This landmark four-day gathering — convened under the theme “Where now for visible unity?” — marks a significant moment in the century-long journey of ecumenical dialogue.
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African bishops’ reactions to the appointment of Sarah Mullally as the first woman Archbishop of Canterbury have been mixed. On the conservative side, leaders in Uganda, Nigeria, Rwanda and other nations have opposed the move. On Thursday, the bishops of the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans announced they were cutting all ties with the Anglican Communion.
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The Constitutional Court in South Africa decided last month that husbands can adopt their wives’ surnames upon getting married, ruling that until now the law discriminated against men. While it is being celebrated as a progressive decision by some, the ruling has outraged many — with some religious and traditional leaders saying this is an assault on marriage.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Ethiopia stands at a critical juncture. Years of civil war and ethnic strife have left deep wounds and a fragile peace. The northern civil war that ended in 2022 alone caused an estimated 600,000 deaths and displaced millions. Atrocities were committed by all sides, including the government, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front and Eritrean troops.
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A new congressional bill would require the U.S. to designate Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), indicating egregious, systemic and ongoing religious freedom violations in the country that is the deadliest for Christians. The Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025 echoes a longstanding call by many religious freedom organizations.
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Rastafarians celebrate Emperor Haile Selassie I because they believe he is the living God, or Jah, who appeared in human form to bring salvation to people of African descent. His coronation in 1930 was seen as the fulfillment of a prophecy that a Black king would be crowned in Africa, signaling the beginning of deliverance from oppression.
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The monastery is in the news again, and for unhappy reasons connected to the court decision. Under pressure from Greek Orthodox leaders internationally, the monastery's head, Archbishop Damianos, announced that he would resign as of last Friday. Meanwhile, on Sept. 8, the Synod of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem unanimously resolved that Damianos be already deposed.
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Financial instability, high unemployment and poverty in South Africa have led some women to choose prostitution as a means of supporting their children. As South Africa moves to decriminalize prostitution, Religion Unplugged interviewed Christian ministries that preach to women involved in prostitution to explore the church’s role in restoring their dignity.
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While Nigeria grapples with growing homelessness and drug addiction, a pastor has made it his mission to reach out to some of the country’s poorest with the creation of the “Church Under the Bridge.” The project, created in 2024 by chance, aims to give hope to groups of people who have been largely ignored by the government and most of society.
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At a time when more than three billion people worldwide live without access to a local church, International Cooperating Ministries is inviting Christians to help bridge that gap. The Virginia-based missions organization, which has helped construct more than 13,600 permanent church buildings in 110 countries, recently launched its new Community Impact Partners program.
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A Muslim convert who said he saw a vision of Christ while napping at a Ugandan mosque is recovering after his relatives beat him and destroyed his home. While Uganda is not included in Open Doors’ World Watch List of the 50 countries that are the worst persecutors of Christians, Uganda ranks 72nd in the world for Christian persecution.
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It is early one morning and a child on the shore spots the ship before anyone else, shouting to greet its arrival. Women begin to gather with babies strapped to their backs. Somewhere inside a crumbling church a bell rings — not for worship — but for medicine. This is the quiet, but powerful work of a long-standing partnership led by the African Inland Church Tanzania and the U.K.-based Vine Trust.
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The murders this past May in Kenya of two Catholic priests reflecst a global context in which clergy, who have always lived among the poor and on the peripheries, are now being hunted. In many areas around the world where the state has receded, faith often becomes the last visible institution — and the first to be attacked. From the Americas to Africa, religious workers have become marked men and women.
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Religious demand for wildlife products can be just as relentless as demand for items used in traditional medicine, status symbols or investments. From African elephant ivory carved into crucifixes for Catholics to Islamic prayer beads and Coptic crosses to amulets and carvings for Buddhists and Taoists in Thailand, the list is very long.
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A leading academic who has called for the return of precious artifacts “stolen by Pope Pius XI and his missionaries” from Indigenous First Nations communities has urged Pope Leo XIV and the Vatican Museums to “rethink their colonial mindset.” Gloria Bell said the Vatican continues to falsely “refer to everything” in their collection as a “gift.”
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There are 81,011 inmates in Nigeria’s prisons. However, inadequate healthcare remains a significant challenge, contributing to numerous health problems and affecting inmates’ overall well-being. Founded in 1992 by the Discalced Carmelite Friars in Nigeria, CAPIO addresses the health and needs of inmates across the country.
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Nigeria has allocated just 7% of its national budget this year to education, far below UNESCO's recommended 15 to 20%. Despite years of criticism over this consistent underfunding, there has been little to no change. As a result, one Christian woman has made it her mission to help the many men and women impacted by years of conflict.
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(ANALYSIS) When Zohran Mamdani announced his candidacy for mayor of New York City, political observers noted his progressive platform and legislative record. But understanding the Democratic candidate’s background requires examining the rich cultural tapestry woven into his very surname: Mamdani.
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In the heart of Nairobi’s Mukuru slum, where corrugated iron shacks gleam under the equatorial sun, Sister Mary Killeen has woven a legacy of hope. Known as the “Mother Teresa of Nairobi,” this Dublin-born Sister of Mercy has spent nearly five decades transforming lives in one of Kenya’s most impoverished areas.
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Many Ugandans are still waiting for that transformative change to materialize across key sectors. Some had hoped it would come through economic empowerment or expanded human rights. While the broader national transformation remains elusive, one sector — Uganda’s Anglican Church — has seen notable progress, particularly in advancing women’s leadership.
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