Editorial: Take the next step
An emphatic defence of religious freedom by Ontario politicians was almost enough to set bells ringing at churches — and mosques, synagogues and temples — across the province.
Pope Francis denounces increasing violence against Jewish people
VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis warned that violence against Jewish people, which reached a state of horror during World War II, is on the rise again.
Quebec education bill proposes abolishing religious committee
QUEBEC CITY -- Many experts fear new Quebec government legislation on education will further diminish religion and spirituality from the province’s schools.
WASHINGTON -- In light of continued attacks on houses of worship and holy sites around the world, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom held an Oct. 23 hearing at the Capitol to learn ways to deter such attacks.
Federal leaders tread lightly on Bill 21
OTTAWA -- Catholics and others of faith who have been stunned by the anti-religious freedom nature of a recently enacted Quebec law are not getting much support from Canada’s federal party leaders.
SYDNEY -- The Australian government said it will make changes to religious freedom legislation concerning religious hospitals and aged-care facilities, after the Catholic Church pushed for changes to a recently released draft legislation package.
‘Emerging level of angst’ about religious freedom
CORNWALL, Ont. -- Religious persecution always has a starting point, a trajectory and like cancer it needs early detection and diagnosis, an Evangelical leader told Canada’s Catholic bishops.
Christianity's future in Middle East has reached defining moment
WASHINGTON -- In a room full of religious leaders, politicians and other supporters of protecting Christians threatened in the Middle East, Sam Brownback, ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, urged more prayer and action to continue supporting persecuted Christians in the Middle East.
SYDNEY -- The Australian government is preparing to introduce the country's first religious freedom laws, but some senior Catholic clerics are concerned they may not go far enough.
WASHINGTON -- In conjunction with the U.S. State Department's Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, the Religious Freedom Institute presented a side event July 15 to discuss current international religious freedom policy.
WASHINGTON -- The rabbi of a Pittsburgh Jewish community where 11 people were killed by a gunman in October told a worldwide meeting of religious freedom activists that only by rejecting racism and bigotry can violence in the name of religion be overcome.
WASHINGTON -- The Pew Research Center's annual report on restrictions on religion worldwide showed the United States had the worst scores in the Americas in three of the eight categories Pew surveyed.
Trudeau defends religious freedom
MISSISSAUGA, ONT. -- In a campaign-style address, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed to be Canada’s defender of religious freedom July 6 at an annual religious festival.
LOS ANGELES -- In a last-minute twist, a California bill that would have required priests to break the sacramental seal of confession was shelved by its sponsor amid a remarkable grassroots campaign mounted by the state's Catholics, members of other faith groups, and religious liberty advocates from across the country.
OREM, Utah -- The nation's Bill of Rights guaranteed freedom of religion, not freedom from religion, New York Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan told a crowd of more than 3,000 gathered in Orem for a patriotic event held each year around the Fourth of July.