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.

Peru presents Pope Leo XIV tourist route to showcase his life in the country

The poster for the presentation of the Pope Leo XIV tourist route in Peru. / Credit: ANDINA/Presidency of Peru

Lima Newsroom, Jul 24, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

On the evening of July 21, the Peruvian government, led by President Dina Boluarte, presented “Leo’s Route” simultaneously from four regions in Peru. The project seeks to show the world 39 places related to Pope Leo XIV’s life in the country.

Úrsula Desilú León Chempén, Peru’s minister of tourism (left); President Dina Boluarte (center); and the current bishop of Chiclayo, Edinson Farfán, at the presentation of “Leo’s Route” in Lambayeque, Peru, on July 21, 2025. Credit: ANDINA/Presidency of Peru
Úrsula Desilú León Chempén, Peru’s minister of tourism (left); President Dina Boluarte (center); and the current bishop of Chiclayo, Edinson Farfán, at the presentation of “Leo’s Route” in Lambayeque, Peru, on July 21, 2025. Credit: ANDINA/Presidency of Peru

The presentation of the project, also known as “Paths of Pope Leo XIV,” took place in the regions of Lambayeque — where Robert Prevost, the current pope, was bishop of Chiclayo — in La Libertad, Piura, and Callao, where he served as apostolic administrator.

In Lambayeque — where Boluarte and the current bishop of Chiclayo, Edinson Farfán, were present — the president stated that “we have here a route that not only runs through streets or churches but also through the memory, faith, and hope of a people who never stopped dreaming and who today can proudly say that we have a Peruvian pope.”

Leo’s Route. Credit: ANDINA/Presidency of Peru
Leo’s Route. Credit: ANDINA/Presidency of Peru

Although Prevost was born in the United States, he became a naturalized Peruvian citizen in 2015, when he was appointed bishop of his “beloved diocese of Chiclayo,” as he said in his first words to the world, speaking in Spanish, after being elected pope. He also recently updated his information to renew his DNI, the national identity document for Peruvians.

Faithful from Chiclayo outside the cathedral during the presentation of Leo’s Route. Credit: ANDINA/Presidency of Peru
Faithful from Chiclayo outside the cathedral during the presentation of Leo’s Route. Credit: ANDINA/Presidency of Peru

A few days ago, the minister of foreign trade and tourism, Desilú León, emphasized that “this is not just a religious route; it is an integrative project that combines together culture, infrastructure, services, faith, and identity. It is also a commitment to local development through tourism.”

In Lambayeque, the region where the city of Chiclayo is located, 22 tourist points of interest have been identified, organized into four circuits that combine religious, cultural, and natural heritage, such as St. Mary’s Cathedral, the Cross of Motupe, the Pómac Forest, and Pimentel Beach.

The presentation of Leo’s Route in Lambayeque, Peru. Credit: ANDINA/Presidency of Peru
The presentation of Leo’s Route in Lambayeque, Peru. Credit: ANDINA/Presidency of Peru

In Piura, there will be eight destinations, including St. Joseph the Worker Parish and the Holy Family Cathedral, both in Chulucanas, and the town of La Encantada.

In Callao, there are four destinations: the “Mother Church,” St. Rose Parish, the diocesan chancery, and the Carmen de la Legua district; while in La Libertad, there are five destinations, including St. Thomas of Villanova Convent and the Sts. Charles and Marcellus Major Seminary in Trujillo, where Pope Leo XIV was a professor.

The presentation of Leo’s Route in Callao, Peru. Credit: ANDINA/Presidency of Peru
The presentation of Leo’s Route in Callao, Peru. Credit: ANDINA/Presidency of Peru

Leo XIV arrived as a priest in Chulucanas in the Piura region of Peru in 1985. He returned to the United States and then came back to Trujillo in the La Libertad district, where he stayed for 11 years. In 2014, he returned first as apostolic administrator and then as bishop of Chiclayo; and years later, he also served as apostolic administrator of Callao.

For the first stage of this route, which has involved coordination with four regions and 20 municipalities, the government has allocated a total of 540 million soles (approximately $151 million).

“In a world with more than 7 billion inhabitants, there is only one pope, and that pope chose by his own decision to become Peruvian. Everything we do to showcase his work will always fall short of his greatness,” the minister stated.

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

Original Source:

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/265507/peru-presents-pope-leo-xiv-tourist-route-to-showcase-his-life-in-the-country