Religions Around The World

In the early morning hours, monks can be seen walking on their alms round in Kanchanaburi, Thailand
Showing humility and detachment from worldly goods, the monk walks slowly and only stops if he is called. Standing quietly, with his bowl open, the local Buddhists give him rice, or flowers, or an envelope containing money.  In return, the monks bless the local Buddhists and wish them a long and fruitful life.
Christians Celebrate Good Friday
Enacting the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in St. Mary's Church in Secunderabad, India. Only 2.3% of India's population is Christian. 
Ancient interior mosaic in the Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora
The Church of the Holy Saviour in Istanbul, Turkey is a medieval Byzantine Greek Orthodox church.
Dome of the Rock located in the Old City of Jerusalem
The site's great significance for Muslims derives from traditions connecting it to the creation of the world and to the belief that the Prophet Muhammad's Night Journey to heaven started from the rock at the center of the structure.
Holi Festival in Mathura, India
Holi is a Hindu festival that marks the end of winter. Also known as the “festival of colors”,  Holi is primarily observed in South Asia but has spread across the world in celebration of love and the changing of the seasons.
Jewish father and daughter pray at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, Israel.
Known in Hebrew as the Western Wall, it is one of the holiest sites in the world. The description, "place of weeping", originated from the Jewish practice of mourning the destruction of the Temple and praying for its rebuilding at the site of the Western Wall.
People praying in Mengjia Longshan Temple in Taipei, Taiwan
The temple is dedicated to both Taoism and Buddhism.
People praying in the Grand Mosque in Ulu Cami
This is the most important mosque in Bursa, Turkey and a landmark of early Ottoman architecture built in 1399.
Savior Transfiguration Cathedral of the Savior Monastery of St. Euthymius
Located in Suzdal, Russia, this is a church rite of sanctification of apples and grapes in honor of the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord.
Fushimi Inari Shrine is located in Kyoto, Japan
It is famous for its thousands of vermilion torii gates, which straddle a network of trails behind its main buildings. Fushimi Inari is the most important Shinto shrine dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice.
Ladles at the purification fountain in the Hakone Shrine
Located in Hakone, Japan, this shrine is a Japanese Shinto shrine.  At the purification fountain, ritual washings are performed by individuals when they visit a shrine. This ritual symbolizes the inner purity necessary for a truly human and spiritual life.
Hanging Gardens of Haifa are garden terraces around the Shrine of the Báb on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel
They are one of the most visited tourist attractions in Israel. The Shrine of the Báb is where the remains of the Báb, founder of the Bábí Faith and forerunner of Bahá'u'lláh in the Bahá'í Faith, have been buried; it is considered to be the second holiest place on Earth for Bahá'ís.
Pilgrims praying at the Pool of the Nectar of Immortality and Golden Temple
Located in Amritsar, India, the Golden Temple is one of the most revered spiritual sites of Sikhism. It is a place of worship for men and women from all walks of life and all religions to worship God equally. Over 100,000 people visit the shrine daily.
Entrance gateway of Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple Kowloon
Located in Hong Kong, China, the temple is dedicated to Wong Tai Sin, or the Great Immortal Wong. The Taoist temple is famed for the many prayers answered: "What you request is what you get" via a practice called kau cim.
Christian women worship at a church in Bois Neus, Haiti.
Haiti's population is 94.8 percent Christian, primarily Catholic. This makes them one of the most heavily Christian countries in the world.

World Religions News

‘The Dark Charm of Halloween’ is title of new book by International Association of Exorcists

“The Dark Charm of Halloween” is the title of a new book launched by the International Association of Exorcists (AIE, by its Italian acronym) and written by its vice president, Father Francesco Bamonte, along with Alberto Castaldini, spokesman for the institution. / Credit: Courtesy of the International Association of Exorcists

Lima Newsroom, Oct 21, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

“The Dark Charm of Halloween” is the title of a new book launched by the International Association of Exorcists (AIE, by its Italian acronym) and written by its vice president, Father Francesco Bamonte, along with Alberto Castaldini, spokesman for the institution.

In the online presentation of the book, which is written in question-and-answer format and now available in Italian only, Bamonte pointed out that Halloween is not “a playful and innocent celebration or a secular occasion” but that “in reality, it is the representation of a pagan religious celebration: the Samhain festival originating in the Celtic world.”

At this pagan festival, “in the evenings between late October and early November, in addition to numerous magical rites, animal sacrifices were performed and, in all likelihood, even human sacrifices.”

“During the process of Christianization of the British Isles,” Bamonte said, “the solemnity of All Saints’ Day prevailed and the community celebration retained only some of the old customs, turning toward a new perspective, from a salvific perspective.” 

The priest explained that the consumerist reinterpretation of the Celtic festival in the United States emptied it of its content of faith and allowed it to once again “become rooted in magic, horror, and death, unlike Christianity,” in addition to being “closely linked today to dark realities such as witchcraft and satanism.”

The exorcist also highlighted that it marks, for satanists, the beginning of the Satanic Year, which makes it more dangerous. Although most of those who celebrate it “have no intention of celebrating witchcraft and the devil,” they put themselves “in communion with this maleficent spiritual current” and become “more vulnerable to the ordinary and extraordinary actions” of the devil.

The priest warned that some children’s websites offer links to satanism pages and noted that on Halloween there is a proliferation of “acts of blasphemy and sacrilege against the Christian faith and symbols,” in addition to tragedies such as what happened in Seoul, South Korea, in 2022, when 158 people died while celebrating Halloween.

What can a Catholic do about Halloween?

The vice president of the AIE encouraged rediscovering the power of the solemnity of All Saints on Nov. 1, encouraging people to dress up as saints, promote their lives, take part in processions and involve children, including with vigils of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

“It’s important to explain to children and adults — on the Sundays before Oct. 31 and, in particular, during the homily of the Mass on Oct. 31 in the evening and on Nov. 1 — the communion that unites us to all the saints and to our deceased, helping them to distinguish what is harmless from what is not,” the Italian exorcist explained.

It’s also important to remind everyone “how important it is for us Catholics to celebrate our brothers and sisters the saints, whose intercession can obtain for us so many graces, and to commemorate our beloved deceased, who await our prayers and with whom we hope to be united one day for eternity.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Original Source:

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/259933/the-dark-charm-of-halloween-new-book-by-the-international-association-of-exorcists