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.

Catholic health care leaders rally behind religious freedom initiatives ahead of Election Day

Andrew Kubrick, Religious Freedom Institute; Dr. Kathleen Berchelmann, My Catholic Doctor; Sister Deirdre Byrne; and Louis Brown, Christ Medicus Foundation, speak on the issue of religious freedom protections for Catholic health care workers on Oct. 24, 2024. / Credit: Rui Barros Photography/Christ Medicus Foundation

Washington D.C., Oct 26, 2024 / 09:00 am (CNA).

Leaders in Catholic health care are rallying behind critical policy initiatives to protect religious freedom in medical care, expressing concerns for the future of their industry should Vice President Kamala Harris be elected.

“The Biden administration, particularly through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and many state governments are engaged in an unprecedented assault on the civil rights of religious freedom and medical conscience rights,” stated Louis Brown, executive director for Christ Medicus Foundation, at an event hosted by the Religious Freedom Institute (RFI) in Washington, D.C., on Thursday.

According to Brown, if Vice President Kamala Harris wins the presidential election and enacts the policy initiatives that her administration has campaigned on, there would be “a massive rollback in health care access nationwide,” directly impacting the health and well-being of underserved communities in the U.S.

“Just days ago,” he said, referring to comments made by the Democratic Party candidate during an NBC interview on Tuesday, “we heard Vice President Harris say that she does not believe in religious exemptions for abortion procedures.”

“I don’t think we should be making concessions when we’re talking about a fundamental freedom to make decisions about your own body,” Harris said when asked whether she would consider religious exemptions with respect to federal laws on abortion. 

“If these religious freedom violations are ultimately successful,” Brown continued, “they would effectively destroy Catholic health care in the United States by making the practice of faithfully Catholic health care unlawful and illegal.”

The United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) reports on its website that there are currently 645 hospitals, 438 health care centers, 1,389 specialized homes, 105 orphanages, 853 day care centers, and 3,449 social services centers in the U.S. Catholic health care network, which assists more than 118 million patients per year.

In his remarks at the RFI gathering, Brown outlined seven key policy initiatives for safeguarding religious freedom and Catholic health care in the U.S. These include allowing faith-based providers equal opportunities to serve patients, enacting protections for human life and dignity, ensuring patients can access life-affirming care, rescinding harmful HHS mandates, and protecting the conscience and religious freedom rights of health care workers.

“When the God-given dignity and love for the human person and the love of God is at the center of health care, all Americans, especially the most vulnerable, are best positioned to live longer, happier, healthier, more joyful lives,” Brown stated.

When asked how Catholics should consider potential concerns with a second Trump administration — such as his proposal for universal IVF coverage and its impact on Catholic providers — Brown highlighted the importance of voting “to do more good and limit evil.” 

“I think for us as Catholics and as Catholic health care leaders, we have to be Catholic first,” Brown said. “Whether it’s law, whether it’s medicine, health care, all these things, it’s Catholic first, and any political support has to be secondary.”

However, he continued, “at the same time, I think when it comes to these the plethora of human dignity issues, particularly in health care, I think the policies of Vice President Harris, they’re absolutely abhorrent on human dignity across the board.” 

“When it comes to the policies of the Trump administration, while very imperfect, [they are] superior on issues of human dignity in health care,” he added. “Absolutely superior.”

Original Source:

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/260109/catholic-health-care-leaders-rally-behind-religious-freedom-initiatives-ahead-of-election-day