ROME — The Vatican’s Apostolic Penitentiary has issued a decree granting special plenary indulgences, that is, full elimination of temporal punishment in Purgatory for a forgiven sin, during the “Year of St. Joseph.” The practice, which dates back to medieval times, has been deemed unbiblical by evangelicals. On Dec. 8, Jorge Bergoglio, also known as “Pope […]
(International Christian Concern) – International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that the Lahore High Court has acquitted Imran Ghafur Masih, a Christian sentenced to life in prison under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. According to Imran’s family, they have moved into hiding following the acquittal due to potential threats from extremists. On Dec. 15, the Lahore High […]
(Voice of America) — Chinese courtrooms this month were the scene of two trials prosecuting Christian businessmen for selling audio versions of the Bible, a new crackdown that is part of a government campaign to “eradicate pornography and illegal publications.” Lai Jinqiang, a Christian businessman whose company sells an audio Bible player — an MP3-like […]
(Voice of the Martyrs) — Christians in the state of Chhattisgarh have faced a tough time since coronavirus restrictions were placed in India. According to a VOM worker, they face four main challenges: they are not allowed to farm, which is their main source of income; they live in ongoing fear of social ex-communication; they […]
LONDON (Premier Christian News/Press Association) — A [widowed] mother whose five-year-old daughter is in a vegetative state and at the center of a life-support treatment dispute has told a High Court judge that she will not give up. Doctors treating Pippa Knight at the Evelina Children’s Hospital in London say life-support treatment should end and […]
(Article18) — There are renewed fears over a parliamentary bill that threatens to facilitate the further repression of Iran’s religious minorities. … The bill proposes additions to articles 499 and 500 of the Islamic Penal Code — already two of the most commonly used laws in cases against Christians — which would provide law enforcers […]
(ChinaAid) — Throughout the Webinex ChinaAid hosted Dec. 5, “Let the Church Rise …,” Brother Yun, previously imprisoned and suffering for more than 10 years in numerous Chinese prisons for proclaiming the name of Jesus, smiled as he sang out several times, “Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.” … The Bible tells us that Paul rejoiced in suffering, […]
India (International Christian Concern) – According to local sources, 16 Christian families that were displaced in September 2020 have returned to their home villages in the Kondagoan district of India’s Chhattisgarh state. The return of these Christian families took place after a court ordered district authorities in Kondagoan to provide the Christians with security. “Things […]
(The Christian Institute) — The Welsh government’s new education bill has been criticized by The Christian Institute for its controversial plans for religious education and sex education subjects. The Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Bill scraps all existing safeguards with nothing offered in their place and imposes a compulsory “Relationships and Sexuality Education” curriculum on all […]
HYDERABAD, India (Morning Star News) – The last thing pastor Shelton Vishwanathan recalled happening before he lost consciousness in a village in northeast India was Hindu extremists threatening to offer him as a sacrifice to their god as they belted his head. “They punched my back and told me that they would offer me as a sacrifice […]