RELIGION - The African Mirror

Apr

22

2025

The Day Africa Wept for Pope Francis: A Continent’s Farewell to the People’s Pontiff

RELIGION

AS dawn broke over the African continent on Easter Monday, a solemn silence descended upon churches, villages, and bustling cities alike. Pope Francis, the humble shepherd who had walked among the poorest of the poor and spoken truth to power, had drawn his final breath at 88 after battling a prolonged respiratory illness. While bells tolled in Rome, across Africa, where Catholicism has seen its greatest growth, a chorus of reverent tributes began to rise. From the Union Building in Pretoria, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke of "an extraordinary life story" that had reached its final chapter. "Pope Francis…

Feb

26

2025

By MATHEW SCHMALZ

Francis − a Pope who has cared deeply for the poor and opened up the Catholic Church

RELIGION

POPE Francis, who remains in critical condition and hospitalized as he battles pneumonia in both lungs, was elected pope on March 13, 2013, after the surprise resignation of Benedict XVI. Prior to becoming pope, he was Jorge Mario Bergoglio, archbishop of Buenos Aires, and was the first person from the Americas to be elected to the papacy. He was also the first pope to choose Francis as his name, thus honouring St. Francis of Assisi, a 13th-century mystic whose love for nature and the poor have inspired Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Pope Francis chose not to wear the elaborate clothing,…

Jan

22

2024

By DAWIT ENDESHAW

Ethiopians celebrate “Timket” festival that marks Jesus’ baptism

RELIGION

THOUSANDS of Ethiopian Orthodox followers gathered in the capital Addis Ababa on Friday and Saturday to celebrate Epiphany, also called Timket, a religious festival commemorating Jesus' baptism in the Jordan River. The annual festival is recognised by UNESCO as an important intangible cultural heritage. Followers marched from churches to Jan Meda, an open field in the capital, while priests carried tents called tabots, replicas of the Ark of the Covenant that is sacred in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, one of the world's oldest churches. Students sang hymns as youth ran ahead of the tabots to cover a street with red…

Jun

15

2023

By The African Mirror

Ugandan law widens Anglican Church rift over LGBTQ rights

RELIGION, LGBTQIA+

THE chair of a conservative group of Anglican church leaders accused the church's global head of perpetuating colonialism with his criticism of one of the world's harshest anti-LGBTQ laws, introduced by Uganda last month. Justin Welby, the head of the Church of England and the worldwide Anglican Communion's 85 million members, said last week he had written to Ugandan Archbishop Stephen Kaziimba to express "grief and dismay" at Kaziimba's support for the law. The legislation imposes the death penalty for certain same-sex acts and a 20-year prison sentence for "promoting" homosexuality. It has triggered widespread Western criticism including threats by U.S. President Joe Biden…

Jun

04

2023

By The African Mirror

Purification rite in St. Peter’s after naked man desecrated pope’s altar

RELIGION

A special purification rite was held at the main altar of St. Peter's Basilica after it was desecrated by a man who stood on it naked to protest against the war in Ukraine. The prayer service, known as a penitential rite and required by Canon law, was led by the basilica's archpriest, Cardinal Mauro Gambetti. The Polish man stripped off his clothes and stood on the altar as the basilica was closing on Thursday. He had an inscription painted on his back reading: "Save children of Ukraine". Vatican guards handed him over to Italian police, who detained him and ordered him expelled…

May

11

2023

By PHILIP PULLELLA

Rare day at Vatican as two popes share stage

RELIGION

IT was a rare day at the Vatican as two popes shared the limelight in St Peter's Square - Pope Francis and His Holiness Pope Tawadros II of the Coptic Orthodox Church. Tawadros, dressed in black robes, was the guest of honour at Francis' general audience in a rainy St. Peter's Square. The two sat near each other and delivered a joint blessing at the end. Tawadros, 70, is at the Vatican to mark the 50th anniversary of the first meeting between a Roman pope and a Coptic pope which took place between their respective predecessors, Shenouda III and Paul…

Apr

17

2023

By PHILIP PULLELLA

Pope Francis calls ‘insinuations’ against John Paul II unfounded

RELIGION

POPE Francis rejected as offensive and unfounded what he called insinuations by the brother of a Vatican schoolgirl who went missing 40 years ago about one of his predecessors as pontiff, Saint John Paul II. Emanuela Orlandi, the daughter of a Vatican usher, failed to return home on June 22, 1983, following a music lesson in Rome. She was 15 at the time and lived with her family inside the Vatican. Her disappearance is one of Italy's most enduring mysteries. The case entered a new chapter on Tuesday when her brother Pietro met with Vatican chief prosecutor Alessandro Diddi, whom Francis has…

Apr

13

2023

By PHILIP PULLELLA

Pope wants light shed on 40-year-old mystery of missing Vatican girl

RELIGION

ONE of Italy's most enduring mysteries, the disappearance of a Vatican schoolgirl 40 years ago, entered a new chapter when her brother met with a Vatican investigator whom Pope Francis has given free rein to get to the bottom of the case. Over the past four decades tombs have been opened, bones have been exhumed from forgotten grave sites and conspiracy theories have abounded in attempts to determine just what became of Emanuela Orlandi. The daughter of a Vatican usher whose family lived in the Vatican, Orlandi, then 15, failed to return home on June 22, 1983, following a music…

Apr

03

2023

By The African Mirror

Poles march to defend Pope John Paul II against abuse cover-up accusations

RELIGION

AGNIESZKA PIKULICKA-WILCZEWSKA and KUBA STEZYCKI THOUSANDS of Poles marched through Warsaw and other cities to show their support for the late Pope John Paul II in the face of what they said were false allegations that he concealed child abuse in the Catholic Church. The ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party faces a tough election later this year, and other religious conservatives have said any calls to re-examine his legacy amount to a plot to discredit the nation's biggest moral authority. That argument resonates strongly with many older Poles who John Paul inspired to stand up to Communism in the 1970s and '80s, although…

Mar

31

2023

By The African Mirror

Pope Francis ‘gradually improving’ in hospital after infection

RELIGION

CRISPIAN BALMER and ALVISE ARMELLINI POPE Francis's health is improving after he was hospitalised with a respiratory infection and he has resumed working while treatment continues, the Vatican said on Thursday. The pope was taken to hospital on Wednesday after complaining of breathing difficulties, raising fresh concerns over the health of the 86-year-old pontiff, who is suffering from a number of ailments. "His Holiness Pope Francis rested well during the night. His clinical picture is gradually improving and he is continuing his planned treatment," Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement. "This morning after breakfast, he read some newspapers and…