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  • 19
    Feb
    2013
    8:07pm, EST

    Polish faithful continue worship in increasingly secular world

     

    Kacper Pempel / Reuters

    A priest listens to a confession during Mass at the Temple of Divine Providence in Warsaw, Poland, Sept. 30, 2012.

    Kacper Pempel / Reuters

    Priests conduct Holy Mass at the Temple of Divine Providence in Warsaw Sept. 30, 2012.

    Kacper Pempel / Reuters

    A woman holds a rosary at a monastery at night prior to celebrations of the Assumption of Mary at Jasna Gora in Czestochowa, Poland, Aug. 14, 2012.

    Kacper Pempel / Reuters

    A Catholic prays in front of the picture of former Polish Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski a day prior to celebrations of the Assumption of Mary at Jasna Gora Monastery in Czestochowa, Poland, Aug. 14, 2012.

    Kacper Pempel / Reuters

    Children play after Holy Mass in front of the Temple of Divine Providence in Warsaw, Poland, Sept. 30, 2012.

    Kacper Pempel / Reuters

    A nun, Eligia, holds a rosary as she leads a religion lesson at a public elementary school in Warsaw Oct. 4, 2012.

    Kacper Pempel / Reuters

    Catholic believers pray during the celebration of the Assumption of Mary at Jasna Gora Monastery in Czestochowa, Poland, Aug.15, 2012.

    Poland is one of the most devoutly Catholic countries in Europe and is the birthplace of the previous pope, the very popular John Paul II. Many Poles were surprised and worried to hear that Pope Benedict was stepping down. Some also compared his decision to the last years of Pope John Paul, who struggled to carry on in his role with failing health. One Polish cardinal said John Paul had stayed on as pontiff to the end, as he believed "you cannot come down from the cross." 

    Reuters photographer Kacper Pempel, a native of Poland, spent the last several months documenting the Polish people practicing their faith and wrote about it in Reuters' Photographers Blog:
     

    When Pope Benedict XVI announced last week that he was stepping down, the mood in my country, Poland, was overwhelming. This is one of the most devoutly Catholic countries in Europe, which still proudly identifies itself as the birthplace of Benedict’s predecessor, Pope John Paul II. On the day of the announcement my colleagues went to the Church of the Holy Cross in Warsaw. The worshipers coming out of the church were in a state of shock. “It’s so sad. It’s such a shame. But what can we do? I can’t believe it,” said one woman as she left the Holy Cross church in the Polish capital, who gave her name as Maria. “I  am very sorry because I really like the Pope. He is continuing the teachings of our Pope (John Paul II).” Janusz, another worshiper, said: “I don’t think it’s true. In my opinion it would not be a good solution. It would definitely be a huge pity for Poles and Catholics.” Continue reading.

    Kacper Pempel / Reuters

    A Catholic worshipper kisses a cross as she takes part in a night pilgrimage of roughly 16 miles from Blonie to Niepokalanow monastery, which is held every month in Blonie, near Warsaw, Poland, Oct. 13, 2012.

    1 comment

    They realize that there will actually BE another Pope, right?

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    Explore related topics: religion, poland, pope, catholic, world-news, catholicism
  • 17
    Feb
    2013
    7:36pm, EST

    Pope asks enthusiastic Vatican crowd to pray for him as well as successor

     

    Alessandro Bianchi / Reuters

    Faithful shout slogans as Pope Benedict XVI leads the Sunday Angelus in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican, Feb. 17. Pope Benedict, speaking before a larger than usual crowd at his penultimate Sunday address, asked the faithful to pray for him and for the next pope.

    Tony Gentile / Reuters

    Pope Benedict XVI blesses the faithful.

    The crowd chanted "Long live the pope!," waved banners and broke into sustained applause as he spoke from his window. The 85-year-old Benedict, who will resign on February 28, thanked them in several languages.
     

    Speaking in Spanish, he told the crowd which the Vatican said numbered more than 50,000: "I beg you to continue praying for me and for the next pope".

    -- By Philip Pullella, Reuters

    Read the full story.

    Updated Mach 5: Pope Benedict XVI waves to the faithful as he arrives in St. Peter's Square for his final general audience on Feb. 27, in Vatican City. (Christopher Furlong  / Getty Images)

    With the days of his papacy dwindling, every public appearance of outgoing Pope Benedict are now a must see event, NBC's Ann Thompson reports.

    4 comments

    Interesting that Pope Quitter the 16th fought on the Nazi side during the war, and John Paul II was on the opposite side. Hmmn? Just sayin'? I wish Pope Quitter all the best in whatever he decides he wants to do.

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    Explore related topics: vatican, religion, pope, catholic, world-news
  • 7
    Jan
    2013
    7:40am, EST

    Vatican Pool via Getty Images

    Four newly named archbishops attend the Epiphany Mass at the St. Peter's Basilica on Jan. 6, 2013 in Vatican City. During the ceremony Pope Benedict XVI named four new archbishops including his personal secretary Georg Gaenswein.

    Pope urges new archbishops to be 'courageous'

    Reuters reports — Pope Benedict said on Sunday that Roman Catholic leaders must have the courage to stand up to attacks by "intolerant agnosticism" prevalent in many countries.

    The 85-year-old pontiff celebrated Mass on the day Christians in the West mark the Epiphany, and ordained four new archbishops including his personal secretary.

    "Today's regnant agnosticism has its own dogmas and is extremely intolerant regarding anything that would question it and the criteria it employs," the pope said.

    "Therefore the courage to contradict the prevailing mindset is particularly urgent for a bishop today. He must be courageous," he said. Read the full story.

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    Explore related topics: vatican, archbishop, catholic, christianity, pope-benedict
  • 15
    Nov
    2012
    1:51pm, EST

    Belfast 'Peace Wall' still separates Catholics, Protestants

    Cathal Mcnaughton / Reuters

    A section of the 'Peace Wall' that divides Catholic and Protestant communities runs along Alliance Avenue, north Belfast on Nov. 6.

    Cathal Mcnaughton / Reuters

    William Boyd, Protestant, poses for a picture at the side of his house in Cluan Place in east Belfast on Oct 27. When asked would he like to see the 'Peace Wall' that divides Catholic and Protestant communities taken down, Boyd replied, "It should be left the way it is. Why would they want to pull down these walls?"

    Cathal Mcnaughton / Reuters

    A section of the 'Peace Wall' that divides Catholic and Protestant communities runs along Cupar Way in west Belfast.

    A so-called 'Peace Wall' has separated Catholic and Protestant communities in Belfast since 1969. The barriers were built following the Northern Ireland riots and the start of the conflict that is known as "The Troubles." They were built as temporary structures meant to last only six months, but they have multiplied over the years, from 18 in the early 1990s to 40 today and in total they now stretch over 13 miles.   

    Photographer Cathal McNaughton photographed sections of the wall and gained rare access to communities living on either side. In interviews with the residents he found that despite living in houses effectively caged in by a towering 20 foot high wall, these people do not want the wall to be taken down.

    They live in fortress-like houses surrounded by metal fencing and barricades with an ever present symbol of their troubled past looming overhead. But to these communities - who live under the fear of attack every day - the wall is a necessary form of protection that they would not live without.

    Read McNaughton's blog, 'A barrier to peace' at reuters.com.

    Jean McAnoy, Roman Catholic, a care worker, poses for a picture in the back garden of her home in Bombay Street, west Belfast on Oct. 18. When asked would she like to see the 'Peace Wall' taken down, Foster replied, ""No way. I would like it kept the way it is."

    Sonya Foster, Protestant, a care worker, poses for a picture in the back garden of her home in the Glenbryn area of Belfast on Oct. 27. When asked would she like to see the peace wall that divides Catholic and Protestant communities taken down, Foster replied, "Not now but in the future maybe. It would be nice to see it down."

    Stephen McGarry, Roman Catholic, poses for a picture in the back garden of his home on Clonard Street in west Belfast on Oct. 17. When asked would he like to see the Peace Wall taken down, McGarry replied, "It never should be taken down. But mum would love to see holes in it to let the light through."

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    9 comments

    The hardest walls to remove, are the ones in the hearts and minds of people.

    Show more
    Explore related topics: religion, northern-ireland, catholic, world-news, protestant, belfast
  • 1
    Nov
    2012
    9:48am, EDT

    Deceased honored around world on All Saints' Day

    Mario Cruz / EPA

    A woman places flowers on the grave of a relative at the cemetery of Benfica, on All Saints' Day, in Lisbon, Portugal on Nov. 1.

    Jon Nazca / Reuters

    Catholic nuns from the congregation Saint Jose of the Mountain pray as they visit a tombstone on All Saints Day in the cemetery of San Lorenzo in Ronda, near the southern Spanish city of Malaga.

    Emilio Morenatti / AP

    A woman prepares flowers to be sold at a cemetery during All Saints Day, a Catholic holiday to reflect on the saints and deceased relatives in Barcelona, Spain.

    Cheryl Ravelo / Reuters

    Children play beside a tombstone as their family visit deceased relatives at Heroe's cemetery to remember their departed loved ones on All Saints Day in in Taguig City in Metro Manila.

    Cheryl Ravelo / Reuters

    A boy darkens the inscription of a tombstone of a deceased relative during the commemoration of All Saints Day in Navotas City, Metro Manila on Nov. 1.

    On All Saints' Day, cemeteries around the world are crowded with people paying their respects to departed loved ones by offering flowers, candles and prayers. In the Philippines, the day is also observed by cleaning and repairing the graves of deceased relatives, but this tradition is slowly dying.

    Vasily Fedosenko / Reuters

    An elderly woman prays near a grave at a cemetery in the village of Ivenets, 31 miles southwest of Minsk, on Nov. 1. Catholics in Belarus marked All Saints Day by visiting the graves of their relatives and friends.

    • Follow @NBCNewsPictures on Twitter

    1 comment

    It's good to remember those we loved who have gone on before us. RIP to all the souls of those who have departed this eartly life.

    Show more
    Explore related topics: spain, philippines, religion, holiday, catholic, all-saints-day, world-news, commentid-world-news
  • 11
    Oct
    2012
    9:15pm, EDT

    Max Rossi / Reuters

    Pope urges stop to 'spiritual desertification'

    Faithful attend a candlelight procession to mark the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council at the Vatican, Oct. 11, 2012. Pope Benedict XVI urged lapsed and lukewarm Roman Catholics to rediscover their Church and stop the advance of "spiritual desertification."

    Previously on PhotoBlog: Pope inaugurates 'Year of Faith' amid concerns over rising secularism

    1 comment

    Pope Benedict XVI urged lapsed and lukewarm Roman Catholics to rediscover their Church and stop the advance of "spiritual desertification." Translation: The collection plates are getting low.

    Show more
    Explore related topics: vatican, religion, catholic, world-news, christian, pope-benedict, year-of-faith
  • 11
    Oct
    2012
    7:23am, EDT

    Pope inaugurates 'Year of Faith' amid concerns over rising secularism

    Stefano Rellandini / Reuters

    Pope Benedict XVI arrives to conduct mass to open the year of faith at the Vatican October 11, 2012.

    Stefano Rellandini / Reuters

    Pope Benedict XVI waves as he arrives to conduct mass.

    Bishops walk in a solemn procession through St Peter's Square as they arrive for a mass led by the pontiff.

    Bishops from around the world gather for the mass.

    Stefano Rellandini / Reuters

    A Swiss guard stands before the arrival of Pope Benedict XVI.

    Pope Benedict opened a global "Year of Faith" as he conducted mass in St. Peter's Square on Thursday, Agence France Presse reports. The Vatican is celebrating the 50th anniversary of a council that changed the face of Catholicism, as it tries to rekindle the religious fervor of the time amid rising secularism.

    A Pew Research Center study released Tuesday found that one in five Americans is religiously unaffiliated, including one in three adults under 30.

    Read a transcript of the Pope's homily at The National Catholic Register.

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    99 comments

    Welcome to a secular world, Pope. Hope you enjoy the fact that you and yours made it what it is.

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    Explore related topics: vatican, religion, catholic, world-news, christian, pope-benedict, year-of-faith
  • 9
    Oct
    2012
    6:29pm, EDT

    Afro-Peruvians honor heritage with religious fete

    Rodrigo Abd / AP

    Norma Vargas Portillo, right, and Milagros Gallardo walk hand in hand before performing a traditional Afro-Peruvian dance during festivities in honor of Santa Efigenia in La Quebrada, Peru, Sept. 23, 2012.

    Associated Press reports — Every year, Peruvians descended from African slaves come to La Quebrada to celebrate an adored black saint.

    The devotees join in a procession for Santa Efigenia, enthusiastically singing Afro-Peruvian songs interspersed with solemn Roman Catholic hymns as they walk the dusty streets of this Pacific coastal town 85 miles (138 kilometers) south of Lima.

    Standing next to the bier holding a statue of the only African saint venerated in Peru, a young boy recites verses about the arrival of slaves rom "Angola, Mozambique and Timbuktu" to work in the region's sugar cane fields.

    Girls in bright traditional dresses from a group called "La Carimba," for the brand burned by a hot iron on the skin of slaves, dance to a beat produced by the jawbone of a donkey on a wooden box.

    Cat races, a fireworks dance and a night of eating and drinking close out the celebration.

    A chapel was built in La Quebrada in the 18th century dedicated to Santa Efigenia, who was popular among the then Spanish colony's African slaves. Fervor for the saint faded over the years, until in 1994 efforts by black activists to honor the Afro-Peruvian culture led to a festival being held for Efigenia in La Quebrada.

    EDITOR’S NOTE: These images were made available to NBC News on Oct. 9

    Rodrigo Abd / AP

    A man dances "La Vaca Loca" or "The Crazy Cow" during festivities in honor of Santa Efigenia in La Quebrada, Peru, Sept. 23.

    Rodrigo Abd / AP

    Villagers gather in a bar in La Quebrada, Peru, Sept. 22.

    Rodrigo Abd / AP

    People carry the statue of Santa Efigenia during a procession in La Quebrada, Peru, Sept. 23.

    Rodrigo Abd / AP

    A woman watches the procession of Santa Efigenia in La Quebrada, Peru, Sept. 23.

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    Explore related topics: peru, religion, event, catholic, world-news, ceremony
  • 2
    Oct
    2012
    6:10pm, EDT

    Philippines defies church to push family planning

    Erik De Castro / Reuters

    Residents living in a squatters area wait for a free meal consisting of rice, chicken and vegetables given on a daily basis by a South Korean missionary in Tondo, Manila, Sept. 21, 2012.

    Reuters — Philippine President Benigno Aquino is squaring off against his country's powerful Catholic church in a bid to give people free access to the means to limit the size of their families.

    The predominately Catholic country has one of Asia's fastest-growing populations together with significant levels of chronic poverty. While neighbors have accelerated towards prosperity, the Philippines has lagged. Full story…

    Erik De Castro / Reuters

    Mothers stay with their babies in tandem beds at a ward often occupied by around 300 mothers at one time, in Jose Fabella maternity hospital in Manila, Sept. 12.

    Erik De Castro / Reuters

    Health workers show the proper use of a condom during a family planning session held in the Likhaan center, an NGO clinic in Tondo, Manila, Aug. 6. The women, who brought along their children, reacted enthusiastically to the session. Attendees are offered free contraception, such as pills or condoms.

    Erik De Castro / Reuters

    Women hold their babies while waiting for a free pediatric check-up at a local government health center in Manila, Aug. 6. About 50 people come through each day to have their babies checked for common illnesses like diarrhea and colds.

    Erik De Castro / Reuters

    Some of the 14 Cabiya-an siblings sleep side by side in a cramped one bedroom shanty in Manila, Sept. 12. The household's daily income is $6 U.S.

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    2 comments

    For way too many centuries the Church has held impoverished countries hostage through its immoral stance on birth control. I am so glad to see that the Pres of the Philippines is taking a courageous stance. When a family has 14 children but can only afford to educate five of them, what does that tel …

    Show more
    Explore related topics: philippines, asia, health-care, religion, catholic
  • 28
    Aug
    2012
    5:46pm, EDT

    Eduardo Verdugo / AP

    Saint Jude goes out on the town for his monthly walk through Mexico City

    A large statue of Saint Jude, the Catholic saint of lost causes, stands in the metro surrounded by commuters in Mexico City, on Aug. 28. Thousands of St. Jude followers travel to the church of Saint Jude Thaddaeus every 28th of the month, as part of a monthly pilgrimage in his honor. His official feast day is Oct. 28.

    1 comment

    That is so 'uplifting' in today's world

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    Explore related topics: mexico, religion, saint, catholic, mexico-city, pilgrimage, saint-jude
  • 20
    Aug
    2012
    9:36am, EDT

    She travels by night: an evening pilgrimage in Spain

    Cristina Quicler / AFP - Getty Images

    Pilgrims gather around a statue of the Virgin del Rocio during the El Rocio Romeria pilgrimage in Spain's Huelva province on Aug. 20. Once every seven years the Virgin of El Rocio is carried at night from El Rocio to Almonte.

    Cristina Quicler / AFP - Getty Images

    A pilgrim looks at a statue of the Virgin del Rocio. Once every seven years the Virgin of El Rocio is carried at night from El Rocio to Almonte.

    Cristina Quicler / AFP - Getty Images

    A pilgrim watches the procession.

    Cristina Quicler / AFP - Getty Images

    Pilgrims gather around a statue of the Virgin del Rocio at the end of her her once-every-seven-years-journey from El Rocio to Almonte.

     

    3 comments

    Nice!

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    Explore related topics: spain, religion, catholic, pilgrimage
  • 12
    Jul
    2012
    7:01pm, EDT

    Riots erupt in Northern Ireland

    Peter Morrison / AP

    Riot police come under attack from a petrol bomb thrown by Nationalist rioters in the Ardoyne area of North Belfast, Northern Ireland on July 12, 2012.

    July 12 is the busiest day of the marching season in Northern Ireland. Thousands of Orangemen and women, accompanied by marching bands, held their main Belfast event commemorating King William III's 1690 Battle of the Boyne victory over Catholic King James II. The tradition is seen as provocation by Irish nationalists who want to be part of a united Ireland. Police fired water cannon at Catholic youths in Belfast after rioting erupted. Read more here

    Cathal Mcnaughton / Reuters

    Nationalist youths clash with riot police in the Ardoyne area of North Belfast, Northern Ireland on July 12, 2012.

    Peter Morrison / AP

    Nationalist rioters hold the Irish flag as they face riot police in the Ardoyne area of North Belfast, Northern Ireland on July 12, 2012.

    Peter Morrison / AP

    Nationalist residents shout at police as an Orange Order parade passes the Ardyone area of North Belfast, Northern Ireland on July 12, 2012.

    Peter Morrison / AP

    Protestant bandsmen march past the mainly Catholic Ardyone area of North Belfast, Northern Ireland on July 12, 2012.

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    10 comments

    By the way...Everyone knows Jesus is Catholic...so those who are right are right. And there's me thinking he was a Jew.

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    Explore related topics: europe, religion, northern-ireland, catholic, united-kingdom, world-news, protestant, july-12
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