News - religion - FRANCE 24

11/02/2013 - VATICAN CITY

Before Benedict XVI: A history of papal resignations

Pope Benedict XVI on Monday made the shock announcement that he will resign on February 28, the first pontiff to step down in modern Catholic Church history. Here are some examples of previous popes who have given up the papacy.

11/02/2013 - INDIA

At least 36 killed in Hindu festival stampede

At least 36 people died at India's Kumbh Mela religious festival in Uttar Pradesh state when a railing gave way at a train station in Allahabad on Sunday, triggering a stampede. Officials said this year's festival drew a record 30 million people.

11/02/2013 - FRANCE

Chinese New Year more than just firecrackers in Paris

For most Parisians, the Chinese New Year is viewed as a festive and unusually noisy time of year, but there is more to the holiday than first meets the eye.

10/02/2013 - INDIA

Millions of Hindus cleanse sins in river Ganges

A record 30 million Hindus bathed as part of a religious ritual in India’s river Ganges on Sunday, which is considered one of the most auspicious days of the Kumbh Mela festival.

08/02/2013 - REPORTERS

Are Muslims in Alsace better off than those in the rest of France?

The French region of Alsace-Moselle, near the German border, has its own specific legislation concerning religions. For historical reasons, local authorities are allowed to finance religious groups, unlike in the rest of the country. Do Muslims in Alsace have a better life than those who live elsewhere in France? Our reporter went to investigate.

07/02/2013 - FRANCE

‘Unprecedented’ Holocaust tribute by French imams

In the first such event in France, some 30 French Imams visited the Holocaust Memorial at Drancy near Paris on Monday. The visit comes at a time of high tension between France’s Muslim and Jewish communities.

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04/02/2013 - LEBANON

Civil marriage could bring religious tolerance to Lebanon

In Lebanon, religious authorities rather than the state hold sway over issues such as marriage, divorce, inheritance and burial. "Civil" weddings do not exist. But in January, a young Beirut couple announced that they had used a legal loophole to do just that. The ban on civil marriage often means Lebanese from different religions have to go abroad to tie the knot. For activists, allowing civil unions would be a major step towards erasing the sectarianism that has plagued the country for years.

01/02/2013 - FRANCE

Notre Dame receives new bells to mark 850 years

Hundreds of people lined the streets of Paris near Notre Dame Cathedral on Thursday to witness the arrival of nine new church bells that will be installed to celebrate the iconic landmark's 850th anniversary.

30/01/2013 - FRANCE

France set to deport hard-line imams

French Interior Minister Manuel Valls has said that a handful of radical imams will be expelled from the country in the coming days as part of ongoing efforts to deport foreign-born preachers who "refer to the need to fight against France".

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23/01/2013 - THAILAND

Is the Thai tradition of Buddhism on the decline?

Imagine a picture of Thailand and you might well come up with a scene of beautiful scenery and the Buddhist monks that are seen all over the country. Yet that might soon change. Numbers of those in the monkhood are a quarter of what they were twenty years ago; even those serving today don't know if they will continue in the long term. The decline is being blamed on modernity and materialism, with the Thai people increasingly turning away from traditional religious practises.

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