#catholicism

#catholicism

Hello, I'm Rayne, and I'm a lapsed Catholic. I fell away from the Church over a period of time, beginning roughly with the Reagan years and the uptick in Christian fundamentalism's influence on politics. It didn't happen all at once but I finally had enough when the Church became little more than a crypto-fascist mouthpiece for right-wing ideology, focusing almost exclusively on anti-abortion efforts instead of what I was taught were Christ's teachings.

Lucija is a shy 16-year-old who is a member of her Catholic school's female choir; she joins the choir's special trip across the Italian border for a week in Cividale del Friuli.

The rise of gigantic religious statues in Brazil reflects a paradox where Catholicism is in decline, yet communities invest in imposing monuments to attract tourism.

In Germany, Fronleichnam is celebrated mainly in the eight states where Catholicism is predominant, highlighting regional religious practices and allowing for a long weekend.

The image of Mary - La Virgen de la Puerta - now housed in a shrine church, has been venerated and revered in the community for over 300 years.

"There's this struggle between the things you want and the things you are. I just love the idea of playing with grandeur and gods while still maintaining a very like human and gross and visceral vibe."

"Teach until you die," Piscatella, who celebrated her birthday in late April, told The Post.

St Teresa's remains, exhumed and displayed for the first time since 1914, astonished experts with their near perfect preservation, highlighting her sainthood.

Some Catholics are not happy about the image of you looking like the Pope Trump: You mean they can't take a joke? You mean the fake news.

If his predecessors' impact on global politics is a guide, the next pontiff has huge potential to shape the global debate on issues such as AI and the dignity of work.

At this height, even to a heathen like me, the urge to pay tribute is understandable.

"On the map, I kept to the blue highways. At night, I slept in a tent. I thought of myself as an apprentice Kerouac."

The food is provided by a group called Franciscan Bread for the Poor, which is aligned with the church but operates independently and is funded entirely by private donations.