Chaplain David Sparks has provided comfort at Dover Air Force Base for 40 years
Scott Simon talks with Chaplain David Sparks, who comforted the families of fallen service members at Dover Air Force Base for more than 40 years.
religion
Pope Francis celebrates Christmas Eve Mass as Italy sets pandemic record of new cases
Pope Francis celebrated Christmas Eve Mass before an estimated 2,000 people in St. Peter's Basilica, going ahead with the service despite the resurgence in COVID-19 cases.
Once again, COVID means scaled-back Christmas celebrations around the world
From Bethlehem and Frankfurt to Boston, the surging coronavirus put a damper on Christmas Eve for a second year, forcing churches to cancel or scale back services and disrupting travel plans.
Thousands of pilgrims and tourists weren't in Bethlehem on Christmas eve due to COVID
For the second year, the Christmas eve celebration in the Palestinian city of Bethlehem was muted by the pandemic precautions.
For a second Christmas, the Holy Land is closed to pilgrims because of COVID
A Palestinian who gives tours of Bethlehem, and the different meanings it holds for different people, reflects on another subdued Christmas in the West Bank city.
Pastors are scrambling to decide whether to hold Christmas Eve services
Hopes of a post-pandemic Christmas are vanishing. The rise of the coronavirus omicron variant has pastors scrambling at the last minute to decide whether to hold Christmas Eve services.
Missionaries who were kidnapped in Haiti escaped from their abductors, aid group says
The group of 12 navigated by stars to reach safety after a two-month kidnapping ordeal, officials with Christian Aid Ministries, the Ohio-based agency that the missionaries work for, said on Monday.
U.S. COVID-19 deaths surpasses 800,000
As the number of confirmed COVID deaths surpasses 800,000, Scott Simon speaks with Pastor Jesse Rincones of San Antonio about consoling families that have lost loved ones.
Piñatas: A staple in Christmas traditions
Piñatas are a common element in parties across different countries and especially in Mexico around Christmas time. The story of their origin combines cultures, traditions and religions.
In Kashmir, closed mosque raises questions about India's religious freedom
For Kashmiri Muslims the Jamia Masjid is a sacred venue, but it's been closed most Fridays for the past two years. The government has said those who manage it couldn't stop anti-India protests there.