Religion News

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Leo XIV met with members of the Vatican’s child protection advisory commission on Thursday for the first time amid questions about his past handling of clergy sex abuse cases and demands from survivors that he enact a true po

ISLAMABAD (AP) — This year’s Hajj in Saudi Arabia attracted the lowest number of pilgrims for 30 years, excluding the COVID-19 pandemic period , according to figures released Thursday.

MUWASI, Gaza Strip (AP) — With the Gaza Strip devastated by war and siege, Palestinians struggled Thursday to celebrate one of the most important Islamic holidays.

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel has recovered the bodies of two Israeli-American hostages taken in Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack that ignited the war in the Gaza Strip.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday handed down a unanimous ruling in a religious rights case, finding that a Catholic charity in Wisconsin can't be required to pay unemployment taxes when other religious groups are exempt.

KARA, Nigeria (AP) — Muslim families across west Africa are grappling with the steep cost of rams for the traditional sacrifice that is central to the celebration of Eid al-Adha , a struggle that mirrors the region's deepening economic and humanitari

ARAFAT, Saudi Arabia (AP) — More than 1.5 million foreign pilgrims are in Saudi Arabia for this year's Hajj , a government spokesperson said Wednesday.

CAIRO (AP) — Egypt says the sovereignty of a famous monastery is assured.

This is a photo collection curated by AP photo editors. The Associated Press

IKITSUKI, Japan (AP) — On this small island in rural Nagasaki, Japan ’s Hidden Christians gather to worship what they call the Closet God. In a special room about the size of a tatami mat is a scroll painting of a kimono-clad Asian woman.