi, left, representative of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), walks toward his seat after the United Nations Security Council voted to allow the PLO to participate, with the rights of a U.N. member nation, in the debate on the Middle East, in January 1976. The vote was 11 to 1, with only the United States voting against the proposal. Israel announced that it would not ask to take part in the debate. (RNS archive photo. Photo courtesy of the Presbyterian Historical Society.)   Talk to Us We want your feedback on the RNS Photos of the Week — what you think we're doing right and what we should be doing differently. Send us an email at Comments@ReligionNews.com Subscribe to other RNS Newsletters. Forward this email to a friend. View the archive of past newsletters. RNS is free to read, but it's not free to produce. If you value our reporting, please consider making a donation today. If you prefer to mail a donation, please address to: Religion News Foundation, PO Box 1808, Columbia, MO 65205. Yes, I support the work you're doing! Forward this email to a friend