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

Illinois diocese halts St. Jude relic tour amid ‘incident’ involving priest, students

A candle of St. Jude. / Credit: Francesca Pollio/CNA

CNA Staff, Nov 24, 2024 / 15:25 pm (CNA).

A bishop in Illinois has halted in his diocese a traveling tour of a relic of St. Jude following an “incident” that allegedly took place between a visiting priest and several students.

A statement from Father Michael Lane and Father Gregory Alberts at Queen of the Apostles Catholic Church in Joliet, Illinois, said that on Thursday of this week the parish hosted the arm of St. Jude as part of the relic’s ongoing tour throughout the United States.

A priest with the Canadian order Companions of the Cross was overseeing the relic’s visit through the “Treasures of the Church” ministry, the statement said.

During the visit, “an incident with the priest and some students was reported to have happened in our church,” it continued.

“We immediately contacted the police,” the priests said. “A police investigation is still ongoing. The priest was confronted with the information. We informed the priest that he must depart from our parish and out of our diocese.”

The priests subsequently canceled the remainder of the relic’s visit, they said. They further informed Joliet Bishop Ronald Hicks, who “canceled the tour of the relic scheduled at two more of our parishes this week.”

The bishop “also informed the superior of the Companions of the Cross Order of priests” of the incident.

“All involved in this incident are safe,” the priests wrote.

The statement did not identify the priest by name, though the Pillar on Saturday evening reported that the priest was Father Carlos Martins, the director of Treasures of the Church. The ministry said last August that Martins would be leading the St. Jude relic tour throughout the United States.

CNA could not immediately confirm whether Martins was the priest referenced in the statement. Reached by CNA on Sunday afternoon, Martins declined to comment.

Treasures of the Church is based out of Michigan. It identifies itself as a “ministry of evangelization of the Catholic Church” that exists “to give people an experience of the living God through an encounter with the relics of his saints in the form of an exposition.”

Martins is also known for his ministry as an exorcist. The podcast “The Exorcist Files,” hosted by Martins and Ryan Bethea, topped the charts last year with what are claimed to be dramatic reenactments of the priest’s case files.

This is a developing story.

Original Source:

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/260667/illinois-diocese-halts-st-jude-relic-tour-amid-incident-involving-priest-students