Amid horrors of Holocaust, Polish Franciscan mother superior saved hundreds of Jewish children January 27, 2025By OSV News OSV News Filed Under: News, Religious Freedom, World News On Jan. 27, as the world commemorated the 80th anniversary of the liberation of German death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau — where 216,000 Jewish children, among 231,000 children from various nations, perished, Mother Matylda was being remembered as a beacon of hope in the midst of Nazi horrors and as one that saved hundreds of Jewish children.
Bishops across Europe remember Holocaust victims, urge world to fight rising antisemitism January 27, 2025By Jonathan Luxmoore OSV News Filed Under: Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations, News, Religious Freedom, World News Church leaders across Europe marked the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp with calls to remember German Nazi-inflicted sufferings and to counter a new rise in antisemitism and extremism.
Holocaust survivor honors Polish priest who aided his family January 27, 2025By Lauretta Brown OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Religious Freedom, World News Because of the quiet and heroic intervention of a Polish priest, Andrew Jampoler’s life was saved just as it began. Jampoler, 83, feels a strong debt of gratitude to Father Jozef Czapran who protected him as an infant in Eastern Poland by providing lifesaving papers for him and his family.
Poland’s church deplores government curbs on religious teaching, with lessons cut in half January 26, 2025By Jonathan Luxmoore OSV News Filed Under: News, Religious Freedom, World News Poland’s Catholic primate has accused Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government of pandering to anti-church feeling, after it unveiled new plans to downgrade religious teaching in the traditionally Catholic country.
Philly priest: New immigration arrest policy threatens freedom to worship January 24, 2025By Gina Christian OSV News Filed Under: Immigration and Migration, News, Religious Freedom, World News A Philadelphia priest has called new Trump administration policies on immigration arrests a threat to the church’s religious freedom and people’s right to worship without fear.
Cardinal urges restraint as retaliatory attacks ignite after killings of South Sudanese refugees January 21, 2025By Frederick Nzwili OSV News Filed Under: News, Religious Freedom, World News Cardinal Stephen Ameyu Martin Mulla of Juba, South Sudan, called for restraint and compassion, as the alleged killings of South Sudanese refugees in the war-torn Sudan sparked retaliatory attacks across the country.
U.S. bishops report flags 5 top areas of ‘critical concern’ on religious liberty January 17, 2025By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: Bishops, Feature, News, Religious Freedom, World News A new annual report by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops identified what it called five areas of critical concern, defined as both threats and opportunities, for religious liberty.
U.S. declares genocide in Sudan as country undergoes ‘unimaginable’ suffering January 16, 2025By Frederick Nzwili OSV News Filed Under: News, Religious Freedom, World News Amid what a Catholic charity called “unimaginable” suffering of civilians trapped in civil war brutality in Sudan, the United States declared that one of the fighting factions is committing genocide in the country and slapped sanctions on its leader.
Christian persecution on the rise worldwide, new report says January 15, 2025By Junno Arocho Esteves OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Religious Freedom, World News A new report by Open Doors International said that more than 380 million Christians faced persecution and discrimination in 2024, an increase of 15 million from the year before.
Russia killing clergy, banning religions in occupied Ukraine, says foreign minister January 13, 2025By Gina Christian OSV News Filed Under: News, Religious Freedom, War in Ukraine, World News Since the start of their February 2022 full-scale invasion, Russian forces have killed close to 70 clergy and destroyed more than 630 places of worship in Ukraine, according to Ukraine’s ministry of foreign affairs.
Calls multiply for release of kidnapped Nigerian nuns; security in region dramatically deteriorates January 13, 2025By Ngala Killian Chimton OSV News Filed Under: News, Religious Freedom, World News Calls have multiplied in Nigeria for the release of Sister Vincentia Maria Nwankwo and Sister Grace Mariette Okoli. Both religious were kidnapped Jan. 7 along Ufuma Road as they returned from their vocational associations’ meeting held in Ogboji, a town in Anambra state.
Bishops call for Venezuelan vote to be respected January 10, 2025By David Agren OSV News Filed Under: News, Religious Freedom, World News Venezuela’s bishops called for the country’s electoral decision to be respected on the eve of the Jan. 10 inauguration of President Nicolás Maduro, whose victory in the July 28 election is disputed by the opposition and not recognized by the United States.
