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

How Dry January Improved My Brain Health and My Life

“You are not stuck with the brain you have. You can make it better.” ~Dr. Daniel Amen 

At the beginning of the year, I had this whole list in my head about the benefits of dry January: drop a few pounds, sleep better, get those bright white eyes everyone raves about. The standard results you think you would get if you avoided alcohol for a month. But I should have known; my body had something else in mind.  

Truthfully, the real reasons are much more complex. Alcoholism runs in my family. I’ve never thought I had a problem, but occasionally,

…

Vatican to host global summit on marriage, family in October

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — On the 10th anniversary of “Amoris Laetitia,” Pope Francis’ 2016 apostolic exhortation on marriage and family, Pope Leo XIV announced he will hold a gathering of presidents of bishops’ conferences at the Vatican to address the same topics in October.

In a letter on Thursday (March 19), Leo said young people especially need spiritual support to recognize the value of marriage and families. He also recognized the many challenges facing families today.

The summit, he wrote, will be “an effort to proceed, in mutual listening, to a synodal discernment on the steps to be taken in order to proclaim the Gospel to families today, in light of Amoris Laetitia and taking into account what is currently being done in the local Churches.”

Francis wrote his document on the family after two Vatican summits of bishops, called synods, and a Jubilee Year of Mercy. A controversial footnote in the document sparked backlash by conservative Catholic prelates for its cautious openness to allowing Communion for divorced or civilly remarried Catholics through spiritual accompaniment. Four cardinals later submitted formal questions, known as dubia, seeking clarification on the document’s interpretation, which Francis never formally answered.

Pope Leo did not address the controversy in his letter and instead focused on the “valuable teachings” contained in Francis’ document “that we must continue to examine today.” He noted the importance of “navigating family crises” and educating younger generations.

RELATED: Pope Leo XIV’s African visit a journey to the margins — and the heart of Christianity

The papal letter recognized the importance for Catholics to promote marriage and family life among younger generations.

In 2025, the average marriage age in the United States was 32, following an upward trend, according to the wedding planning platform The Knot’s Real Wedding Study. And in a 2025 Harvard Youth Poll, 57% of Generation Z respondents said marriage was important, while having children ranked lowest among six life goals, such as financial security and earning significant wealth — all indicating family-oriented goals were less of a priority to Gen Zs than to earlier generations. 

“To serve the mission of proclaiming the Gospel of the family to younger generations, we must learn to evoke the beauty of the vocation to marriage precisely in the recognition of fragility, so as to reawaken ‘trust in God’s grace’ and the Christian desire for holiness,” Leo wrote. “We must also support families, especially those suffering from the many forms of poverty and violence present in contemporary society.” 

Families are essential to promoting the Catholic Church’s message and mission in the world, Leo wrote, especially amid today’s rapid changes. “For this reason, the Church’s commitment in this area must be renewed and deepened, so that those whom the Lord calls to marriage and family life can, in Christ, fully live out their conjugal love, and that young people may feel attracted, within the Church, to the beauty of the vocation to marriage,” he said. 

RELATED: Trump should have listened to the pope about clean energy. The Iran war shows why.
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