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3 German Catholic dioceses to join Lutherans in Lenten fast for climate protection, climate justice ‍

The campaign “Climate Crisis” starts on Ash Wednesday (6th March) for the sixth time. At the initiative called by the Institute for Church and Society of the Evangelical Church of Westphalia (EKvW) under the motto “So much you need …” (Exodus 16), this year a total of eleven Protestant

Americans’ drinking habits vary by faith

In the United States and many other countries, religiously active people are less likely to drink alcohol than those who are not as religious. That may not be a surprise: Holy texts from the Christian New Testament to the Quran and the Hindu Dharmashastras warn against the dangers of excessive drinking and other potentially harmful “vices.” Many religious leaders, […]

China, nearly 50,000 baptisms in the Catholic Church in 2018

At least 48,365 baptisms were celebrated in churches and Catholic communities in the People’s Republic of China in the year 2018. This is the number reported in the official publication of the Faith Institute for Cultural Studies, based in Shijiazhuang, the capital of the Chinese province of Hebei. The figures bring together data from 104 […]

China recommits to sinicisation of religion

“There will be no official or unofficial church when the church is united,” he said. Asked if it meant the so-called underground church would be forced to dis-appear, he said: “Don’t you want the church to be united? A church schism is not the fundamental aspiration of Catholics.” Bishop Zhan said those Catholics who refused […]

Caste-away: Dalits seek escape through conversion in Nepal

The Christian community in Nepal has not been spared the wrath of society’s caste-based inequality, even though bottom-rung Dalits are increasingly turning to Christianity as a means to escape their fate. Religious conversions are illegal in Nepal but the numbers suggest many consider it a risk worth taking as the “untouchables” are among the most […]

Young Bangladeshi Catholics told to turn off phones

In a Lenten message to young Catholics in Bangladesh, Cardinal Patrick D’Rozario of Dhaka called on them to get closer to Jesus Christ and to refrain from using their mobile phones on every Friday leading to Easter Sunday. “My dear young people, during this Lent I appeal to you for a unique sacrifice. I request […]