A dozen men organized round-the-clock guard duty, worried that nationalist radicals might make their third attempt in a year to seize the place of worship.
Russia
Posted inFaith, News
Russian Orthodox Church cuts ties with Patriarchate of Constantinople
The Russian Orthodox Church decided Monday to sever ties with the leader of the worldwide Orthodox community after his decision to grant Ukrainian clerics independence from the Moscow Patriarchate.
Posted inFaith, Vatican Dispatch
A historic struggle for independence: Pope Francis visits the Baltic states
He is the second pope to visit these Baltic nations. John Paul II came to the region in September 1993, after the collapse of communism, and was welcomed as a hero. Pope Francis comes exactly 25 years later, but much has changed since that first papal visit.
Posted inArts & Culture, Ideas
What the World Cup can teach us about everything
The entire planet will soon be gripped in a sudden and near-religious fervor.
Posted inNews, Politics & Society
Russian Catholic leaders pledge to work with Putin after election
Election monitors documented ballot stuffing and intimidation during Russia’s election.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
Cold War tensions resurface after poisoning of Russian defector
The nerve-agent attack on two Russians in the cathedral city of Salisbury has Britons feeling as though they are back in the pages of a James Bond novel.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
Warnings—but little evidence—of Russian meddling in Mexican elections
Opponents say that leftist firebrand Andrés Manuel López Obrador is Putin’s favored candidate; he is brushing off the accusations of Russian interference in Mexico.
Posted inPolitics & Society, Short Take
Will a Vatican conference on nuclear arms bring a diplomatic breakthrough?
Pope Francis’ condemnation of deterrence is a strong challenge to nuclear strategies of the superpowers, including the United States.
Posted inFaith, Vatican Dispatch
How the Vatican is encouraging dialogue between Russia and the West
The Vatican’s secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, visited Russia from Aug. 20 to 24, upon an invitation from Russian state and church authorities.
Posted inNews, Politics & Society
Cardinal Parolin visits Russia, focuses on ecumenism and peace
The meeting included “an exchange of views on various themes, both international and relating to bilateral relations.”