3+ week, 5+ day ago (168+ words) El Dia de los Muertos is especially popular in Mexico but is also observed in other countries. People around the world have been celebrating the Day of the Dead, bringing light and colour to streets and cemeteries. The holiday blends pre-Colombian rituals with the Roman Catholic observance of All Saints" Day on November 1 and All Souls" Day on November 2. The Day of the Dead, or El Dia de los Muertos, is not for mourning or grieving, but for celebrating the lives of those who have passed. It is believed to be a time when the living and the dead can connect. Traditional practices are performed, such as placing marigold flowers on altars and offering certain food items, the aroma and colour of which are thought to help spirits return to visit the living. To commemorate the dead, people also dress…...

2+ day, 22+ hour ago (620+ words) First American pope will arrive in the Turkish capital Ankara, where he will meet President Erdogan. Pope Leo has embarked on his first foreign trip as Catholic leader with a visit to two Muslim-majority countries of Turkiye and Lebanon, where he is expected to make appeals for peace in the Middle East, ravaged by conflicts, and urge unity among long-divided Christian churches. The pontiff, who has a crowded three-day itinerary in Turkiye starting on Thursday, before heading on to Lebanon, will be closely watched as he makes his first speeches overseas and visits sensitive cultural sites. Foreign travel has become'a major part of the modern papacy, with'popes attracting international attention as they lead events with crowds sometimes in the millions, give foreign policy speeches and conduct international diplomacy. Leo, 70, was scheduled to depart with his entourage from Rome's Fiumicino airport…...

1+ day, 18+ hour ago (557+ words) First American pope urges Catholic Church in Turkiye to serve the most vulnerable, including migrants and refugees. Pope Leo XIV is set to join the leader of the world's Orthodox Christians to celebrate the historic 1,700-year milestone since one of the early Church's most important gatherings, on the second day of his visit to Turkiye. The leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics began his day on Friday by joining a prayer service at Istanbul's Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. The first American pope has chosen the Muslim-majority Turkiye as his first overseas destination, to be followed by Lebanon in the coming days, as he seeks to be a bridge-builder and a messenger of peace amid raging global conflict. In Istanbul, police shut down a main artery of the country's largest city to allow Leo's entourage to pass. After the…...

23+ hour, 21+ min ago (1102+ words) As Turkiye hosts pontiff, minority community representatives say a new chapter is taking shape " anchored in restitution, visibility and renewed confidence. Pope Leo XIV's Turkiye visit: Catholic, Orthodox churches seek unity amid historical divide Istanbul, Turkiye " Pope Leo XIV has chosen Turkiye for his first foreign trip as the head of the Roman Catholic Church, a deeply symbolic move that minority community representatives say is taking place at a time of renewed openness in the Muslim-majority country. During his visit this week, the pontiff held talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, met religious leaders and visited places of worship in the country where Christianity's deep roots sit alongside a long and influential Islamic tradition. Today, Turkiye's population of more than 80 million people is at least 99 percent Muslim, yet the country remains home to centuries-old Greek, Armenian, Syriac and Latin Christian…...

3+ day, 19+ hour ago (64+ words) Pope Leo XIV spoke about his upcoming first foreign trip as pontiff to Turkiye and Lebanon. Pope Leo to travel to Turkey, Lebanon on first foreign trip Pope Leo XIV spoke about his upcoming first foreign trip as pontiff, a day before he is set to depart to Turkiye and Lebanon "to visit the beloved peoples of those countries rich in history and spirituality....

22+ hour, 42+ min ago (74+ words) The Head of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo, visited Istanbul's Blue Mosque as part of his four-day trip to Turkiye. Pope Leo tours Istanbul's Blue Mosque during Turkiye trip The Head of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo, visited Istanbul's Blue Mosque as part of his four-day trip to Turkiye. Officially called the Sultanahmet Mosque, it was built in the sixth century and has great significance to both Christians and Muslims....

1+ day, 19+ hour ago (373+ words) The pontiff leads prayers in Istanbul, emphasising the Nicene Creed as the core of Christian unity and faith. Shouts of "Papa Leo" and "Viva il Papa" (Long live the pope ) have reverberated throughout Istanbul's Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, accompanied by enthusiastic cheering and applause, as Pope Leo XIV arrived to commence his first trip in Turkiye. This historic council occurred when Eastern and Western churches remained unified, long before the Great Schism of 1054 divided them primarily over papal authority. Nevertheless, the Nicene Creed continues to be embraced by Catholic, Orthodox and most traditional Protestant denominations, serving as a rare point of consensus and the most universally accepted creed in Christendom. Addressing the congregation at the cathedral, Leo emphasised that the creed was not merely a doctrinal statement but the "essential core of the Christian faith". "Therefore, its development is…...

2+ day, 18+ hour ago (77+ words) Pope Leo XIV hailed Turkiye as a bridge between cultures and religions, during his first visit since becoming pontiff. Pope Leo warns "future of humanity is at stake" during Turkiye visit Pope Leo XIV hailed Turkiye as a bridge between cultures and religions, as he began his first foreign visit since becoming pontiff. He warned the future of humanity was at stake as a result of escalating conflicts. The Pope will also visit Lebanon during his tour....

6+ day, 23+ hour ago (1775+ words) The women banished to Ghana's 'witch camps' Gambaga, Ghana " Bachalibanoya Anaberi settles onto a small plastic stool in the doorway of her mud-brick hut. Her bare feet shift against the dirt floor as she adjusts her position. Her clothes are worn with dust and time. At 85, she is the oldest resident of the Gambaga "witch camp" in Ghana's North East Region, and one of the first to have been banished to this community of exiles. "I've lived in this camp for 45 years," says Anaberi. After her husband died, the children of his other wife accused her of witchcraft and blamed her for the family's misfortune. "She had no children of her own," explains Reverend Gladys Lariba Mahama, a Presbyterian minister who has supported the women of Gambaga since 1997. "Whenever a child of the co-wife fell sick, they [the family] attributed…...

3+ week, 4+ day ago (267+ words) Sikh pilgrims cross from India into Pakistan to celebrate Guru Nanak's birthday, one of Sikhism's most sacred festivals. Pakistan has welcomed Sikh pilgrims from India in the first major crossing since their deadly conflict in May closed the land border between the nuclear-armed neighbours. More than 2,100 pilgrims were granted visas to attend a 10-day festival marking 556 years since the birth of Guru Nanak, founder of the Sikh faith, a decision that was in line with efforts to promote "interreligious and intercultural harmony and understanding, Pakistan's high commission in New Delhi said last week. In May, Islamabad and New Delhi engaged in their worst fighting since 1999, leaving more than 70 people dead. The Wagah-Attari border, the only active land crossing between the two countries, was closed to general traffic after the violence. On Wednesday, the pilgrims will gather at Nankana Sahib, Guru…...