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.

Multiple Kansas Catholic schools targeted by apparent bomb hoax

Downtown Kansas City, Kansas / Credit: Jamie Squire/Getty

CNA Staff, Dec 20, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).

Multiple Catholic schools in Kansas were targeted by what were apparently hoax bomb threats this week, according to authorities.

Law enforcement agencies in the Kansas City area reported investigating threats at numerous Catholic schools on Dec. 19. The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas confirmed in a press statement that "several" Catholic schools in the archdiocese had "received bomb threats" on both Dec. 18 and Dec. 19.

"At this time, students and staff are safe," Archdiocesan Superintendent Vince Cascone said in the statement. "Law enforcement continues to investigate, and we are following their guidance closely."

The archdiocese did not post a list of the schools affected by the bomb threats, though local media reported at least 13 schools targeted, 12 of which were Catholic.

The Olathe, Kansas Police Department posted on Facebook that it had investigated a threat at the city's Prince of Peace Catholic School. "The threat was unfounded, and it was determined that other cities in the metro were receiving similar hoax calls," the police department said, adding that it was investigating the origin of the call.

Roeland Park Mayor Michael Poppa similarly wrote on Facebook that the threats were "unfounded." The mayor described the hoaxes as "cowardly and deplorable attempts to spread fear and disrupt our community."

Poppa praised authorities as well as staff at St. Agnes Catholic School "for jumping into action immediately to prioritize student safety."

Multiple local outlets, meanwhile, reported that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is participating in the investigation.

Original Source:

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/268619/more-than-a-dozen-kansas-catholic-schools-targeted-by-apparent-bomb-hoax