World News

AS baskets of chocolate, stuffed bunnies and egg coloring appear in stores, it seems as though Easter is becoming more of a springtime festival than a solemn, though joyous, Christian observance. However, the Meaningful Chocolate Company, based in Manchester, England, believes that while candy is dandy, the real meaning of Easter should be part of the seasonal treats. Its four ...

THE Dalai Lama, already a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, is the recipient of the 2012 Templeton Prize, often called the most prestigious award in religion. The announcement, made on 29 March by the John Templeton Foundation, based in West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, cited the Tibetan leader’s "incomparable global voice for universal ethics, nonviolence, and harmony among world religions." Though beloved by ...

A film detailing atrocities committed by the Northern Uganda rebel leader Joseph Kony has become an Internet sensation, but faith leaders in the region said they fear the production will cause further trauma to the population who are recovering from a 23-year brutal war. The 30-minute film, titled "Kony 2012," was released on 5 March by Invisible Children, a charity ...

A nation paused in grief on 11 March as Japan marked the one-year anniversary of the magnitude-9.0 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident that took 19,000 lives and triggered a continuing reconstruction crisis. As Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda reminded the Japanese people that their predecessors "have repeatedly risen up from crises," faith communities throughout the country remembered the victims through prayer ...

CHRISTIANS comprise half of the world’s 214 million migrants, those who have moved from their country of birth and are now living permanently in a different country, a new study has concluded. The study, "Faith on the Move: The Religious Affiliation of International Migrants," by the Washington, D.C.-based Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life, released 8 March, ...

A series of ammunition explosions in the city of Brazzaville, capital of the Republic of Congo on 4 March killed more than 200 people and destroyed a Roman Catholic Church. The explosions originating from the national arms depot tore though a densely populated neighborhood in the outskirts of the city, flattening houses, bringing down roofs and shattering windows. More than ...

AS Christians worldwide marked the beginning of Lent, New Zealand church leaders gathered with Christchurch residents to mark the first anniversary of the 6.3 magnitude earthquake that devastated the city one year ago. Some who attended commemorative church services on Ash Wednesday received ashes marked on the forehead in the form of a cross, symbolizing undying hope in the midst ...

A series of weekly reflections are available during Lent focusing on the "economy of water," offering suggestions for how people can work toward water justice in their communities. The Seven Weeks for Water began 20 February, with additional resources produced for 22 March, which is World Water Day and Maundy Thursday. The reflections have been produced by the Ecumenical Water ...

CHRISTIAN agencies are assisting thousands affected by last week’s severe flooding in the western part of Fiji’s main island, Viti Levu, which killed six people, including four from one family whose house was buried in a landslide. Nearly 3,500 people are in 74 evacuation centers run by churches and community groups. The Fiji interim government has declared a state of ...

CHURCHES around the world observed a week of prayer from 18 to 25 January, holding special worship services and gatherings that emphasized what Christians hold in common. This year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity centered on the scriptural theme, "We will all be changed by the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ," from the book of Corinthians (15:51-58). Celebrated in ...