The Day of the Dead is deeply rooted in pre-Hispanic Aztec rituals blended with Roman Catholic traditions. But many of the indigenous symbols remain, including the vibrant and fragrant marigold.
NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with Samson Shekhar Chauhan of the Lutheran Maritime Ministries about his work assisting crew members unable to leave ships because of COVID restrictions and shipping delays.
President Biden's meeting with the pope is a fairly recent tradition for U.S. presidents. His meeting will mark the 31st time a U.S. president has met with the leader of the Catholic Church.
Biden is the second Catholic U.S. president, and his faith is central in his public image. The pastor at a D.C. church where the president worships tells NPR that Biden has felt supported by Francis.
China is removing domes and minarets from thousands of mosques. Authorities are taking down overtly Islamic architecture as part of a "sinicization" push to make them seem more traditionally Chinese.
A gang is demanding millions of dollars in ransom for 17 kidnapped missionaries. Faith-based humanitarian groups say their work demands balancing risk with the need to serve the most vulnerable.
Women's equality has made slow progress in South Korea. Some South Koreans want to bring about change starting at the country's cultural roots by reinterpreting Confucius.
The priestesses are part of a feminist push to make Hinduism more inclusive. Some have begun officiating at Indian weddings stripped of patriarchal traditions: No more "donating" brides to in-laws.
President and CEO of the SBC's Executive Committee Ronnie Floyd announced his departure Thursday in a statement critical of recent decisions related to the third-party review.
New state laws make it harder for interfaith couples to marry. The idea is to halt forced marital religious conversions. But they've emboldened extremists to interrupt weddings.
The discovery of the First Baptist Church in Colonial WIlliamsburg comes as the living history museum is reckoning with its storytelling about the country's origins and the role of Black Americans.
Francis Collins has served longer than any other director of the National Institutes of Health since 1971. He tells NPR he did not anticipate the culture wars taking over scientific fact.
There’s plenty of data of the scientific nature describing how vaccines for COVID-19 save lives. But for many, science is not the first place they turn to when making decisions about whether or not to be vaccinated. They are looking for the place where God is present in the numbers.
As religious exemptions are now being sought in droves, their use raises concerns that they pose a serious public health risk. But some say vaccine mandates are too much, too soon.