Catholicism

The Great Schism That Split Christianity Into East and West

The East–West Schism that occurred in 1054 represents one of the most significant and tragic events in the history of Christianity. Eastern and Western Christians had a history of differences and disagreements, some dating back to the earliest days...

Why Greek Orthodox Priests Have Beards

The beards of Orthodox priests are some of their most striking attributes, marking them as different from other Western religious men.

Who Will Be the Next Pope? The Four Leading Candidates

Pope Francis, head of the Roman Catholic Church since 2013, has died aged 88, the Vatican announced Monday. Bells tolled in church towers across Rome after the announcement, which was read out by Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo, from the chapel...

The Christmas Tree Is a Tradition Older Than Christmas

Why, every Christmas, do so many people endure the mess of dried pine needles, the risk of a fire hazard and impossibly tangled strings of lights? By Troy Bickham Strapping a fir tree to the hood of my car and worrying...

Paris Olympics Organizers Apologize Over Last Supper Controversy

The  "unintentional parody" of the Last Supper at last week's inauguration of the 2024 Olympics in Paris angered Christians and Catholics. The outrage sparked after the ceremony featured a scene reminiscent of da Vinci's painting with a transgender model, drag...

Pope Francis Apologizes for Slur Towards Gay Men

Pope Francis has issued an apology following reports that he used extremely derogatory language towards gay men. A statement from the Vatican claimed the Pope did not mean to offend anyone and apologized to those who were "hurt by the...

Over 300,000 May be Abuse Victims of Catholic Church in France

The Catholic Church in France is facing a reckoning, just like the Church has in other nations in the past several years, as over 300,000 people report being victims of clergy abuse dating back 70 years. As many as 330,000...

Patriarch Bartholomew to Pray for Peace With Pope, Other Faith Leaders in Rome

His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will participate in Tuesday's interfaith ceremony and prayers with Pope Francis as part of an international Prayer for Peace initiative entitled "No One Is Saved Alone – Peace and Fraternity." Hosted by the Rome-based faith...