When you think about the Italian Renaissance art scene, the first names that come to mind are probably Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo or Raphael. Most of the paintings commissioned during the Renaissance period were for ...

Category: Religious Items Christianity

Not many people experience the phenomenon known as Saint Elmo's fire. It's a kind of a plasma that creates a faint glow, most commonly during a thunderstorm. The electricity in the air discharges near the ends of sharp o ...

Category: Religion

Pope Francis might be one of the world's most popular leaders, but the Vatican has placed everyone on notice that the unauthorized use of the Pope's image and name will have serious consequences. As a public figure, does ...

Category: Religion

The season of Lent begins on March 1, following Mardi Gras on February 28. The first day of Lent is called Ash Wednesday. Many denominations hold a service for believers as a way of beginning the season. Ministers bless ...

Category: Holidays and Observances Religion Christianity

Recently, the Vatican issued guidelines about cremation and scattering ashes. If you only saw the following headlines, you might be confused: Vatican Issues New Cremation Guidelines for 'Faithfully Departed' Final re ...

Category: Funerals Online Ordination Christianity

Pope Francis just held a ceremony at Vatican City to canonize the sainthood of Mother Teresa. Tens of thousands of people were in the Vatican to attend the service, and it was streamed via online channels around the worl ...

Category: Online Ordination Religion Christianity

Soccer as Religion: Experiencing the World Cup 2014 As the World Cup 2014 continues, the world is beginning to see soccer fever take over the globe. Many individuals around the world see soccer as religion, particularly ...

Category: Religion

Since Pope Francis was elected Bishop of Rome in February, he has been drawing a younger crowd to the Catholic faith with his more moderate and even liberal views on controversial political topics. Since he began his pap ...

Category: Gay Weddings Religion

Despite the fact that Christmas has traditionally been considered a Christian holiday, the fact is the version we collectively celebrate is actually a combination of the traditions of many different religions and cultu ...

Category: Holidays and Observances

The Catholic church seems to be undergoing a transformation led by Pope Francis. While we must admit that there is certainly room for more improvement, the gestures he has extended are more in line with Christian princip ...

Category: Christianity