New book also reveals that Pope John Paul had a mean sweet tooth and a temper. Jan. 27, 2010— -- Pope John Paul II, whose world travels helped modernize the papacy, sometimes practiced ancient ...

LONDON (Reuters Breakingviews) - Medieval Christians habitually whipped themselves to show penance. Credit Suisse Chief Executive Thomas Gottstein is practising his own form of self-flagellation after ...

Responding to acts of extreme corporal mortification during Holy Week, Catholic bishops in the Philippines have discouraged practices such as self-flagellation and crucifixion in favor of more ...

The ritual of flagellation is commonly studied in regards to questions surrounding religion and body. However, this paper looks at the ritual in order to explore the relationship between ritual and ...

Shiite Muslims across the globe on Tuesday observed Ashura, an annual commemoration mourning the seventh-century martyrdom of a grandson of the Prophet Mohammed. Imam Hussein bin Ali’s death in the ...

President Biden and the Democratic Party are in the position just about every ruling party finds themselves in as they approach the first midterm election of a presidency: low approval ratings, ...

Father Alessandro Coniglio, who presided over the Mass, emphasized to CNA that “the mystery of the blood of Christ is at the heart of Holy Week. On Holy Wednesday, the friars of the Custody of the ...