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

Priest accused of being involved in alleged plot to assassinate president of Brazil

Father José Eduardo de Oliveira e Silva has over 420,000 followers on Instagram and 130,000 on YouTube. / Credit: Courtesy of Father José Eduardo de Oliveira e Silva

Sao Paulo, Brazil, Nov 22, 2024 / 16:50 pm (CNA).

On Nov. 21, Brazil’s Federal Police charged Father José Eduardo de Oliveira e Silva of the Diocese of Osasco in São Paulo state as part of a group of 37 people that includes former President Jair Bolsonaro on suspicion of plotting the violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, plotting a coup d’état, and belonging to a criminal organization. 

According to authorities, the publication of the list of defendants in the final report of the investigation into the alleged coup d’état was authorized by the country’s Supreme Federal Court.

The charges stem from the investigation by the Federal Police into an alleged plot to assassinate then-President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, his vice president, Geraldo Alckmin, and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. Military personnel and military police have already been detained in connection with the investigation.

Despite the announcement by the police, the public prosecutor’s office is not obliged to go forward with prosecuting the persons implicated or the alleged crimes being charged. 

The priest’s defense attorney, Miguel Vidigal, told ACI Digital, CNA’s Portuguese-language news partner, that “the press release by the Federal Police with the list of defendants is one more abuse by those responsible for the investigation, and publishing it on the police department’s official website contaminates the entire institution.”

“Who authorized the Federal Police to break the secrecy of the investigations? As far as we know, [Supreme Court] Justice Alexandre de Moraes decreed absolute secrecy,” the attorney said.

“So far there is no decision by [him] that voids such determination,” he added.

“Less than seven days after giving testimony to the Federal Police,” Father José Eduardo “sees his name in print [on the list] by the Federal Police as one of those indicted by investigators.” The same investigators didn’t shy away from breaking the law and international treaties by combing through the priest’s conversations and spiritual direction that are guaranteed to be confidential, Vidigal denounced.

In February, the priest was the subject of a raid and seizure operation by the Federal Police that was authorized by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. The priest was accused of being part of the “legal core” of the alleged coup d'état, for which former president Bolsonaro, advisers, allies, military personnel, and former ministers of his government were also investigated.

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

Original Source:

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/260657/priest-accused-of-being-involved-in-alleged-plot-to-assassinate-president-of-brazil