Catholics in Brazil wonder about the future of their faith, Chinese demand for shark fin soup wreaks havoc on marine life in Mozambique and South African President Jacob Zuma calls for an end to widespread rape across the country
religion
Filipino Faces Jail Time for ‘Offending Religious Feelings’
Filipino activist Carlos Celdran faces jail time for “offending religious feelings”
Choosing a Leader: Who Will Be the Next Archbishop of Canterbury?
It’s a decision that will shape the future of the worldwide Anglican community. On Sept. 28, senior figures in the Church of England were expected to conclude a two-day meeting at a secret location to choose the next Archbishop …
Must-Reads from Around the World
On deck for Thursday: Russians participate in risky clinical trials to receive medical care, a Filipino priest will be investigated for possible links to elephant ivory smuggling, news from the UN General Assembly and U.K. Flooding
An Interview with the Discoverer of ‘Jesus’ Wife’
The Harvard scholar is keen to have the authenticity and context of the intriguing papyrus explored and debated. But she remains excited by the find
Sri Lanka’s Elephant Shortage
In Sri Lanka, elephants perform an important role in a range of traditional religious ceremonies. But dwindling numbers of pachyderms in captivity have led to a surge in illegal kidnapping of baby elephants
“This is the tragedy of being stateless.”
Lady Gaga, Deemed Satanic by Conservative Groups, Is Bullied Out of Indonesia
The show won’t go on. Lady Gaga this weekend announced that she is canceling a sold-out concert in Jakarta because of threats of violence from religious hard-liners. The gig, scheduled for June 3, was staunchly opposed by …
Will the Next Archbishop of Canterbury Be Black?
The position of Archbishop of Canterbury, which Rowan Williams has held for nearly a decade now, has increasingly required as much diplomacy as it has spiritual leadership — if not more so. Back in 2007, Williams told TIME that …
Obama in Indonesia: Will the President Speak Out on Human Rights?
Obama loves Indonesia. He lived there as a boy and returned, last year, as president of the United States. In his homecoming speech at the University of Indonesia he reminisced about the Jakarta of his youth, conjuring scenes of rice paddies and kites drifting on the breeze. “Indonesia is a part of me,” he mused, lauding the young …
Another Sunday, Another Crackdown in Beijing
For Beijing police, Sunday is hardly a day of rest. In February an online call for Sunday protests in major Chinese cities including the capital touched off a widespread detentions. This month a Beijing church has twice attempted to hold Sunday services outdoors, and both times its members were confronted by security personnel. While the …
Interview with a Fetish Priestess
We step into the fetish priestess’s yard and, improbably, there is a clap of thunder, a sudden gust of wind slams doors and windows, and knocks over several plastic chairs – and the lights go out. My guide, Boat, and I are shown to two seats in front of the priestess, sitting on her porch in the dark. We are each handed a small glass …
How Pakistan’s Blasphemy Laws Are Tearing The Country Apart
In a sign of Pakistan’s increasing instability gunmen attacked and killed Pakistan’s minister for religious minorities earlier this morning. Shahbaz Bhatti, a member of Pakistan’s minority Christian community, had been vocal about Pakistan’s draconian anti-blasphemy laws. And he is not the first: in January, Salmaan Taseer, the …