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.
Discussions about the possibility of women deacons, who are ordained and can assist with Church services but cannot celebrate Mass, have convulsed the 1.4 billion-member Church for the past decade.
