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

Trump says Vatican might host imminent Russia-Ukraine ceasefire talks

In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russian President Vladimir Putin (center) speaks to journalists at the Sirius Educational Center in Sochi on May 19, 2025, after a telephone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump. / Credit: VYACHESLAV PROKOFYEV/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

CNA Staff, May 19, 2025 / 17:25 pm (CNA).

President Donald Trump said Monday that following a two-hour phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russia and Ukraine will “immediately” begin ceasefire negotiations, with the Vatican possibly hosting the talks. 

“Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine will begin immediately. I have so informed President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine; Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission; President Emmanuel Macron of France; Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy; Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany; and President Alexander Stubb of Finland, during a call with me, immediately after the call with President Putin,” Trump wrote. 

“The Vatican, as represented by the pope, has stated that it would be very interested in hosting the negotiations. Let the process begin!” he concluded. 

Writing on social media, Trump said the “tone and spirit of the conversation” with Putin were “excellent.”

The Vatican did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Trump’s remarks. Last Friday, however, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, told reporters that “the pope plans to make the Vatican, the Holy See, available for a direct meeting between the two sides.”

Zelenskyy said at a press conference Monday that he wants the meeting to happen as soon as possible and that it could be hosted by Turkey, the Vatican, or Switzerland, the BBC reported. Meloni on Monday expressed support for the Vatican’s possible hosting of the meeting. 

In the 10 days since his election on May 8, Leo has appeared to take a more pro-Ukraine stance in the Russia-Ukraine conflict than his immediate predecessor Pope Francis, first by speaking to Zelenskyy by phone in the first hours of his papacy, then meeting the leader for a private audience the same day of his inaugural Mass.

Leo also called for negotiations for a “just and lasting peace” in Ukraine in his first two Regina Caeli messages on May 11 and May 18, and one of his early audiences was with the head of the Greek Ukrainian Catholic Church, Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk.

As a bishop in Peru in 2022, then-Bishop Robert Prevost also made explicit reference to Russia’s invasion, calling it “imperialist in nature,” while Francis avoided such language in his peace appeals and had even called for Ukraine to raise the white flag. Francis appointed Cardinal Matteo Zuppi as his peace envoy to Ukraine.

Original Source:

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/264209/trump-says-vatican-might-host-imminent-russia-ukraine-ceasefire-talks