St. Peter's Square at the Vatican © Ettore Ferrari
The Vatican and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania have agreed on an exchange of ambassadors. The West African country was one of the few states with which the Vatican had not previously maintained full diplomatic relations.
Pope Benedict XVI. Has expressed in London his "deep regret" to victims of sexual abuse by clerics. He feels "shame and humiliation" in the face of these "indescribable crimes," the 83-year-old church leader said Saturday at a pontifical Mass in Westminster Cathedral. The consequences of the scandal should serve as a "punishment for the healing of the victims, the purification of the Church and the renewal of its age-old commitment to education and care for young people".
Joe Biden delivers a speech © Andrew Harnik/AP
Nearly 60 years after the election of John F. Kennedy's, Americans again send a Catholic to the White House with Joe Biden. While Kennedy had his church behind him then, this time the faithful are divided.
Union faction leader Volker Kauder © dpa
For the chairman of the CDU/CSU in the Bundestag, Volker Kauder, Muslims belong to Germany, but Islam does not. That was "the only really pointed difference of opinion" he had with the chancellor, Kauder said.
How it is about the faith firmness of the Spanish youth, experts see differently. Alfredo Rodriguez Sedano, a sociology professor at the Pontifical Opus Dei University of Navarre, agrees: "The fact that up to a million young people are taking part in World Youth Day shows the importance of faith for today's young people."Recent surveys by the Spanish Youth Institute, however, contradict this thesis.
Once again: the dispute between the Catholic Church and the Irish government has reached a new climax. A bill by Attorney General Alan Shatter provides the latest tightening up.
Brazil likely to elect right-wing populist as president. Evangelicals celebrate Jair Bolsonaro, while former Catholic turns church into bogeyman.
The Turkish-Islamic Union of the Institute for Religion has called on Muslims for a "month of spiritual education" on the occasion of the upcoming Ramadan. They should renounce hatred, selfishness and austerity and emphasize tolerance and friendship. NRW Integration Commissioner Thomas Kufen highlighted the fasting month as a time for getting to know each other.
DITIB Chairman Sadi Arslan said, "Love, respect and tolerance are indispensable virtues for us and should therefore also determine our lives". The DITIB is subordinate to the Turkish state and, according to its own information, is the umbrella organization of almost 900 mosque associations and the Islamic organization with the largest number of members in Germany.
Kufen: Ramadan fasting month is time for dialogue Kufen said in Dusseldorf on Thursday that "Ramadan is traditionally a time of encounter, togetherness and dialogue, which is becoming increasingly important in view of the great cultural and religious diversity in NRW".However, he said he would like to see this mutual encounter not only intensified during Ramadan, but cultivated throughout the year through mutual invitations and encounters. More than ever, mutual acceptance and recognition of cultures is necessary, said Kufen. Five pillars of Islam Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam, as are the profession of faith, daily prayers, the tax on the poor and the pilgrimage to Mecca. The holy month of Ramadan, the ninth in the Islamic lunar year, wanders through the calendar year and this year is celebrated from 21. August to 19. September, celebrated on 20. The festival of breaking the fast follows.Ramadan begins and ends when the crescent moon is visible again for the first time after the new moon. It can vary from country to country. In Germany, Islamic associations have agreed on common dates in advance since 2008. During Ramadan, believers are called upon to abstain from food, drink, smoking and sexual intercourse from sunrise to sunset. The elderly, sick, children, pregnant women, travelers and soldiers at war are exempt from the fasting requirement.There are about one billion Muslims worldwide. According to a study by the Federal Ministry of the Interior, between 3.8 and 4.3 million Muslims live in Germany. 81 percent said in the survey that they observe the Islamic dietary rules. Ramadan is also the month of good deeds and purification of body and soul. Humanity and reconciliation are particularly sought after. Muslims pay the poor tax Zakat or support the needy.According to tradition, the revelations of God to the Prophet Mohammed began in Ramadan. The faithful therefore devote themselves especially to prayer and the study of the Koran. In the evenings, they meet with friends and relatives for a communal, often sumptuous meal or gather in mosques. In many Islamic countries, businesses and authorities shorten working hours. Ramadan ends with the festival of breaking the fast. Most religions have fasting periods. Christians fast from Ash Wednesday to Easter.
It is a unique project: Three women – a Christian, a Jew and a Muslim – want to build a three-religion daycare center in Berlin. The idea that emerged four years ago could soon become reality.
The world's 1.6 billion Muslims are united in their belief in God and the Prophet Muhammad; they share practices such as fasting during Ramadan and almsgiving. In addition, there are wide-ranging differences in matters of faith – including how important religion is, who is considered a Muslim and what one is allowed to do in Islam.