Religion News Selection
March 26 – April 2, 2023
A selection of religion news stories from Australia
(Research: Greg Spearritt)
INTERNATIONAL STORIES
Catholic Church
‘Religious excuse’: Vatican claims popes were coerced into backing colonialism (Brisbane Times)
Apr 1 – Alicante, Spain: In an attempt to distance itself from the historic abuse of indigenous peoples of former European colonies, the Vatican has declared that past popes were “manipulated” by European powers to justify their colonialism of the Americas.
Islam
Taliban close women-run Afghan station for playing music (Sydney Morning Herald)
Apr 2 – Jalalabad: Afghanistan’s only women-run radio station has been shut down for playing music during the holy month of Ramadan, a Taliban official said.
Other
Leading priest of Ukrainian Orthodox church under house arrest for allegedly condoning invasion (ABC News)
Apr 2 – A Ukrainian court has ordered a leading Orthodox priest who is accused by authorities of condoning Russia’s invasion to be put under house arrest.
POLITICS
Under God or with the Bhagavad Gita, Minns’ interim ministry swears in (Sydney Morning Herald)
Mar 28 – One by one, under the immortalised gaze of Queen Mary, the grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II, they rose to take the oath. Some swore under God, others not – one, for the first time, clutched the Bhagavad Gita, a holy Hindu scripture.
RELIGION & SOCIETY
‘I want it to have a future’: churches in rural Australia are struggling to keep the lights on (The Guardian, Australia)
Mar 28 – Dwindling attendance has seen a drop in the number of operational churches in regional Australia, and ministers say the church has to change to survive.
