Religion

Amid A Violent Religious Rift, Pope Preaches Harmony In CAR

5:11pm November 29, 2015

Pope Francis is calling for communal and religious harmony during a visit to the Central African Republic, the final stop of his first African tour. The country has been racked by a deadly conflict driven by Christian and Muslim militias.

Young American Muslims Face Pressure, Are Optimistic Of Increasing Tolerance

11:56am November 29, 2015

by NPR Staff

Many Muslims feel pressure – sometimes a responsibility — to defend their faith when there's an attack carried out in the name of Islam. Young American Muslims share how they handle the scrutiny.

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Pope Makes Final Stop On Africa Trip, In Central African Republic

11:15am November 29, 2015

The Pope preached reconciliation Sunday in Central African Republic, a country that has seen clashes between Christian and Muslim militias.

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A vendor arranges portraits of Pope Francis outside the Lubaga Cathedral in Kampala, Uganda, in preparation for the papal visit.

Dear Pope Francis, As You Visit Uganda, Here's What You Should Know

8:06am November 27, 2015

The pope arrives in the country on Friday. Commentators James Kassaga Arinaitwe and Viviane Rutabingwa give him a crash course in the country's issues.

Pope Visits Nairobi Slum; Urges Africa's Governments To Help Those In Poverty

6:11am November 27, 2015

by Sylvia Poggioli

Pope Francis travels from Kenya to Uganda on Friday — the second stop on his trip to Africa. The pope began the day in a place world leaders more typically ignore — the impoverished slums of Nairobi.

Religion

During Pope's First Stop In Africa, Climate's On His Mind

4:01pm November 26, 2015

by Sylvia Poggioli

Pope Francis is making his first-ever trip to Africa, where he is stopping in Kenya, then Uganda and the Central African Republic. All three nations are dealing with issues related to religious extremism.

The Mayflower, the ship in which the Pilgrims crossed the Atlantic to the New World in 1620.

Reconsidering The Pilgrims, Piety And America's Founding Principles

11:07am November 26, 2015

by Tom Gjelten

Conservatives who want to emphasize America's Christian roots embrace the story of the Pilgrims and the Mayflower Compact. But some historians say their role in the country's founding is overstated.

Pope Francis Encourages Christian, Muslim Leaders To Be 'Prophets For Peace'

7:04am November 26, 2015

by Gregory Warner

Pope Francis is in Kenya at the start of his first trip to Africa. His message: religious tolerance and help the poor. The pope celebrated an open-air mass in the Kenyon capital Nairobi on Thursday.

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Frustrated With GOP Candidates, Muslims Recall More Welcoming Days

5:13am November 26, 2015

by Asma Khalid

Many Muslim-Americans say the current political climate is worse than the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks. Many Muslims who once voted Republican, say don't feel like they have a home in that party.

The closing ceremony of the Second Vatican Council in St. Peter Square on Dec. 9, 1965. Forty bishops pledged to forsake worldly goods, but the agreement was largely ignored. Pope Francis' emphasis on helping the poor has revived talk about the Pact of th

Pope Francis' Emphasis On Poverty Revives The 'Pact of The Catacombs'

4:43am November 26, 2015

by Sylvia Poggioli

Fifty years ago, 40 bishops signed a pledge to make Catholicism a church for the poor. It was soon set aside, but with Pope Francis focused on the downtrodden, that notion could be revived.