Tag - church

 
 

CHURCH

JAPAN
Aug 22, 2013
Japanese trio from Unification Church set themselves on fire near Seoul
Two Japanese followers of the Unification Church were in critical condition Thursday and the fate of another was unknown after they apparently set themselves on fire at a church-run complex near Seoul, Yonhap News Agency reported, citing police, who quoted a witness as saying only one of them started the blaze.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 4, 2013
The real mission for Pope Francis
Pope Francis has yet to initiate a conversation on where the Catholic Church might end up if organizational reforms and attitudinal concessions are carried out.
Japan Times
WORLD / Society
Jul 30, 2013
Pope's accepting comments on gays mark change in tone
In another act of the kind of humble outreach that has marked the early months of his papacy, Pope Francis called on Monday for the integration of gays into society, remarking that even as leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics, he has no right to "judge" gay people.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 13, 2013
Catholic priests unmasked: 'God doesn't like boys who cry'
March 13, 2013. The world is waiting. Television screens show days-old footage of cardinals in red and white, processing past Vatican guards into the magnificence of the Sistine Chapel for the papal conclave.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 10, 2013
Keeping it simple isn't an act for Pope Francis
Organized religion is often defined by specific do's and don'ts. Now comes Pope Francis with his emphasis on being humble and helping those who hurt.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 25, 2013
Reports of pope's past silences deflate bubble
Reports that he stood silent during Argentina's 'dirty war' and on sex abuse allegations against priests have toned down the welcome for Pope Francis.
Japan Times
WORLD
Mar 22, 2013
Rise of Jesuit to papacy surprises cerebral order's membership
Pope Francis belongs to the Jesuits, a religious order whose members take an unusual — and at the moment seemingly ironic — vow: not to strive for a higher office.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 20, 2013
Stunned pope asks for prayers
Pope Francis understands that the Catholic Church is bleeding. In Latin America, it is losing members to evangelical Christianity and to secularism.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 19, 2013
Choices of aides will reflect pope's reform heart
Is there a big enough broom in all of Rome to remove the years of built-up, ground-in grime inside the Vatican
EDITORIALS
Mar 17, 2013
New pope faces challenging times
It is hoped that Pope Francis will be successful in restoring and strengthening trust in the Catholic Church by squarely addressing problems plaguing it.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 4, 2013
Exiting a wounded church
Roman Catholics pray that the Holy Spirit will cut through all the politicking by cardinals and light upon a pope who can rescue a wounded church.
EDITORIALS
Mar 3, 2013
Pope Benedict XVI bows out
Big problems — from child sex-abuse cases to Vatican politics — probably proved too much for an aging academic theologian like the outgoing pope.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 27, 2013
Five myths about picking a pope
Misconceptions abound about how 117 cardinals, gathering from across the globe inside the Vatican's Sistine Chapel, will elect a new pope next month.
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 23, 2013
As Africa rises, Europe loses grip on Catholic power base
The muted light of an African sunset filters into the high, pointed roof of Christ The King church in Accra, a wide, understated building just metres away from the seat of government in Ghana's capital city.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 19, 2013
Catholic Church is losing battle with modernity
There's no point in going on about how Pope Benedict XVI failed to modernize the church. What the Catholic Church is really fighting is modernization, which it sees as moral decline.

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When trying to trace your lineage in Japan, the "koseki" is the most important form of document you'll encounter.
Climbing the branches of a Japanese family tree