Pope Francis orders return of Parthenon Sculpture fragments to Greece

The Vatican on Friday termed the gesture a “donation” from the pope to His Beatitude Ieronymos II, the Orthodox Christian archbishop of Athens and all Greece.

Pope laments 'icy winds of war' in Christmas address

"Indeed, we must acknowledge with sorrow that, even as the Prince of Peace is given to us, the icy winds of war continue to buffet humanity," Pope Francis said.

Pope Francis warns Vatican staff the devil, an 'elegant demon,' lurks among them

Francis said Thursday that Vatican bureaucrats are in fact "in greater danger than all others, because we are beset by the ‘elegant demon’ who does not make a loud entrance, but comes with flowers in his hand.”

Taliban bans women from universities until further notice

Despite initially promising a more moderate rule and women's and minority rights, the Taliban have widely implemented their harsh interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia.

Holocaust survivors share message of hope during Hanukkah

Holocaust survivors from around the globe are marking the third day of Hanukkah together with a virtual ceremony as Jews worldwide worry about a sharp increase in antisemitism in Europe, the U.S. and elsewhere.

Pups give nativity scene performance at doggy daycare

A group of pooches gave a nativity scene performance at doggy daycare ahead of Christmas that has racked up more than a million views on TikTok.

Small church bus crashes, flips over with 13 children onboard

We're told there were a total of 16 passengers onboard, 13 children and 3 adults, who were taken to the hospital and suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

Iran's morality police may be shut down, top official suggests

Mahsa Amini, who died while in custody of the morality police, had been arrested for violating Iran's strict dress codes.

Pope Francis prays for World Cup to be occasion for peace

Pope Francis is a life-long soccer fan and has long promoted sport as a way of promoting solidarity and fraternity.

NYPD stops 'threat to the Jewish community,' 2 arrested at Penn Station

Authorities say two people were arrested in Penn Station after investigators uncovered a threat to the Jewish community on Saturday.

Mormon church shows support for same-sex marriage law, believes act is still unbiblical

The nearly 17-million-member, Utah-based faith said in a statement that church doctrine would continue to consider same-sex relationships to be against God's commandments.

More arrests made in multimillion-dollar theft ring targeting Georgia churches

Fayette County Sheriff Barry Babb said the ring operates out of Texas and went to metro Atlanta to steal offering checks out of church mailboxes during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Kristallnacht anniversary, Holocaust survivors warn about antisemitism, hate speech

On Nov. 9, 1938, the Nazis, among them many ordinary Germans, killed at least 91 people and vandalized 7,500 Jewish businesses during Kristallnacht — the “Night of Broken Glass.”