World News

THE LARGEST ecumenical church grouping in the Pacific region is planning to celebrate its 50th anniversary from 30 August to 4 September in Samoa. “The 50th anniversary is a celebration of the achievements of the Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC) over the last five decades,” said an ENInews statement. “The occasion will also give the opportunity for the PCC to ...

As recovery efforts in Japan proceed, the full impact of the earthquake and tsunami two weeks ago continues to be felt by many churches that are providing disaster relief while grieving lost members and buildings. At the same time, prayers, letters of solidarity and donations are coming in from the ecumenical community in Asia as well as around the world. ...

HUMANITARIAN AND advocacy groups are marking the 22 March commemoration of World Water Day with renewed focus on the need for "water justice." "The global water crisis is going to be one of the ‘hot topics’ and key issues of the 21st century," Luciano Kovacs, the North America Regional Secretary of the World Student Christian Federation, told ENInews. "Water could ...

When uncounted thousands have died in a disaster such as last week’s earthquake and tsunami, where will the Japanese people find spiritual strength? Experts on Japanese culture say they’ll find it in the critical, comforting rituals of religion. They will rely on centuries-old traditions of a distinctive Buddhist culture and the ancient Shinto beliefs of their earliest people, reports USA ...

Churches are suffering after an 8.9-magnitude earthquake and tsunami devastated northeastern Japan on 11 March. The National Police Agency announced that, as of 14 March, about 1,800 people have died, and 2,400 are missing. More than 10,000 may have died, according to police and news reports. A spokesman for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan told ENInews that a Catholic ...

AS THE extent of the death and destruction from the massive disaster in Japan comes into focus, religious relief organizations are sending and supporting teams to assess the damage. Groups such World Vision and Baptist World Aid have teams on the ground determining what kinds of experts and supplies will be needed in the recovery from the earthquake and tsunami ...

BUSY COMMUTERS in some cities in the United States had the church come to them on Ash Wednesday. In the second year of "Ashes to Go", priests and ministers of various Christian denominations distributed ashes to surprised passersby on urban streets and at train stations and bus stops on 9 March. On Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, Christians ...

Thousands across New Zealand observed two minutes of silence in churches and public squares on 1 March in memory of the victims of the 22 February earthquake that devastated Christchurch, the country’s second-largest city. As of 1 March, the death toll from the 6.3-magnitude quake stood at 154, with more than 200 missing and thousands injured. In Christchurch, Prime Minister ...

Following widespread reports that 20 to 22 people had been trapped inside the Anglican cathedral in Christchurch, New Zealand after a devastating earthquake, a complete search has revealed there were no bodies in the rubble. ChristChurch Cathedral’s spire collapsed into its bell tower on 22 February when a 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit New Zealand’s second-largest city, causing widespread damage. The death ...

The largest ecumenical church grouping in the Pacific region is planning to celebrate its 50-year anniversary from 30 August to 4 September in Samoa. "The 50th anniversary is a celebration of the achievements of the Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC) over the last five decades," the conference said in a statement released to ENInews. "The occasion will also give the ...