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Editor's note:
AP Vatican correspondent Nicole Winfield said Pope Francis’ recent trip to Mongolia was one of those assignments that she and her colleagues dream about: A unprecedented trip – no pope had ever gone to the country – that became even more fascinating in the context of Christianity’s history in the region. Add the geopolitical significance of a pope flying through Chinese airspace to get there, and making a spontaneous shout-out to Chinese Catholics at the end of Mass, with Hong Kong’s two bishops by his side, and Mongolia now ranks as one of the most important foreign trips of this papacy. The AP’s Religion Team helped finance the travels by Winfield and an AP videographer – to a far-away place with only 1,450 Catholics. At one point, during a government-organized visit to a national park, they interviewed a presidential advisor while Mongolian wrestlers jostled in the background and horseback riders raced around.
Religion News
As New York’s migrant crisis grinds on, some faith-based organizations go it alone
Confronted with an unprecedented migrant crisis, the city’s government has relied on faith-based organizations operating inside and out of a city-funded faith-based shelter program. By Fiona André/Religion News Service
Pope wants to keep big Vatican meeting on the church’s future behind closed doors, ideology-free
Pope Francis defends the decision to keep the discussions of a big Vatican meeting on the future of the Catholic Church behind closed doors, saying the three-week conference is a religious moment for the church and “not a television program” that is open to scrutiny. By Nicole Winfield/The Associated Press
Activists declare an early victory this week in their fight to repeal a new Republican-backed law allowing Nebraska taxpayer money to be used for private school tuition. But both sides acknowledge that the battle is just beginning. By Margery Beck/The Associated Press
Clergy dish up meatball sundaes, pickle ice pops and a little faith at the Minnesota State Fair
Faith has a deep-rooted presence at the Minnesota State Fair, from the decades-old Lutheran and Methodist dining halls to an evangelical chapel handing out thousands of free Bibles to a booth seeking to combat misinformation about Islam. By Giovanna Dell’Orto/The Associated Press
Pope Francis chides his American critics — but who is he talking about?
When it comes to the pope’s right-wing critics here in the U.S., he has a broad spectrum to choose from. By Jack Jenkins/Religion News Service
Commentary and Analysis
A scholar who has closely followed reforms that MBS has made to Wahhabism, an austere form of Islam, explains the changes taking place in the Saudi kingdom and their impact. By Nathan French
Krishna Janmashtami is celebrated as the birthday of the Hindu god Krishna. Many Hindus reenact episodes from mythology on Krishna's life, known as 'Krishna Lilas,' and perform folk dances. By Robert J. Stephens for The Conversation
Coral has been woven into traditions, art and even religion in communities around the world. By Michele Currie Navakas for The Conversation
What is it that makes a schoolgirl's choice to wear the abaya a form of religious proselytism? By Omar Suleiman/Religion News Service
Ethnic Chinese people throw imitation money known as 'hell money' to be burned as offerings during the Hungry Ghost Festival in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia, Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023. The festival is celebrated during the seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar, when prayers are offered to the dead and offerings of food and paper-made models of items such as televisions and cars are burned to appease wandering spirits. It is believed that the gates of hell are opened during the month and the souls of dead ancestors return to visit their relatives. (AP Photo/Binsar Bakkara)
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