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Polish artist fined for blasphemous painting
A Polish artist has been fined 2,000 zloty (425 euros) for creating a painting as a protest against the Polish abortion law. Krzysztof Soroka (35) has been sentenced by the Court of Appeal, as he was found guilty of hurting “religious feelings.”. The judge in Szczecin, furthermore, ruled that he…
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Eastern Europe
Ukrainian pastor remains at his post: For locals, our family is their last hope
A 47-year-old Ukrainian pastor is helping his community amidst an ongoing war while expecting his tenth child. “We accept all the blessings that God offers us.” In the midst of the uncertainty of war, the man with the huge hands continues to carry out humanitarian work and help people who…
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Central Europe
Large families in Germany suffer most from rising prices
Almost half of the children who live in poverty come from families with multiple children. Yet, they will benefit less from the increase in child support implemented next year. About a third of families with three or more children are classified as low-income, Die Tagespost writes based on a study…
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Northern Europe
Church of Sweden to decide about priest who refuses to seal same-sex marriage
Next week, the Synod of the Church of Sweden is to vote on a motion that sparked intense debate among believers. The main question is: should priests who object to sealing a same-sex marriage be stripped from their authority?In Sweden, priests have the authority to seal marriages as official registrars.…
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Eastern Europe
Jehovah Witnesses from Crimea prosecuted by Russian occupier
Russian forces have raided the homes of several Jehovah's Witnesses living in Crimea. They did so with the justification of suspected extremism, Forum 18 reports. The Russian authorities accuse the Jehovah's Witnesses affected by the home raids of continuing activities of a banned organisation. “Believing in God is not punishable,…
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Central Europe
New statistics confirm loss of faith among high school students in Poland
The latest figures from municipalities in Poland confirm that the younger generation does find the Christian faith very relevant. The proportion of pupils that attend the optional Catholic catechism classes continues to drop. The proportion of high school students who do attend religious lessons is now below 30 per cent,…
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Southern Europe
Pope condemns supporters of conspiracy theories
Pope Francis has sharply condemned supporters of conspiracy theories at Sunday's Mass at St. Peter's Basilica. The head of the Roman Catholic Church called on people not to be misled by “prophets of doom” and “sirens of populism.” According to him, they exploited people's needs and only proposed simple and…
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European Union
Red lights show support for persecuted Christians worldwide
Next week Wednesday, some buildings may be illuminated with red lighting. That means they show support for persecuted Christians worldwide. Red Wednesday is an annual event that takes place on November 23 this year. By illuminating buildings with red lights, the initiator behind the campaign, “Church in need”, wants to…
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Eastern Europe
Russian government tries to limit abortion
In another attempt to crack down on abortion, the Russian Ministry of Health now studies the possibility of a ban on abortion for minors between 15 and 18 years old. Under current legislation, minors from the age of 15 can independently make decisions about any medical intervention, including abortion. However,…
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Northern Europe
Pentecostal pastor in Sweden opens church door to homosexuality
The Bible does not explicitly state that homosexuality is a sin, says Niklas Piensoho, the pastor and leader of Sweden's largest Pentecostal church, the Philadelphia Church in Stockholm. Therefore, people living in same-sex relationships should be able to fulfil offices in the church, he argues. The Swedish pastor suspects that…
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