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

Pope Francis calls for ‘ceasefire on all war fronts’ at Christmas

Pope Francis delivers his Angelus address via a video livestream from his Casa Santa Marta residence within the Vatican due to a cold on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Dec 22, 2024 / 11:50 am (CNA).

Pope Francis on Sunday lamented the ongoing war and violence affecting families in Gaza and other parts of the world in the lead-up to Christmas and called for a “ceasefire on all war fronts.”

“With sorrow I think of Gaza, of so much cruelty; of the children machine-gunned, the bombing of schools and hospitals... So much cruelty!” the pope remarked during his Angelus address, which he gave via a video livestream from his Casa Santa Marta residence within the Vatican due to a cold.

More than 28 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed — including four children at the Musa Bin Nusayr school repurposed as a shelter for displaced families — after Israeli airstrikes hit the city overnight and early Sunday morning, The Guardian reported.

“Let us pray for a ceasefire on all war fronts, in Ukraine, the Holy Land, in all the Middle East and the entire world, at Christmas,” the Holy Father urged.

Pope Francis decried all violent attacks in “tortured Ukraine, particularly those that have damaged schools, hospitals, and churches throughout the Eastern European nation since it was invaded by Russia in 2022.

“May the weapons be silenced and Christmas carols resound!” he insisted on Sunday.

At least 147 Ukrainian prisoners of war have been killed since February 2022, 127 of whom were killed in 2024 alone, according to a BBC report.

Since the escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Pope Francis has repeated calls to free prisoners of war and assured the Holy See’s readiness to assist in such efforts.

In September, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin met with Russia’s Commissioner for Human Rights Tatyana Moskalkova via video conference to discuss matters including the mutual exchange of soldiers detained in Russia and Ukraine.

Since the 2022 Russian invasion, Pope Francis has met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on four separate occasions, three of which took place in the Vatican.

During the Angelus address, the pope also expressed his concern and closeness for the people of Mozambique who are this month expecting a formal ruling on the outcome of the country’s contested Oct. 9 elections.

“I wish to reiterate my message of hope, peace, and reconciliation to that beloved people,” Francis said. “I pray that dialogue and the quest for the common good, supported by faith and goodwill, may prevail over mistrust and discord.”

Since October, dozens of people have been killed in violent protests in the East African nation. Amnesty International reported more than 30 people were killed in a single week earlier this month.

Original Source:

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/261197/pope-francis-calls-for-ceasefire-on-all-war-fronts-at-christmas