A move by Rwanda to shut down more than 700 churches in its capital city, allegedly for building safety, hygiene, and noise violations, is prompting accusations that the government of President Paul Kagame is trampling on religious freedom.
On March 6, police detained six pastors, accusing them of conspiring to rally other clergy in defiance of the government’s shutdown orders.
Francis was the first pope to be a member of the Jesuit Order and was lauded for his priorities of uplifting marginalized communities, protecting immigrants, and advocating for environmental justice.
Robert Francis Prevost, the first American pope, will now lead more than a billion Catholics around the world — including 53 million American Catholics.
