Scandal in Seville? The restoration of the Madonna “Macarena” outrages believers. Instead of care, the figure of the Virgin Mary was given make-up and eyelashes. Now Spain is debating. There is a great deal of excitement in Seville: the appearance of the famous statue of the Virgin de la Esperanza Macarena is causing heated discussions.…
For almost a year now, the Via Appia Antica has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. To this day, the 2,340-year-old road is an important traffic artery from Rome to southern Italy – and holds exciting archaeological evidence. Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a church around 50 kilometres south of Rome, which could provide…
An attacker has caused a bloodbath in a church in Syria. So far, at least 22 people have been killed and more than 50 injured. Bishop Bätzing expresses his shock and calls for the protection of all Christians. Following the suicide attack on a church in Syria, Bishop Georg Bätzing is calling for better protection…
Orthodox churches in the USA are joining the lawsuit filed by Catholic bishops against a new anti-abuse law in Washington state. It is intended to oblige clergy of all religions to report cases of child abuse – even if they were disclosed during a confession. Now – among others – the Orthodox Church in America…
The Austrian Pilgrim Hospice in the Old City of Jerusalem is the oldest Christian guest house in the Holy City. Sealed off and emptied of guests, it is now in a difficult financial situation. The renowned Austrian Hospice in Jerusalem’s Old City has been forced to temporarily cease operations due to the war between Israel…
Search operations continue, but hope is fading. Dozens of people are believed to have died off the coast of Libya while trying to reach Europe. More than 60 migrants are missing after two shipwrecks off the coast of Libya. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) assumes that dozens have died, as it announced on Wednesday…
According to aid workers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, sexual violence against women and girls is on the rise. “The systematic use of rape as a weapon of war is not only a violation of human rights, but also a targeted strategy to destabilise communities,” said the country director of the aid organisation…
The General Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation will meet in Augsburg in 2030. The occasion is the 500th anniversary of the Augsburg Confession, as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria announced in Munich on Friday. This was decided by the Council of the World Federation in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa. The Confessio Augustana is…
An Italian boy dies of leukaemia at the age of 15. Now Carlo Acutis is canonised because he was particularly pious and socially committed. In addition to enthusiasm, the honour also triggers criticism. The boy in the red polo shirt smiles somewhat shyly into the camera, carrying a rucksack over his shoulders. Carlo Acutis, who…
It is common knowledge that Pope Leo XIV knows his home country, the USA, and his missionary country, Peru. But he is also familiar with the evil consequences of communism in Eastern Europe. This is reported by the former Archbishop of Prague. Leo XIV, the first pope from the USA, is apparently a convinced anti-communist…