1+ day, 3+ hour ago (578+ words) Pope Leo XIV has visited Istanbul's Sultan Ahmed Mosque - widely known as the Blue Mosque - in his first visit to a Muslim place of worship since he took up the papacy in May. The Pontiff was seen bowing as he entered the building, but it is reported he did not pray at the mosque, as his two predecessors had done. The Vatican said in a statement Leo undertook the tour "in a spirit of reflection and listening, with deep respect for the place and for the faith of those who gather there in prayer". The Pope is on a four-day trip to Turkey, after which he will visit Lebanon. He was later welcomed to St George's Cathedral in Istanbul by the head of the Eastern Orthodox Church, Patriarch Bartholomew. The Pope was given a tour of the Blue Mosque, accompanied…...

3+ day, 2+ hour ago (796+ words) Pope Leo XIV will make his first papal trip overseas this week Pope Leo XIV is beginning the first foreign trip of his papacy. Over the next six days he will first visit Turkey for an historic Christian anniversary. He will then visit Lebanon just days after Israeli airstrikes on its capital, Beirut. Visits to both countries had originally been planned by the late Pope Francis, but the overarching theme " building bridges " is one Pope Leo has made his own from the moment he stepped onto the balcony of St Peters Basilica after his election in May. In the first six months of his papacy, he has conveyed a sense of being extremely measured, even cautious. But on this trip, his powers of diplomacy will be closely scrutinised Eastern and Western branches of Christianity later dramatically split, but during this…...

4+ day, 20+ hour ago (823+ words) Kirsteen and Andrew Mitchell own the manse next door to Applegarth Church A couple who decided to save their local church took just two days to raise the money to make the purchase - thanks to donations from well-wishers around the world. Andrew and Kirsteen Mitchell crowd-funded "70,000 to buy Applegarth Church near Lockerbie following an appeal to members of Clan Jardine, whose ancient family set lies within the tiny hamlet. Descendants from the United States, South Africa and Canada put their hands in their pockets to help secure the future of the building. The couple, who kick-started the fundraising campaign with a "15,000 donation, have now established a charity for the church to be used as a place for weddings, funerals and events. "In 48 hours we had raised more than the asking price of "55,000. We were astounded," the couple said. The church…...

5+ day, 18+ hour ago (1597+ words) From live worship, music, carols and spiritual contemplation, here's your guide to religious programmes across TV and radio this festive season The BBC will showcase a wide range of festive programming across television and radio this Christmas, including live worship, musical celebration, traditional carols and spiritual contemplation. On Television, in the fourth series of My Life at Christmas, Countryfile and Woman's Hour presenter Anita Rani will spend time with Sir Rod Stewart and Penny Lancaster; Ade Adepitan; and Dame Floella Benjamin as they each explore how their festive memories reflect their lives, careers and faith. BBC One Christmas religion programming continues with Midnight Mass, broadcast live from Our Lady of the Assumption and the English Martyrs, in Cambridge; and on Christmas Morning the wonder and joy of the Nativity will be celebrated live from the splendour of Bradford Cathedral. There…...

1+ week, 1+ day ago (81+ words) The widow of a former Presbyterian minister says the church destroyed his life - his friend Rev Bill Atkins speaks out. The widow of a former Presbyterian minister says the church destroyed his life - his friend Rev Bill Atkins speaks out The widow of a former Presbyterian minister says the church destroyed his life - his friend Rev Bill Atkins speaks out. 29 days left to listen This clip is from More clips from 21/11/2025 More clips from The Nolan Show...

1+ week, 3+ day ago (760+ words) The church was hit by a fire in October Repairs to a church that was badly damaged by fire could take up to three years to complete, a benefice administrator said. Norfolk Fire Service was called to St John's Church in Harleston on 1 October after plumes of smoke escaped through the roof and windows. An investigation found a faulty electrical item in the kitchen had started the fire, which caused widespread smoke and heat damage to the building. Helen Orford, the benefice administrator, said: "From the outside it doesn't look too bad but once you actually see inside, like the plaster has come off the wall, there's a lot of internal damage." "Inside is very black, smelly, mould is coming through the water from the fire brigade. It just smells and is in a very bad state. The church anticipates…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago (1230+ words) Dr Jacqui Montgomery-Devlin has spoken out publicly for the first time following last week's announcement by the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, she says, to clear her name The former head of safeguarding at the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) has said she has "no confidence" the current leadership can deal with safeguarding issues appropriately alone. Last week the church's moderator, Rev Trevor Gribben, resigned over "serious and significant failings" in safeguarding within the church between 2009 and 2022. Dr Jacqui Montgomery-Devlin took up her role in the PCI in 2019, and was the sole person responsible for safeguarding congregations in more than 500 churches across the island of Ireland. Asked by BBC News NI for a response to Dr Montgomery-Devlin's comments, the PCI said it had nothing further to add to what it already put into the public domain. The safeguarding expert said during…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago (439+ words) A school has banned the singing of songs from hit Netflix film KPop Demon Hunters over concerns they are not in keeping with its "Christian ethos". Lilliput Church of England Infant School in Poole, Dorset, sent a message to parents on Friday saying some members of the community are "deeply uncomfortable" with references to demons. It said this was because they "associate them with spiritual forces opposed to God and goodness". In an update on Monday, acting head teacher Lloyd Allington said he had since received feedback from parents, highlighting positive messages from the songs, but said the school was seeking to support those who found the themes "challenging". KPop Demon Hunters became Netflix's most viewed film ever in August and follows the adventures of fictional K-pop girl band Huntr/x as its three members use their music and fighting…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago (1193+ words) The priest, Giyani Himit Singh, read prayers from five pages of the Guru Granth Sahib to the congregation at Edinburgh Gurdwara in Leith Sikhs from across Scotland have flocked to see a handwritten copy of a holy scripture after it was found in a university archive. Academics found the Guru Granth Sahib, thought to date to the 1700s, when they were looking through the University of Edinburgh's digital files in 2020. The book was allowed to leave the university for the first time in 175 years so the Sikh community could hold a special ceremony in their temple in Leith on Sunday. The holy book arrived in a box covered in a special cloth and covered in rose petals The scripture was formerly in the possession of the Maharaja Kharak Singh, ruler of the Punjab, and taken from the fort at Dullewalla in…...

1+ week, 6+ day ago (669+ words) The school's head teacher told parents references to demons can feel "deeply uncomfortable" to Christians A school has banned the singing of songs from the popular Netflix film KPop Demon Hunters. Lilliput Church of England Infant School in Poole, Dorset, sent a message to parents on Friday saying some members of the community felt the music was not in keeping with its "Christian ethos". A father, whose daughter attends the school, told the BBC the decision was "ridiculous". In an update to parents on Monday, head teacher Lloyd Allington said he had since received feedback from parents, highlighting positive messages from the songs, but said the school was seeking to support those who found the themes "challenging". In the initial message, shared with the BBC, the school asked parents to encourage their children "not to sing these songs at school…...