Turks in Mexico

Turks in Mexico (, ) comprise Turkish people living in Mexico and their Mexico-born descendants. The Turkish community is largely made up of immigrants or the descendants of immigrants, born in the Ottoman Empire before 1923, in the Republic of Turkey since then or in neighbouring countries once part of the Ottoman Empire that still have some Turkish population.
History.
According to census records, "Turks" have been present in Mexico since at least 1895 with 453 individuals recorded. However, most of the emigres from the Ottoman Empire were not ethnic Turks. Since they traveled with passports issued by Turkish authorities, it led to a misunderstanding in Latin America of identifying Arab immigrants as "turcos" (Turks). Most of the Ottoman immigrants were Lebanese Christians, with smaller populations of Syrians and Jews.


Surabaya Synagogue

The Surabaya Synagogue was a synagogue in Surabaya, Indonesia. The synagogue was built in 1948, located at Jl. Kayon 4–6. For decades, the old Indies style-building was the only synagogue in Indonesia that ever existed. In 2013, the owner sold the land, the synagogue was demolished, and it replaced by 17-story highrise hotel.
Cultural landmark status.
In 2009, the synagogue was actually planned by Surabaya Department of City Culture and Tourism as one of the cultural landmark ("Bangunan Cagar Budaya") in Surabaya (646/1654/436.6.14/2009). Ironically, before the building was officially designated as cultural landmark by the Surabaya City Government, the real estate developer demolished the building without notice.
Demolition.
In 2013, there were protests from Islamic organizations in front of the Surabaya Synagogue due to Israel attack on Palestine. The protesters also sealed the building and prompted to Surabaya City Government not to designate the synagogue as official cultural landmark. Because of years did not receive landmark designation, a real estate developer demolished the building. Jewish and Judaism people in Surabaya reported the action to the Surabaya Police Department, but there was no clear response from the police. Since 2018, the site is replaced by 17-story hotel.


Pura Girinatha

Pura Girinatha is the largest Balinese Hindu temple in East Timor. It is located in the Dili District, south of the capital city of Dili, near the local market. The temple is located on a small hill outside the city center, but is accessible by car.
History.
Timor has no traditional Hindu population. The temple was built during the Indonesian occupation and was intended for the Hindu immigrants of that time, who mainly came from Bali. The inauguration took place on 27 June 1987 by Governor of East Timor Mário Viegas Carrascalão. After the end of the occupation, most Hindus left the country. In 2015, only 272 East Timorese profess Hinduism. Now the temple is quite run down, although some Balinese from Indonesia and East Timorese government has started efforts to revitalize the temple.


Christianity in Algeria

Christianity came to North Africa in the Roman era. According to historian Theodor Mommsen what is now Mediterranean Algeria was fully Christian by the fifth century. A notable Berber Christian of Algeria was Saint Augustine (and his mother Saint Monica), important saints of Roman Catholicism. Christianity's influence declined during the chaotic period of the Vandal invasions but was strengthened in the succeeding Byzantine period. After the Arab invasions of the 7th century, Christianity began to gradually disappear.
Currently, North Africa is primarily Muslim: Islam is the state religion of Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia. While the practice and expression of other faiths is guaranteed by law, the same legal framework tends to restrict minority religions from actively seeking conversion to their religion, or even building or repairing churches. Converts to Christianity may be investigated and searched by the authorities as well as punished. There is some evidence that there has been an increase in conversions to Christianity among North African Muslims in recent years, even though in many cases the government will not change the religion from Islam on any citizens' identity cards. Despite this, the total number of Christians remains very low relative to the populations of these countries. In 2009, the percentage of Christians in Algeria was less than 2%. In this same survey, the United Nations counted 100,000 Roman Catholics and 45,000 Protestants in the country. Although Christians are a religious minority in Algeria, churches built during French rule can still be found.
Conversions to Christianity have been most common in Kabylie, especially in the wilaya of Tizi-Ouzou. In Tizi-Ouzou, the proportion of Christians has been estimated to be between 1% and 5%. Christians have at times been subjected to religiously motivated attacks. A 2015 study, estimated 380,000 Muslims converted to Christianity in Algeria. In 1996, Pierre Claverie, bishop of Oran, was assassinated by terrorists. This murder occurred soon after that of seven monks of the Trappistes of Tibérine, and of six nuns. This terrorist act was part of a general trend of violence during the Algerian Civil War in the 1990s, commonly known as the Black Decade. During this time, between 100,000 and 200,000 Algerians lost their lives.
Protestantism.
Protestants number approximately 45,000 in Algeria, according to more conservative estimates. A 2015 study, however, estimated 380,000 Muslims converted to Christianity in Algeria. This small population generally practices its faith without government interference but incidences of persecution were more frequently recorded of late. Missionary groups are permitted to conduct humanitarian activities without government interference as long as they are discreet and do not proselytize openly. Since 2006 missionary outreach among Muslims can be punished with up to five years of prison. The Protestant Church of Algeria is a united church formed by the Methodist Church and Reformed Church with about 10,000 members. The Protestant Church of Algeria is one of only two officially recognized Christian organizations in the country. According to the ICC, most Christians meet in homes, to protect themselves. The country's Minister of Religious Affairs has called the evangelical churches "dangerous."
Protestant denominations in Algeria include:
History of Christianity in Algeria.
Indigenous Christianity after the Arab conquest.
The conventional historical view is that the conquest of North Africa by the Islamic Umayyad Caliphate between AD 647 and 709 effectively ended Christianity in North Africa for several centuries. The prevailing view is that the Church lacked the backbone of a monastic tradition and was still suffering from the aftermath of heresies including the Donatist heresy that contributed to the earlier obliteration of the Church in the present day Tamazgha.
However, new scholarship has appeared that disputes this. There are reports that the Christian faith persisted in the region from Tripolitania (present-day western Libya) to present-day Morocco for several centuries after the completion of the Arab conquest by 700 AD. A Christian community is recorded in 1114 in Qal'a in central Algeria. There is also evidence of religious pilgrimages after 850 AD to tombs of Christian saints outside of the city of Carthage, and evidence of religious contacts with Christians of Muslim Spain. In addition, calendar reforms adopted in Europe at this time were disseminated amongst the indigenous Christians of Tunis, which would have not been possible had there been an absence of contact with Rome.
Local Christianity came under pressure when the Muslim fundamentalist regimes of the Almohads and Almoravids came into power, and the record shows demands that local Christians of Tunis convert to Islam. There are reports of Christian inhabitants and a bishop in the city of Kairouan around 1150 AD - a significant report, since this city was founded by Arab Muslims around 680 AD as their administrative center after their conquest. The indigenous Christian population in M'zab persisted until the 11th century. A letter in Catholic Church archives from the 14th century shows that there were four bishoprics in North Africa, admittedly a sharp decline from the over four hundred bishoprics in existence at the time of the Arab conquest. Berber Christians continued to live in Tunis and Nefzaoua in the south of Tunisia up until the first quarter of the 15th century.
Reintroduction of Christianity during French Colonialism.
The Roman Catholic Church was reintroduced in Algeria after the French conquest, when the diocese of Algiers was established in 1838. As of the last census in Algeria, taken on 1 June 1960, there were 1,050,000 non-Muslim civilians (mostly Catholic) in Algeria (10 percent of the total population including 130,000 Algerian Jews).
Under French rule, the Catholic population of Algeria peaked at over one million. The country was divided into four dioceses, including one archdiocese:
During French rule, Christianity was used as a tool of assimilation. French colonizers attempted to convert the Muslim population to Christianity as a form of modernization. Laws were put in place to establish Algerians’ rights as citizens based on religion. The Crémieux Decree of 1870 denied Muslim Algerians full citizenship status while granting local Christian and Algerian Jewish inhabitants full citizenship. Very few Algerians converted because of this law. The religion-based citizenship divides established during the French colonial rule sparked animosity between groups that would impact the stance of minority religions in Algeria for years post-colonial rule.
Christianity after Independence.
After Algeria became independent in 1962, about 800,000 "Pieds-Noirs" of French nationality were evacuated to European France. The majority of those who evacuated were Christian or Jewish. Approximately 200,000 Algerian inhabitants of French nationality chose to remain in Algeria. The number of people with French nationality has continued to decrease over the decades. There were approximately 100,000 in 1965 and about 50,000 by the end of the 1960s.
Proselytization of the Muslim population was at first strictly prohibited; later the prohibition was less vigorously enforced, but few conversions took place. The several Roman Catholic missions established in Algeria mostly worked on charitable and relief work, the establishment of schools, workshops, and infirmaries, and the training of staff for the new establishments. Some of the missionaries of these organizations remained in the country after independence, working among the poorer segments of the population. In the early 1980s, the Roman Catholic population numbered about 45,000, most of whom were foreigners or Algerians who had married French or Italians.
Since independence, there has been a rise of Islamic fundamentalism. The 1996 murder of Pierre Claverie, bishop of Oran was an act of violence by Islamic extremist terrorists against the Christian community.
References.
Translated from : Introduction and Christianisme en Algérie sections


Executive Council of Australian Jewry

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry, or ECAJ, is the peak national body representing the Australian Jewish community. It the umbrella organisation for over 200 Jewish organisations across Australia which are ECAJ's constituent or affiliate organisations, or are affiliated to those organisations. These include:
(i) the seven roof bodies of the Jewish community in each State and the ACT, which are the ECAJ's Constituent organisations;
(ii) approximately 175 Jewish organisations which are constituents or affiliates of the State and ACT roof bodies;
(iii) nine other national Jewish organisations which operate in at least 3 States and are the ECAJ's Affiliate organisations; and
(iv) the independent branch organisations of the ECAJ's Affiliates.
ECAJ is an elected body, but not by rank and file members of the Jewish community. Of the ECAJ's 33 Councillors, 25 are directly elected by the members of its constituent organisations, and 8 are appointed by its affiliate organisations.
The ECAJ is the Australian affiliate of the World Jewish Congress, the worldwide umbrella organization of Jewish communities. It is also affiliated with the Commonwealth Jewish Council, the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, and the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture.
Overview.
ECAJ was created in 1944 as the peak body for the various state based representative bodies.
Syd Einfeld was President of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry between 1953–54, 1957–58, and 1961–62.
Platform and advocacy.
The ECAJ Policy Platform covers a broad range of issues, including human rights, indigenous issues, multiculturalism, interfaith relations, refugees, education, Holocaust remembrance, racial vilification, antisemitism, religious issues, and Israel and the international community. The ECAJ website includes a pictorial history of Australia and Israel including government-to-government, commercial, cultural and people-to-people relationships between the two countries from the earliest years onward.
There have been criticisms of the organisation that they are not truly representative and that their elections are to narrow to a claim to represent all of Australia's Jews.
Communal submissions.
One of the roles of ECAJ is to prepare submissions to the government on behalf of the Jewish community. This has been on a broad range of topics such as the statutory definition of charity, human rights, freedom of religion and labeling kosher foods.
ECAJ has also taken a stand against child sexual abuse which had a significant presence in the community. ECAJ advocated for the return of Malka Leifer from Israel to face abuse allegations, and issued an apology to abuse advocate, Manny Waks, who was abused as a child.
In 2019, ECAJ called on the government to offer more protections to faith-based hospitals, aged care facilities and housing providers, to allow organisations to continue to preference people of their own faith in service delivery. ECAJ head Peter Wertheim provided the example that a Jewish facility should have the right to reject people of other faiths when selecting board members.
Anti-Semitism.
One of the roles of ECAJ is to monitor antisemitic instances in Australia. This includes the unprecedented 60% jump in incidents for 2018 on the back of an increase in 2017. This was seen mostly due to a sharp increase in white supremacist activity. Another significant rise was recorded in 2019.
They also strongly objected to the extremist politicians, Pauline Hanson and Malcolm Roberts coming to speak in the Jewish suburbs of Melbourne. They were invited by a Jewish extremist Avi Yemini, and many white nationalists were expected at the event, before it was cancelled. ECAJ in their statement with the Jewish Community Council of Victoria said that while they "generally support the right of people to express their opinions", they objected to this event going ahead.
Israel advocacy.
ECAJ, while officially a peak body for Australian Jewry, regularly conducts advocacy on behalf of Israel.
One significant area of pro-Israel advocacy is in their opposition to the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel. ECAJ has rejected the BDS movement as anti-Semitic, although they did not join the legal proceedings against a Sydney professor brought by the group Shurat HaDin.
ECAJ submitted a complaint to Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) over their screening the TV series "The Promise" in November and December 2011. This complaint pointed to many examples of the negative stereotyping of the Jewish people throughout the series, in particular through the portrayals of the Jewish characters. This was later supported by the Chairman of the New South Wales Community Relations Commission, Stepan Kerkyasharian. His submission argued that the program was guilty of "the portrayal of an entire nation in a negative light" and noted "concern that the series negatively portrays the WHOLE of the Jewish People. Such a portrayal cannot be justified in ANY context."
In 2019 ECAJ also released a rebuttal against the Israeli journalist and political candidate, Orly Noy who claimed anti-Sephardi racism and Apartheid was deeply rooted in Israeli society.


Turkish Cypriot Protestants

Protestants are a very small community living in the de facto Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and amongst the Turkish Cypriot diaspora. The adherents of these churches number around two hundred and can be found living throughout northern Cyprus. The leader and Pastor of the community is Kemal Başaran. With the introduction of Protestantism to Cyprus with the arrival of the British, the vast majority are Anglican and use Anglican churches in the Kyrenia area along with the island's British expatriate community. However, in recent years, the community are demanding their own Church. Despite the general tolerance of the native Turkish Cypriot community, the community faces threats and sometimes attacks at the hands of mainland Turkish settlers and by island nationalists. In an interview with Havadis Gazette, Pastor Başaran said: "The Turkish Cypriots who belong to various religions in our country want to live freely with their religions. The Turkish Cypriots, the Bulgarian Turks and the Turks from Turkey, who are Protestants and consist of approximately 200 families, demand a church where they would be able to practise freely their worship." The roots of the community lie in the period of British rule in Cyprus.


Presbyterian Church in Ireland

The Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI; ; Ulster-Scots: "Prisbytairin Kirk in Airlann") is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the Republic of Ireland, and the largest Protestant denomination in Northern Ireland. Like most Christian churches in Ireland, it is organised on an all-island basis, in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The church has approximately 225,000 members.
Membership.
The Church has a membership of approximately 225,000 people in 536 in 403 charges across both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. About 96% of the membership is in Northern Ireland. It is the second largest church in Northern Ireland, the first being the Roman Catholic Church. In the Republic the church is the second largest Protestant denomination, after the Church of Ireland. All the congregations of the church are represented up to the General Assembly (the church's government).
History.
Presbyterianism in Ireland dates from the time of the Plantation of Ulster in 1610. During the reign of James VI of Scotland a large number of Scottish Presbyterians emigrated to Ireland. The first move away from the Church of Scotland, of which the Presbyterians in Ireland were part, saw the creation of the Presbytery of Ulster in 1642 by chaplains of a Scottish Covenanter army which had arrived to protect the mostly Protestant British (Scottish and English) settlers in Ulster and to crush the Irish Rebellion of 1641 threatening these settlers. It succeeded in protecting the settlers, but failed abysmally to crush the rebellion. Under the more secure protection of Cromwell congregations multiplied and new presbyteries were formed. However, after the Restoration, nonconforming ministers were removed from parishes of the Established Church, but no matter the opinions of the king on religion, the Irish administration could not afford to alienate such a substantial Protestant population and Presbyterianism was allowed to continue in the country, with the stipends of ministers paid through the "regium donum" – literally 'the King's gift'.
William III rewarded Presbyterian support against James II (James VII of Scotland) with an increase in the "regium donum". From the 1690s, Presbyterian congregations, now organised in the Synod of Ulster, enjoyed practical freedom of religion, confirmed by the Toleration Act of 1719. However, their members remained very conscious both of continuing legal disabilities under the penal laws and of economic hardship as many were tenant farmers and objected to the payment of tithes to support the Church of Ireland. Throughout the eighteenth century, many Presbyterians were involved in movements for reform which, carried by enthusiasm for the American and French revolutions, culminated with their prominent involvement in the United Irishmen. Among the ordained ministers publicly associated with the republican society were Thomas Ledlie Birch, William Steel Dickson, William Porter and David Bailie Warden.
The eighteenth century saw significant tensions within the Synod of Ulster, which was divided between the Old Lights and the New Lights. The Old Lights were conservative Calvinists who believed that ministers and ordinands should subscribe to the Westminster Confession of Faith. The New Lights were more liberal and were unhappy with the Westminster Confession and did not require ministers to subscribe to it. The New lights dominated the Synod of Ulster during the eighteenth century, allowing the more conservative Scottish Presbyterian dissenters, Seceders and Covenanters to establish a strong presence in Ulster.
In the nineteenth century, a belief that some of those who did not subscribe to the Westminster Confession were in fact Arian provoked a new phase of the conflict. This ended when seventeen ministers opposed to subscription seceded with their congregations to form the Remonstrant Synod. This led to the restoration of obligatory subscription to the Westminster Confession within the Synod of Ulster and facilitated union with the Seceders in 1840 to create the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, whose first moderator was Dr Samuel Hanna. The united church was active in missionary activity both at home and abroad, particularly benefitting from the evangelical Ulster Revival of 1859.
Moderators.
List of Moderators of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland
The Church today.
The headquarters of the church are at Assembly Buildings, Fisherwick Place, Belfast, which were extensively renovated as part of a multimillion-pound project in 2010–2012. The Presbyterian Church in Ireland, a founding member of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, has 540 in 19 presbyteries across Ireland. The church's two nineteenth century theological colleges, Magee College (Londonderry) and Assembly's College (Belfast), merged in 1978 to form Union Theological College in Belfast. Union offers post-graduate education to the denomination's candidates for the full-time ministry.
Until 2007 the church was connected to a credit union, Presbyterian Mutual, that collapsed with the savings of almost 10,000 members, almost all of whom were also members of the church.
The PCI is involved in education, evangelism, social service and mission in a number of areas around the world:
Church and worship.
Apart from the seats for worshippers, the inside of a Presbyterian church is dominated by four items of furniture.
Service.
The Word of God is central in the Presbyterian Church, along with Prayer and Praise. The worship is a mix of prayers, hymns, psalms, paraphrases, Scripture readings and sermons. In recent years, psalms and paraphrases have been used less but are still an important part of worship. The order of service varies from church to church but it generally involves a hymn, followed by a prayer, followed by a children's address and a children's hymn. This is then followed by an expository sermon by the minister and another hymn, then another prayer and a closing hymn. Many Presbyterian churches mix Psalms and formal hymns with choruses, suitable for children, and many churches now have praise bands with a variety of instruments, as well as the traditional organ.
Logo and motto.
The motto of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland is "Ardens sed Virens" – "burning but flourishing". It is usually seen alongside the Burning Bush, the church's symbol. A burning bush was included in the more modern logo (top).
According to the Bible, in Exodus 3:2, Moses heard the voice of God coming from a burning bush that was not consumed by fire. This occurred after he had to flee Egypt, and was when he was called to go and demand the release of the Israelites.
Social issues.
The Presbyterian church has been active in commenting on a variety of social issues within and outside the denomination. In May 2006, the church's press officer stated that current regulations did not prohibit blessing same-sex relationships. However, in June 2006, the General Assembly (GA) voted to ban its ministers from blessing same-gender relationships, clarifying the previous ambiguity. In 2015, the church voiced its opposition to the legalisation of gay marriage. On women's issues, the church ordains women as ministers. On life issues, the denomination opposes abortion except for when the woman's life is in danger.


Roman Catholic Diocese of Vinh

The Diocese of Vinh () is a Roman Catholic diocese in central Vietnam. The Most Reverend Alphonse Nguyễn Hữu Long was appointed bishop on December 22, 2018.
The diocese covers an area of 16,499 km2, and is a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Hanoi.
Assumption Cathedral at Xã Đoài in Nghi Diên commune is the cathedral of the diocese.
History.
The circuit ("trấn") of was evangelized by Jesuit missionaries as early as in 1629, especially by Girolamo Maiorica. After the Apostolic Vicariate of Tonkin (Đàng Ngoài) was created in 1659, MEP missionaries were assigned to Nghệ An trấn. In 1846, the Vicariate of South Tonkin (Nam Đàng Ngoài) was established, covering the area of Nghệ An and Hà Tĩnh provinces as well as northern Quảng Bình province. It has been renamed Vinh in 1924 and elevated to a diocese in 1960. In 2006, the other part of Quảng Bình province, south of Gianh River and Son River, was officially transferred from Archdiocese of Huế to the Diocese of Vinh after decades under Vinh's "de facto" supervision following the Partition of Vietnam. After being split to establish the Diocese of Hà Tĩnh in 2018, the Diocese of Vinh currently covers Nghệ An Province only.


Muslim Association Party

The Muslim Association Party (MAP) was a political party in the Gold Coast, active from 1954 to 1957.
The MAP grew out of the Gold Coast Muslim Association, which was established as a welfare and social association in 1932. Involved in politics by the early 1950s, it became the Muslim Association Party in 1954. Most of its leaders opposed the ruling Convention People's Party, and the MAP was one of the parties which merged in 1957 to join the United Party.


Alfred Tooming

Alfred Tooming (5 July 1907—5 October 1977) was an Estonian prelate who served as the Archbishop of Tallinn and Primate of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church between 1967 and 1977.
Biography.
Tooming was born on 5 July 1907 on Idu farm in Ülejõe, Anija Parish, Governorate of Estonia in the Russian Empire, the son of Tõnu Tooming and Miina Roop. He studied at Kehra Municipal School between 1916 and 1919 and in 1927 graduated from the Jakob Westholm Gymnasium. From 1927 to 1932 he studied at the Faculty of Theology of the University of Tartu. He was ordained priest in St. Mary's Cathedral, Tallinn on 2 September 1934.
In 1934 he served as vicar of the St. James' Church in Võnnu and then deputy vicar of the parish in Käina. In 1935 he became vicar of the Church of St. John the Baptist, also known as Harju-Jaani church in Raasiku. Between 1941 and 1945 he was mobilised by the Red Army. he returned to his post in Raasiku in 1945. Between 1946 and 1959 he served in Jõelähtme's Church while in 1949 he transferred to Viljandi to become vicar of St. Paul's Church and Provost of the Viljandi deanery.
On 12 October 1967, after the resignation of Jaan Kiivit Sr., he was elected Archbishop of the Estonian church, and was consecrated on 9 June 1968 in St. Mary's Cathedral. He was consecrated by Martti Simojoki, Archbishop of Turku and Finland and co-consecrated by Aarre Lauha, Bishop of Helsinki.
Family.
On 25 May 1935, Tooming married Senta Kikerpill and together had four children, of whom their daughter, Maare Kümnik (1936–2015), was a notable Estonian bibliographer. Tooming's grandson is Ants Tooming, who since 2015 has been Provost of Tartu.


Edmund Rice Education Australia

Edmund Rice Education Australia (EREA) was established in October 2007. It is the outcome of one of two project groups, the National Planning Committee for Schools Governance and Shaping our Future Committee Oceania. As a result of the work of these two groups, the Christian Brothers decided to amalgamate separate Christian Brothers provinces in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea to form one Oceania Province focused on the social justice mission of the Christian Brothers. Separately, Edmund Rice Education Australia was established with the intention of independently implementing the educational mission of the Christian Brothers. Both these entities commenced on 1 October 2007.
Schools.
Australia.
The national office for EREA is located in Richmond, Victoria. Member schools agree to the Charter for Catholic Schools in the Edmund Rice Tradition which was first used in 2004 and revised in 2011 to include 4 primary "Touchstones". As of 2019, EREA includes 48 schools and over 35,000 students.
New Zealand.
Although not controlled by EREA, there are several partner schools united within the tradition of Edmund Rice:
Youth+.
"Youth+ is the arm of EREA that supports young people’s re-engagement in education for positive life futures." In 2010, there were 6 "flexible learning centre" schools, and by 2016 the number around Australia had grown to 19. The project also includes a Youth+ Foundation, a Youth+ RTO (Registered Training Organisation), and a Youth+ Institute.


Santa Rosa de Ocopa

Santa Rosa de Ocopa is the name of a district of Concepción province, Department of Junin in Peru. It is also the name of the capital of the district, and the name of a historic monastery in the district called the Convent of Santa Rosa de Ocopa. In 2017, the district had a population of 2,129 and an area of . The capital of the district, the town of Santa Rosa, had a population of 1,263 in 2017 and an elevation of above sea level. The name "Ocopa" comes from the Quechua "ocupi," meaning "within" or "corner."
Santa Rosa de Ocopa is located in the Mantaro Valley. The valley has a large area of arable land, unusual in the high altitudes of the Andes. Dating back to Pre-Columbian times, the Mantaro Valley has been a breadbasket for the people of the Andes.
Convent of Santa Rosa de Ocopa.
Santa Rosa was a place of importance after the Franciscans established the in 1725 as a college of missionaries with the objective of converting to Christianity the indigenous people living in the Amazon Basin, especially in the Cerro de la Sal and the Gran Pajonal regions. The convent is located in the northern outskirts of the town of Santa Rosa. In the 21st century, the extensive compound making up the convent houses a museum with a library of 25,000 volumes, some from the 15th century, a large collection of paintings, many of them dating to the 18th century, and a natural history museum. The convent is a popular tourist destination.
At the height of its importance about 1800, Ocopa was the "largest missionary operation in the Americas, serving more than seventy parishes and missions over a vast swath of South America." Three hundred and two of the missionaries assigned to the Ocopa convent during the 18th and early 19th century were Spanish-born and they constituted the great majority of all the Ocopa missionaries. The Spanish influence caused political problems for the convent during the independence movements in South America. On 1 November 1824, revolutionary leader Simon Bolivar captured the convent and confiscated its wealth and arrested the missionaries. The convent was reconstituted in 1836, but had lost its importance.
The Ruins of Ocupi.
Located a few yards from the convent are the ruins of Ocupi, an archaeological site of the Huanca dating from 1100 CE to 1470 CE.


Kodava Maaple

The Kodava Maaple, also known as Jamma Maaple, is a Muslim community residing in Kodagu district of Karnataka in southern India. They are believed to be descendants of Kodavas who were converted to Islam during their captivity at Seringapatam in the late 18th century. They are Sunnis of the Shafi'i "madhab", and contract marriage alliances with Mappilas and Bearys. They speak Malayalam, although now they do follow some Mappila and Beary customs also.
History.
The origin of this community dates back to the late 18th century. When the Kingdom of Mysore invaded and annexed Coorg, its inhabitants, the Kodava, rebelled on a dozen occasions. During a number of attempts to suppress their rebellion in the 1780s, a number of Kodava Hindus were captured and imprisoned by Tipu Sultan. These captives were forcibly deported, some of them were converted and some were killed (citations required). The estimated numbers of the captives vary according to different sources, from 500 (according to Punganuri) to 50,000 (according to B. L. Rice). With Coorg depopulated of its original inhabitants, Tipu sought to Islamize it with Muslim settlements. To this end, he brought in 7,000 men from the Shaikh and Sayyid clans, along with their families. However, this attempt proved to be partly successful, as many of them were eventually slain or fled after Tipu lost Coorg. A few continued to remain on in Coorg as they were on amiable terms with the Kodagu Raja and the Kodavas and they speak Urdu today. The Coorg capital of Madikeri had been renamed to Zafarabad by the Sultan in the meanwhile. The Muslim descendants of the Kodavas who converted into Islam, after Tipu Sultan's army on various forays into Coorg are called Kodava Mappila.
During the Third Anglo-Mysore War (1789–1792) 5,000 Kodava men along with their families, escaped from captivity in Seringapatam and returned to Coorg. During the war in 1791, one night the British attacked the Sultan's army which fled. That day the "Asadulai" (converts) who were seized at Coorg and other places along with the "Neze Cardar" (lancers), all numbering 10,000 people, escaped with their weapons to Coorg. Tipu's batteries were taken and there was confusion among Tipu's troops during that nightly encounter. According to Moegling, Kodavas, who had been carried away by Tipu with their wives and children, made their escape and returned to their native country (Coorg). These converts remained Muslims as they didn't reconverted to Hinduism,
The descendants of these Muslims, many of them now inter-married with Mappilas of Kerala and Bearys of Tulu Nadu, constitute a very small minority in modern Kodagu. In spite of their change in faith, they maintained their original clan names and dress habits and speak Kodava takk, although now they do follow some Mappila–Beary customs also. Today, many Muslims bear Kodava family names. There is Alira, Cheeranda, Chimma Cheera, Duddiyanda, Kaddadiyanda, and Kolumanda in Virajpet.
Culture and language.
The Kodava Maaple follow the culture of the Kodava people. Many of them retain their ancestral family or clan names. Traditionally, Kodava Maaple men wore the Kodava attire. They now contract marriage alliances with the Muslims of Mangalore and Kerala as well. They generally speak in Kodava takk, although now some of them speak in Malayalam and Beary Bashe due to intermarriages. Their culture is different from the Kerala Muslims, because they follow the mixed culture of the Kodavas and Mangalorean Muslims.
Muslims of the Syed and the Sheikh clans who were on good terms with Kodavas and their Raja were allowed to remain in Kodagu after the fall of Tipu Sultan. They speak Urdu.
Yemmemadu Dargah is the main shrine of the Kodava Muslims and is revered by the Kodava Hindus as well. This "dargah" is located in a place called Yemmemadu in Kodagu district. The shrine and tomb is built in memory of Hazrath Sufi Shaheed and Sayyed Hassan Sakaf Halramir who came from Persia to give religious discourses. They devoted their life to the service of the poor. There is an annual "Urs" held at this place which goes on for around eight days and more than two lakh devotees from all religions across the state come here to participate and get the blessings of the Sufi saints. Women are denied entry into the "dargah" and separate arrangements are made to enable them to offer prayers.
Other Kodagu Muslim communities.
Coorg has a significant Muslim population who are Syeds and Sheikhs who speak Urdu at home or Mappilas who speak Malayalam at home. There are Beary Bhashe speaking Beary Muslims and Nawayathi speaking Nawayath muslims as well.


Pierre-Henri Dorie

Pierre Henri Dorie (1839–1866) was a French missionary of the Paris Foreign Missions Society, who was martyred in Korea in 1866. His feast day is March 7, and he is also venerated along with the rest of the 103 Korean Martyrs on September 20.
Biography.
Henri Dorie was born on 23 September 1839 in Saint-Hilaire-de-Talmont.
Following the arrest and execution of Bishop Siméon-François Berneux on 7 March 1866, all but three of the French missionaries in Korea were also captured and executed: among them were Bishop Antoine Daveluy, Father Just de Bretenières, Father Louis Beaulieu, Father Dorie, Father Pierre Aumaître, Father Martin-Luc Huin, all of them members of the Paris Foreign Missions Society.
The persecutions triggered the French Campaign against Korea in October–November 1866.
Like the other martyrs, Pierre Henri Dorie was canonized by Pope John Paul II on 6 May 1984 under the name Peter Henricus Dorie.


Tatars in Lithuania

Tatars in Lithuania are a unique ethnic group living in the Republic of Lithuania and are considered one of the oldest national minority.
Origin.
Tatars in Lithuania are descendants of the Turkic and Mongol tribes. Their ancestors were emigrants from the Golden Horde and the Crimean khanate. The Tatars do not have their own state now, but they were able to maintain their ethnic culture, national and religious identity. Most Lithuanian Tartars are Sunni Muslims. Their spiritual center-muftiat was restored in 1998 after the collapse of Soviet Union. Today Lithuanian Tartar mosques operates in Nemėžis, Keturiasdešimt Totorių village, Raižiai and Kaunas. Before the Second World War there were six mosques in Lithuania and three of them were destroyed.
Coming to Lithuania.
In the 14th century The Grand Duchy of Lithuania covered a large territory and the border in the east were near the Tartar lands. There was intense communication between the two nations. The first Tatars came to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania as allies in the battles with the Crusaders in 1319–1320. Later the Grand Duke Vytautas The Great invited some families of Tatars to Lithuania. They were settled in Trakai, Vilnius and not far away for Alytus. It is believed that some hundreds of Tartar soldiers with their families and possessions came to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania at the end of the 14th century. Among those who came were a number of noble Tatars.
Lithuanian Tatars are well known for having their own military formations. Initially, they are called Flags, later - the Front Guard Regiments, which are considered to be the first Lithuanian border army. Throughout the centuries, the main activity of the Tatars was serving in the military and diplomatic service.
The Tatars formed personal guard of Vytautas and together with him took part in the famous Battle of Grunwald on July 15, 1410. Due to a special relationship with the Duke, they were exempt from taxes. For the good service they were rewarded with the land and manors. From the end of the 18th century to the middle of the 20th century, up to 50 Tatars generals served in various Lithuanian armies.
Over time, the Lithuanian Tartars professions changed. At the beginning of the 20th century, doctors, scientists, artists and representatives of the liberal professions appeared among the Tartars. Some of them have become widely known in the world.
Maintaining loyalty to the country, which became their second homeland, Lithuanian Tatars participated in all the wars of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, without exception, in the uprisings of 1794, 1831 and 1864. They also took part in the Lithuanian wars of independence (1918-1920). Colonel Alexander (Suleiman) Chaleckis, a high Lithuanian Tartar officer, was one of the founders of the reborn Lithuanian army. During the interwar period, about a thousand Tatars lived in the Republic of Lithuania.
In Lithuania, they had two parishes with centers in Kaunas and Raižiai. In 1930, to commemorate the 520th anniversary of the Battle of Grunwald, a new brick mosque was opened in Kaunas, the temporary capital of Lithuania. Significant support for its construction was provided by the then Lithuanian Government.
In today's Lithuania.
Currently, about 3,000 Tatars live in the Republic of Lithuania. Today, most Lithuanian Tartars are concentrated in Alytus, Kaunas and Vilnius counties. Their influence on the life of the state is evidenced by Totorių Street in the center of Vilnius and the former suburb of Lukiškės in Vilnius.
In 1988, the Lithuanian Tatar Cultural Reviva l Society was established. Its aim was to coordinate the social life of the Tatars, to take care of the reconstruction of the house of prayer and to foster culture. Currently, there are about 20 Lithuanian Tatar public organizations (associations) operating in Lithuania.
In 1995, the newspaper "Lietuvos Totoriai" were started to published in Lithuanian, Russian and Polish languages.
In 1996, the Union of Lithuanian Tartar Communities was founded. Its activities include fostering, getting to know and disseminating Lithuanian Tartar culture. The Union organizes events, maintains relations with state institutions, self-government institutions and related Lithuanian Tatar organizations in Poland and Belarus, the National Parliament of Crimean Tatar.
In 2009, the Vytautas the Great Monument Construction Foundation was established, which is engaged in the work of perpetuating historical memory and preserving heritage. There are several Lithuanian Tartar Sunday schools in Lithuania.
The restoration of Lithuanian Tartar folklore began in 1997 with the establishment of the first collective, "Alije".
In 2011 Lithuanian Tartar folklore ensemble "Ilsu" (Homeland) was founded in Vilnius and later the folklore group "Efsane" ("Legend") was created.
Today Trakai History Museum has a permanent exposition dedicated to Lithuanian Tatars.
Culinary heritage.
Lithuanian Tatars have maintained their culinary tradition. Their most famous dish in Lithuania and abroad is a layered cake with poppy filling "Šimtalapis". Lithuanian Tartar dumplings with lamb and beef, pumpkin pie with meat (previously traditionally used goose), ceremonial round scones - jama, sweets halva are also widely known.


Ratbek hadji Nysanbayev

Ratbek hadji Nysanbayev (, "Rátbek qajy Nysanbaıuly") was the first Supreme Mufti of Kazakhstan, controversially appointed by President Nursultan Nazarbayev. He served as mufti from January 12, 1990 to June 24, 2000.


Paso (float)

A Paso (Spanish: "Episode of the Passion of Christ") is an elaborate float made for religious processions. They are carried by porters on staves, like a litter or sedan chair, and are usually followed or escorted by a band. Some have long skirts that cover the bearers entirely, giving the impression that the statue is floating on its own power.
The porters are called "costaleros", "cargadores" or "portadores" and their leader is called a "capataz" ("Foreman" or "Head Man"). The "capataz" sets the "chicotá", the period of time between a paso being lifted and set down again; the "costaleros" cannot pick up or set down the "paso" except by his leave. This is signalled by the "llamador" ("crier"), a knocker on the front of the float. During "Semana Santa" ("Holy Week", the week preceding Easter Sunday) the custom is to make "pasos" adorned with large wooden statues of Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, saints and biblical personalities from the Passion.
In Italy smaller carried floats are known as "macchine a spalla".


Yadnya Kasada

Yadnya Kasada, also known as "Kesodo", is a traditional Hindu ritual of the Tenggerese people, an ethnic subgroup of the Javanese. The ritual serves as a way of expressing appreciation to their gods, whom they believe have granted them with blessings, abundance, and welfare.
The Tenggerese live in sixty villages around the Tengger mountains (Mount Bromo) in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, comprising the regencies of Probolinggo, Lumajang, and Pasuruan, as well as the city of Malang, East Java, Indonesia.
Administratively, the festival location takes place in the Probolinggo Regency in East Java.
History.
The origin of this festival is a legend that dates back to the Majapahit kingdom, during the reign of King Brawijaya. At the fall of the Majapahit empire the princess of the kingdom and her husband Roro Anteng took refuge in the upper slopes of Mount Bromo. The couple and their followers later settled in the Tengger mountains and ruled the region jointly under the title Purbawisesa Mangkurat Ing Tengger. Under their leadership Tenngerese people settled and began to flourish, but the couple were not happy as they remained childless after many years of marriage. Therefore, they meditated atop Mount Bromo, beseeching the mountain gods for assistance. The gods granted them 24 children on the condition that the 25th child must be thrown into the volcano as human sacrifice. The gods’ request was observed, and so the tradition of offering sacrifices thrown into the volcano to appease the deities continues until today, but, of course, with no sacrifices of humans. Instead, today chickens, goats and vegetables are thrown into the crater as sacrifice.
According to another version of the legend the couple didn't follow the promise. God becomes angry with threatening to inflict catastrophe, then there is a tempestuous circumstances into a pitch black crater of Mount Bromo sprayed fire. Their youngest son "Kesuma" vanished from the sight of the fire and into the crater of Bromo, along with Kesuma's disappearance came the unseen voice, "My dear friends, I have been sacrificed by our parents and Sang Hyang Widhi saved all of you.Live peace and serenity, worship the Sang Hyang Widhi, I remind you every month of Kasada on the 14th day to make offerings to Sang Hyang Widhi in the crater of Mount Bromo ".
Pura Luhur Poten.
Poten is a sacred area of land in the "Sea of Sand" ( or ), which becomes place for Kasada festival. On the sand plain, locally called Segara Wedi (lit. sand ocean), sits a Hindu temple called Pura Luhur Poten. The temple organises the Yadnya Kasada ritual which lasts for about one month. On the 14th day, the Tenggerese congregate at Pura Luhur Poten to ask for blessings from Ida Sang Hyang Widi Wasa and the God of Mahameru (Mount Semeru). The temple consists of several buildings and enclosures arranged in a composition arrangement in the yard which is divided into three mandala (zone), "Mandala Utama ", "Mandala Madya" and "Mandala Nista ".
Festival.
Eksotika Bromo Festival is held as part Yadnya Kasada ritual that is organized by the regency administration to develop traditional culture and art activities in the community to help lure tourists to the region. It is held prior to the Yadnya Kasada ritual. Various type of traditional arts and cultural programs are presented to celebrate this festival. The festival attracts huge numbers of local as well as foreign tourists every year.
Ritual.
Yadnya Kasada is held every 14th day of the Kasada Month in the traditional Tengger calendar. This ceremony is held to honor Sang Hyang Widhi, God Almighty, and is based on the ancient legend of Roro Anteng and Joko Seger.
Pendopo Agung Desa Ngadisari (Ngadisari village Grand Hall) became the starting point of the Yadnya Kasada procession. Offerings began to be distributed to the Luhur Poten temple at the sand grounds which is known as "Poten", right at the bottom of Mount Bromo. Following the ritual, the Tengger tribe shamans, local public figures, and Tenggerese people gather and pray for their safety and prosperity.
On the day of Yadnya Kasada, devotees who have journeyed up the mountain, pray together atop the mountain and then throw their offerings into the crater of the volcano. On the 14th day of the Kasada, the Tenggerese go to Poten Bromo and ask for blessing from the main deity Hyang Widi Wasa and Mahadeva, the God of the Mountain (Mount Semeru), by offerings sacrifices, which include vegetables, fruit, livestock, flowers as well as money, and are offered in grateful thanks for an abundance of agricultural produce and livestock given to them. Sometimes locals clamber down into the crater despite obvious dangers, to retrieve the sacrificed goods, which are believed to bring them good luck.


Zephaniah Legumana

Zephaniah Legumana, was the fourth Anglican Bishop of Ysabel, one of the nine dioceses that make up the Anglican Church of Melanesia. He served from 28 January 2000 to 2003.


Jan Muscenius

Jan Muscenius, (Jan Muszczeński alias Jan Mucha, 1532 – 21 July 1602) was a Polish astronomer, theologian, and the rector of Kraków Academy (now Jagiellonian University).
Life.
Jan Muscenius was born in Kurzelów, Sandomierz Province, and lived in Kraków.
He received his primary education in Kurzelow, then continued education in Krakow. In 1550, he enrolled in the Faculty of Liberal Art at the Kraków Academy (now Jagiellonian University). In August 1558, he became the head of the Astronomy and Astrology Faculty.
From 29 April 1556 to 24 February 1559, he was a rector of the Wawel cathedral school. On 23 September 1558 became the member of the Collegium Minor (Kolegium Mniejszego).
Jan Muscenius was four times the rector of the Kraków Academy (1592/1593, 1594/1595, 1599/1600, 1601/1602)
Muscenius divided his book collection between Kraków Academy and the collegiate church at Kurzelów. The University of Warsaw Library has 59 beautifully bounded volumes from the Muscenius collection.
Research.
On 24 August 1563 and 11 April 1564 together with other astronomers (Piotr Proboszczowic, Mikołaj z Szadka, Stanisław Jakobejusz) from the Krakow Academy observed the Jupiter and Saturn conjunctions (Greate conjunction). The observations showed that the mathematical method of the planets position calculation presented by Copernicus in "De revolutionibus orbium coelestium" are more accurate than previously used the Alfonsine tables and Albert Brudzewski tables. This result popularised to use the numerical values of the planets position according Copernicus, but not necessary to Copernican heliocentrism.
He provided 1649 the pre-instrumental weather condition observations between 1555 and 1568.


Nan Hua Temple

Nan Hua Temple (南華寺, "Nanhua Si") is the largest Buddhist temple and seminary in Africa, and is situated in the Cultura Park suburb of Bronkhorstspruit, South Africa. It is the African headquarters of the "Fo Guang Shan" (Buddha's Light Mountain) Order, covering over . Fo Guang Shan was established in 1967 by Venerable Master Hsing Yun, and is a Mahayana Chinese Buddhism monastic order. The Temple, like its mother order in Taiwan, follows the Linji Chan school of Buddhism as well as the Pure Land School.
History.
The Temple can trace its roots back to 8 March 1992, when the Bronkhorstspruit City Council, under its chief executive and former church minister, Dr Hennie Senekal, who had previously visited Taiwan to promote investment opportunities in his town, donated six hectares of land to the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Order for a Chinese Buddhist cultural and educational complex.
The Fo Guang Shan Religious Affairs Committee subsequently sent Venerable Hui Li to be the founding abbot of the temple, whose main aim is to promote Buddhism on the African continent. Construction began in October 1992; the eventual cost of the temple complex was sixty million South African rand.
Since then the Temple itself, as well as the Nan Hua Buddhist Temple Guesthouse, African Buddhist Seminary (ABS), Nan Hua Village, Assembly Hall, and a Pureland Ch'an retreat centre have been built. Nan Hua Buddhist Temple has opened branches in other South African cities, in Johannesburg, Bloemfontein, Newcastle, Durban and Cape Town. They are also very active in community, charity, cultural and prison outreach programmes.
The main temple was officially opened in 2005 by the seventh and (then) worldwide head abbot, Most Venerable Hsin Pei.
Pureland Ch'an retreat centre.
The Temple also has a specialist Pureland meditation retreat centre that is located about one and a half kilometres away. It is currently (2007) under the direction of Ch'an Master Hui Re. The meditation centre is open to all people – both monastic and laity – and does not discriminate on the basis of religion, nationality, sex, or any other factor. Beginner, intermediate, and advanced Ch'an & Pureland retreats are held, and include an organic, vegetarian diet. The centre includes a large meditation hall, a monastic residence, and residences for the meditation practitioners.
Abbots and abbesses.
The abbots and abbesses of Nan Hua since its inception have been:
Bomb explosion.
On 30 October 2002 the Boeremag, a militant Afrikaner right-wing organisation planted a bomb in the basement of the temple. Two staff members were lightly injured when the detonator went off prematurely. At the time a South African Police Service spokesman stated that the blast could have killed and injured dozens of people if the detonator had not failed to set off the explosives. About 150 devotees from South Africa, Australia, Taiwan, Malaysia, and the United States were attending ceremonies in the main temple at the time and about thirty construction workers were close by as well. South African politicians across the political spectrum condemned the blasts.


Give Us This Day (Philippine TV program)

Give Us This Day is a Philippine two-hour religious television program produced by the Sonshine Media Network International. It is hosted by Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy. It features fresh "manna of revelations", comments form both text and e-mails, and live Kingdom Music by the Kingdom Musicians. The show debuted on May 28, 2003, and airs live Mondays to Fridays at 6:00 PM on SMNI TV 43 Davao.


Martial Auribelli

Martial Auribelli (died 11 September 1473) was a French Dominican. He was head of his Order from 1453 to 1462, when he was deposed in favour of a papal candidate, Conrad of Asti. He was again Master-General from 1465 to 1473.
He was opposed by the reformer Johannes de Turrecremata, influential at the papal curia. Auribelli's concern was that reform of the Dominicans would split the Order into less and more observant parts, as had happened to the Franciscans.


Riay Tatary

Riay Tatary Bakry (19 March 1948 – 6 April 2020) was a Syrian religious leader, chairman of the Union of Islamic Communities of Spain. He was imam of the Central Mosque in Madrid, Spain, as well as president of the Islamic Commission of Spain.
Biography.
He was born in Damascus on 19 March 1948. He settled in Spain in 1970 and studied Medicine at the University of Oviedo. He took part in the advisory committee for Freedom of Religion of the Ministry of Justice, being endowed the "Encomienda" of the Order of Civil Merit in 1998.
He was interned in March 2020 in the Hospital de la Paz due to COVID-19 along with his wife; Tatary died weeks later, on 6 April, at the age of 72 during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Community of Madrid. He was buried at the Muslim cemetery of Griñón.


Samdup Taso

Samdup Taso (b. 1928; d. 29 October 2011, aged 83) was the last shaman to lead the indigenous Lepcha people of Sikkim (now part of India) in prayers to the mountain deity of Kanchenjunga, the world's third-highest mountain peak.
Taso was an hereditary priest (the "Bongthing"), who would lead prayers culminating in special rituals during the month of "Kursong" (February–March).
Taso did not nominate a successor, and left the native villagers in the remote Dzongu region of north Sikkim without a 'Khangchendzonga Bongthings' (priest), thus ending an 800-year ritual.


Christianity in Jamaica

Christianity was introduced by Spanish settlers who arrived in Jamaica in 1509. Thus, Roman Catholicism was the first Christian denomination to be established. Later, Protestant missions were very active, especially the Baptists, and played a key role in the abolition of slavery.
Denominations.
Anglicanism.
Anglicanism was introduced by the British in 1664. The first church was built on the spot of the Spanish Church of the Red Cross in Spanish Town, and is the oldest Anglican cathedral outside the British Isles and the oldest place of continuous worship in the western hemisphere. By the early nineteenth century, abolitionism had propelled other denominations to the forefront, and threatened the established Anglican church. Thus, in 1824, the Diocese of Jamaica, which also included Belize and the Bahamas, was established. In 1861, the Bahamas became a separate diocese, and, in 1891, the same happened to Belize. During the 1960s, the Cayman Islands were added, and, in 2001, the diocese was renamed the Diocese of Jamaica & the Cayman Islands. Today, the diocese is part of the Church in the Province of the West Indies.
Baptist.
In 1783 George Liele, a freed African who was once enslaved in America, introduced the Baptist denomination to Jamaica. Liele, born in Virginia became a Christian in Georgia, and then became the first African American to be ordained within the Baptist Church, at First Baptist Church Savannah. He later pastored both black and white Christians in the American South. On gaining his freedom he travelled to Jamaica and became the first 'unofficial' missionary - before Carey and before Judson. In Jamaica he first preached at the Race Course in Kingston, where people of all races came to hear him. He pioneered Baptist tradition in Jamaica, establishing the first Baptist Church - the Ethiopian Baptist Church. Despite having a church membership of over 450 enslaved Africans in 1791 and 3,000 by 1806, he together with his colleague George Baker began to correspond with the Baptist Missionary Society in England, as a means of developing the work in Jamaica, as it was under constant persecution from the Colonial Government and the established Anglican Church. At the forefront of standing up for the truth of the Gospel in pre-emancipation Jamaica, he died in 1828, but not before he had influenced many, such as the revolutionary Sam Sharpe and other Baptists involved in the 1831 'Baptist Wars' which proved to be the final death knell for slavery. He also passed on the baton to Baptist missionaries from the UK - particularly his colleagues William Knibb and Thomas Burchell, who not only learnt from him, but continued his work, and lived to see what he could only have hope for - the abolition of slavery, the freeing of the enslaved, and the establishing of the then-largest mainline Christian denomination in Jamaica - the Baptist Church.
Methodists and Presbyterians.
The Presbyterians and Methodists have made significant contributions to education.
Moravians.
The Moravian Church was the first denomination that seriously undertook the teaching of Christianity to the slaves. In 1754 two wealthy plantation owners living in England invited the Moravians to send missionaries to their estates in Jamaica. They are still active today especially in the parishes of Manchester, Saint Elizabeth, and Westmoreland.
Roman Catholicism.
Introduced by Spanish settlers in 1509, Peter Matyr ordered the building of the first church in Sevilla Nueva {now known as Saint Ann's Bay and was completed in 1526 a monastery was set up by the request of the Spanish king in an effort to convert Arawaks. The effort to convert to the Arawaks failed as they rapidly died from disease. In 1655, a Protestant English force captured Jamaica and Roman Catholicism was removed until 1837.
Today Jamaica is organized as the Archdiocese of Kingston in Jamaica, which also includes Belize and the Cayman Islands. Of the four suffragan dioceses, two, the dioceses of Mandeville and Montego Bay cover parts of Jamaica.
Seventh day Adventists.
The story of the Seventh-day Adventists in Jamaica, is one of rapid growth and development over more than a century. In 1891, at the request of James Palmer of Kingston, the Tract Society (Seventh-day Adventist) in the United States of America mailed literature to Jamaica. He gave one to Mrs. Margaret Harrison who is said to be the first Adventist in Jamaica. Her plea to a General Conference session in Battle Creek, Michigan, resulted in the arrival of the first missionaries to the island, Pastor A J. Haysmer and his wife, on 26 May 1893.
The church was able to host a meeting of all workers in the West Indies from 5 to 15 November 1898 at Text Lane, in Kingston, Jamaica. By February 1899, there were six organized churches and 15 other congregations, with a total of 502 members and about 100 other Sabbath-keepers. The records show that by May 1902, this number had grown to 18 churches and 13 other congregations. At its 35th meeting in Oakland, California, in March 1903, the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists voted to receive the Jamaica Conference into the fellowship. Rapid church growth followed although ordained ministers were few, but the lay members shouldered much of the work.
In the building of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination, education and health were essential planks. With the work growing in Jamaica, the need for an Adventist school to train new converts as ministers and church workers for the region became apparent. In 1906, suitable land was acquired at Bog walk and then Riversdale, St. Catherine, for this venture, and the West Indian Training School was established. Its policy of work-study helped students to work while studying in order to assist with the cost of their education. In 1919, the school was relocated to its present home in Mandeville and later became the West Indies College, now Northern Caribbean University (NCU), with enrollment averaging over 5,000. The Union has grown to cover evangelistic, health, education and youth programs, involving 10 high schools, 22 elementary schools and numerous basic schools, in addition to the ever-expanding NCU.
In 1912, the Adventists opened the “Massage and Hydropathic Treatment Rooms” in Kingston. As demand for its services grew, there were calls for a hospital, and in 1945, the “Andrews Memorial Hospital and Missionary Clinic” was established. Along with the facility, a nursing school was started. Today, Andrews Memorial Hospital provides a facility, with cutting edge medical services such as CT Scan, ultrasound, liptotriptor, surgery, maternity care, dental care and a pharmacy. It collaborates with NCU in training nurses.
Throughout its history the expansive of the work of the Jamaica Union Conference has been underpinned by the publishing ministry, with its army of faithful 'colporteur' door to door book selling evangelists.
At the 1936 Adventist worldwide General Conference session, Elder A.C. Stockhousen was moved to report: "Jamaica is one of the largest conferences of Seventh-day Adventists in the world... Today there are 5,335 baptized believers...A more loyal and serious band of believers it would be hard to find anywhere."
Today, this continues to be true, and there are currently 5 local conference organizations in Jamaica, but now with 324,747 members (as of 30 June 2020) .


Mesrop Aramian

Fr. Mesrop Aramian (; born June 20, 1966 in Yerevan, Armenian SSR) is a priest of the Armenian Apostolic Church, theologian, scholar, writer, film producer, social entrepreneur and educator. He is a co-founder of the Ayb Educational Foundation and Ayb School, as well as member of the Advisory Board of Ayb School. He is a co-founder and member of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation for Armenian Science and Technology (FAST.) Fr. Mesrop Aramian is a member of the AUAC Board of Trustees. He is a member of the board of trustees of Monte Melkonian Military School. Fr. Mesrop Aramian is the founder and director of Gandzasar Theological Center and Vem Media Arts. He is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Vem Radio. He is the scriptwriter and producer of the documentary From Ararat to Zion, creative producer of the film The Book and the author of its idea. Fr. Mesrop has authored an Eastern Armenian translation of The Book of Lamentations by St. Gregory of Narek. He has also authored publications, articles, research studies, radio and TV shows, as well as educational projects and programs.
Early life and education.
Fr. Mesrop (baptismal name Matevos) Aramian was born on June 20, 1966, in Yerevan.
Fr. Mesrop is a graduate of Physics-Mathematics Special School in Yerevan. He graduated from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) with a Master of Science degree in Engineering and Theoretical Physics in 1990. He successfully passed Lev Landau's "Theoretical Minimums" in 1995-1996 and joined Vitaly Ginzburg's theoretical physics group in 1998. He was ordained a priest of the Armenian Apostolic Church on May 28, 1991.
Professional life.
In 1991, Fr. Mesrop Aramian founded Gandzasar Theological Center and heads it as Director and Editor-in-Chief. To date, the Center has published over 80 publications.
In 2002, he founded Vem spiritual-cultural radio station and has since been its Editor-in-Chief.
In 2004, he created and still heads Vem Media Arts film production studio, which has released 12 environmental documentaries. Vem Media Arts has also produced two television shows: Catechism and Spiritual Discussions.
In 2006, in association with a group of friends, he established the Ayb Educational Foundation.
In 2010, Vem Media Arts released the internationally acclaimed documentary feature film, From Ararat to Zion, depicting the centuries-old Armenian presence in the Holy Land. Fr. Mesrop Aramian is the writer and producer of the film.
In 2011, the Ayb Educational Foundation established Ayb School. Fr. Mesrop Aramian is the author of the educational curriculum of Ayb School, as well as founding chairman of the school Board of Trustees. Since 2018, he has been a member of the Advisory Board of Ayb School.
From 2013 to 2018, he was Adviser to the RA President on Education on a voluntary basis.
In 2014, Vem Media Arts studio released the film The Book. Fr. Mesrop Aramian is the creative producer and author of the film idea.
In 2014, the RA Ministry of Education and Science and Ayb Educational Foundation in cooperation with the University of Cambridge and UCL Institute of Education launched a major educational initiative - the National Program for Educational Excellence (NPEE), based on Ayb School's curricula. From 2014-2018, Fr. Mesrop Aramian was the Program Director.
In 2016, Fr. Mesrop Aramian was elected to the Board of Trustees of AUAC.
Since 2017, he has been a co-founder and member of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation for Armenian Science and Technology (FAST.)
Since 2017, Fr. Mesrop Aramian has been a member of the Board of Trustees of Monte Melkonian Military School.
In 2019, Vem Educational and Cultural Foundation published The Book of Lamentations by St. Gregory of Narek (translation by Fr. Mesrop Aramian).
Affiliations.
He is a member of the Artsakh Diocesan Council and was twice elected a delegate for the National Ecclesiastic Assembly from the Artsakh Diocese.
He is a member of the International Association of Patristic Studies.
Awards and honors.
On June 5, 2010, Artsakh President Bako Sahakyan awarded Fr. Mesrop Aramian with Mesrop Mashtots order.
On June 2, 2017, Fr. Mesrop Aramian was awarded a 2nd Class Medal for Services to the Motherland․
Personal life.
Fr. Mesrop Aramian is married. Together with his spouse Irina, they raise seven children: Nerses, Mariam, Marta, Gayane, Mikayel, Sofia, and Hovhannes.


Nichijin

Nichijin (日陣, May 30, 1339-June 14, 1419) is considered a founder of the Hokkeshū Jinmon Ryū subsect of Nichiren Buddhism, although it was announced by Nichiin. He studied under Nichiryū (日龍) at Honjo-ji (本成寺) beginning at the age of 8, then left to study under Nichijō (日静) at 17.
While studying on Mount Chōkai he met a Tendai scholar, who he debated with. That scholar converted to Nichiren Buddhism in 1379 and changed his name to Nichijū. He also converted a Shingon priest who changed his name to Nichiin. He disappeared in 1419; it is believed he died on pilgrimage.


Jean-Baptiste de Brancas

Jean-Baptiste de Brancas (1693, Pernes-les-Fontaines—1770, Aix-en-Provence) was a French clergyman. He was Bishop of La Rochelle from 1725 to 1729, then Archbishop of Aix-en-Provence from 1729 until his death in 1770.


Roman Catholic Diocese of Denpasar

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Denpasar () is a diocese of the Ecclesiastical province of Ende, in Indonesia. The diocese encompasses the predominantly Hindu province of Bali and the mostly Muslim province of West Nusa Tenggara and has its see in Denpasar, the capital city of Bali.


Heart of God Church

Heart of God Church (), abbreviated as HOGC, is a non-denominational church in Singapore. It was founded by husband and wife Tan Seow How and Cecilia Chan, more commonly known as Pastor How and Pastor Lia, in 1999. Heart of God Church currently holds its services in Paya Lebar in eastern Singapore. The church has a strong community built for youth members. It has maintained a young demographic with an average age of 22 across the church. The church provides developmental opportunities especially for its young people, and that has allowed them to gain new skills and experiences that have helped them find full-time professional jobs. Heart of God Church is also known for its initiatives to build interfaith harmony in multi-religious Singapore.
History.
The church started when How and Lia, along with three other people, held the first group meeting in 1996. The church was officially registered as "Heart of God Church" in August 1999.
The small auditorium at Henderson Industrial Park eventually could not hold the growing congregation; in 2004, the church moved from Henderson Industrial Park to Dhoby Ghaut. Even as the church's ministries such as Operations and Creative Ministries and other ministries were founded, the church continued to grow until the premises were no longer able to accommodate its growing congregation. In August 2007, the church moved to SingPost Centre in Paya Lebar.
In January 2016, the church moved into its current location at Imaginarium, 115 Eunos Avenue 3. In April that year, Senior Pastor Tan Seow How spoke about the need to build trust with neighbouring religious organisations, as a bulwark against flashpoints. The church launched community programmes with Khalid Mosque and Geylang United Temple.
In 2018, Heart of God Church ordained three homegrown pastors: Charleston Lim, Lynette Goh, and Garrett Lee.
Two-time Grammy Award-winner Matt Redman held a worship concert for Heart of God Church's 20th-anniversary celebrations in 2019. In 2020, he released a video for his single, “The Same Jesus” which was recorded live at the church.
Stream of Praise, a well-known Chinese Christian music group, held a worship concert at Heart of God Church in 2019. A video of the concert was released the following year.
Heart of God Church's seasonal online services are put together by an IT team of mainly 17-to 22-year-olds. They have features such as live chat, live voting, and interactive games. In 2020, the church conducted both the main Easter service and the youth Easter service through its website, followed by online activities, videos, and podcasts to help engage young congregants and encourage them to stay home during the COVID-19 pandemic. The online Easter services included a short film that allowed viewers to choose their own ending.
The church is registered with the National Council of Churches of Singapore (NCCS) and is an independent church with an independent board of directors, leadership and finances.
Activities.
Academic Excellence Programme.
Heart of God Church has a big focus on academic excellence and the creative expression of young people. The church was featured in "The Straits Times" on 27 November 2010 for encouraging a passion for study and creativity. During examination season, students are urged to study for at least 20 hours a week before they attend church. As a result, they have consistently outperformed the national average. To encourage studying and achieving good grades, the church disburses awards paid for from church coffers or donations by parents.
Heart of God Church also encourages young people to excel in creative pursuits, and many have gone on to enjoy success in their chosen fields. The church provides the environment and equipment for young people to explore what they are good at, such as music, multimedia, lighting, dance and art.
Interfaith Community Work.
Heart of God Church intentionally builds bridges with other religious organisations to strengthen social cohesion in Singapore. In April 2016, the church launched three joint community programmes with Khalid Mosque and Geylang United Temple. The three initiatives launched were a combined tuition programme, a football coaching and mentoring programme headed by national footballer Isa Halim, and a blood donation drive. The event was held in collaboration with the Geylang Serai Inter-Racial and Religious Confidence Circle (IRCC) and "Berita Harian".
On 4 April 2021, The Straits Times featured the church’s interfaith collaboration with Khalid Mosque as a portrait of how the national ideal of harmony plays out on the ground in many everyday events. For example, during the pandemic, youth volunteers from the church prepared care gifts for Covid-19 front-line workers together with youths from the mosque. They also lent a hand at the mosque's Charity Briyani, where meals were packed and sold to raise funds for children's education.
Online Interfaith Playbook.
An online playbook encouraging more interfaith activities in Singapore is being developed by Heart of God Church and Khalid Mosque youths. It is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2021. The website will help religious groups and charities planning interfaith events navigate through the challenges with checklists and insights.
Joint Tuition Programme with Khalid Mosque.
The joint tuition programme with Khalid Mosque was featured on "The Straits Times" and "CNA" on 19 June 2019 as Singapore hosted the inaugural International Conference for Cohesive Societies, where President Halimah Yacob announced the signing of the Commitment to Safeguard Religious Harmony in Singapore. Heart of God Church was one of the 250 religious organisations that signed the Commitment.
Interfaith Community Project with South East CDC.
In May 2019, Heart of God Church youth volunteers partnered with the Nanyang Leow-Sih Association and Jain Society to give out medical supplies to 500 elderly beneficiaries in the South East District of Singapore. The effort was led by Senior Minister of State for Defence and Foreign Affairs, Maliki Osman, with the support of the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY).
Joint Interfaith Annual Blood Donation Drive.
Heart of God Church participated in two joint blood donation drives with Khalid Mosque and Geylang United Temple. The blood donation took place on Heart of God Church's and Khalid Mosque's premises. The programme was launched with the belief that "under every skin colour and every creed, we all bleed the same colour – red. The Malay blood can save a Chinese man. The Hindu blood can save a Christian man."
Heart For Our Heroes Initiatives.
As part of its Heart For Our Heroes initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic, Heart of God Church partnered with different religious organizations to give out thousands of care packs and cards to medical professionals, frontline workers in the Changi Airport Group, hawker centre cleaners, and others.
Heart Community Services.
Heart Community Services is a fund established by Heart of God Church in 2008 to provide financial and educational support, as well as social services to the local community. Through it, pocket money, opportunity grants and scholarships are disbursed to young people from less well-to-do backgrounds, or whose families are going through a financial crisis.
From April to June 2020, funds donated to Heart Community Services went towards an allocated budget that supported those whose families and livelihoods were significantly affected by COVID-19. Over the three months, the church gave S$170,100 in financial aid to 144 church members. One hundred recipients were students.
The #LoveOthers Project.
In 2015, the church organised a campaign called #loveothers to encourage small acts of kindness to others, such as sending chocolates and notes to the letterboxes of Pasir Ris residents.


Religion in Wales

Christianity is the largest religion in Wales. Until 1920 the established church was the Church of England, but from 1920 the disestablished Church in Wales, still Anglican, was self-governing. Wales also has a strong tradition of nonconformism, including Methodism.
Most adherents to organised religion in Wales follow one of the Christian denominations such as the Church in Wales, Presbyterian Church of Wales, Baptist and Methodist churches, Catholicism or Eastern Orthodoxy. Other religions Welsh people may be affiliated with include Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, Sikhism and Druidism, with most non-Christian Welsh people found in the large cities of Cardiff and Swansea. Some modern surveys have suggested that most Welsh people do not identify with any religion, and record significantly less religious feeling in Wales than in other parts of the UK.
Reflecting Wales' history of freethinking, nonconformism, and religious pluralism, the devolved parliament and government in Wales are distinctively secular, in contrast with the Westminster parliament.
Christianity.
History.
Roman origins.
Although Christianity arrived in Wales sometime in the Roman occupation, it was initially suppressed. The first Christian martyrs in Wales, Julius and Aaron, were killed around AD 304. The earliest Christian object found in Wales is a vessel with a Chi-Rho symbol found at Caerwent. Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire in the 4th century. After the Roman legions withdrew in the 5th century Anglo-Saxon invaders gradually conquered eastern and southern Britain but were unable to make inroads into Wales, cutting off Wales from the Celts in Scotland, Cornwall and Cumbria. The writer Gildas drew sharp contrasts between the Christian Welsh at this time and the pagan Anglo-Saxon invaders.
Emergence.
The "age of the saints" (about AD 500–700) was marked by the establishment of monastic settlements throughout the country, by religious leaders such as Saint David, Illtud and Teilo. This was the period when the Welsh developed a shared national identity, arising from their language and religious beliefs.
The Welsh bishops refused to co-operate with Augustine of Canterbury's mission to the Anglo-Saxons. However, a combination of Celtic Christianity's reconciliation with Rome and English conquest of Wales meant that from the Middle Ages until 1920, the Welsh dioceses were part of the established Church of England in its Province of Canterbury. They were all in communion with Rome until the Reformation made them independent of Rome and under the control of King Henry VIII. The Established Church in Wales was the Church of England until it was disestablished in Wales in 1920. The old Welsh dioceses became the new Church in Wales. It created a new diocese in 1921, the Diocese of Monmouth.
Reformation.
Bishop Richard Davies and dissident Protestant cleric John Penry introduced Calvinist theology to Wales. They used the model of the Synod of Dort of 1618–1619. Calvinism developed through the Puritan period, following the restoration of the monarchy under Charles II, and within Wales' Methodist movement. However, few copies of Calvin's writings were available in Welsh before the mid 19th century.
Welsh as liturgical language.
Some books of the Bible and of the Apocrypha had been translated in the Middle Ages, but the Acts of Union (1536–43) passed under King Henry VIII effectively banned the Welsh language from official use. However, under Queen Elizabeth I the English Parliament passed the An Act for the Translating of the Bible and the Divine Service into the Welsh Tongue 1563. In 1567 William Salesbury, Richard Davies and Thomas Huet completed the first modern translation of the New Testament into Welsh and the first translation of the Book of Common Prayer (). Then in 1588 William Morgan completed a translation of the whole Bible. These translations were essential to the survival of the Welsh language and had the effect of conferring status on Welsh as a liturgical language and vehicle for worship. This had a significant role in its continued use as a means of everyday communication and as a literary language down to the present day despite the pressure of English.
Abuses did occur, and in the 18th century some bishops granted benefices in Welsh-speaking areas to English clergy who did not speak Welsh. This contravened Article XXIV of the Articles of Religion of the Church of England: "It is a thing plainly repugnant to the Word of God, and the custom of the Primitive Church, to have publick Prayer in the Church, or to minister the Sacraments in a tongue not understanded of the people."
In 1766 the churchwardens of the parish of St Beuno, Trefdraeth on Anglesey, supported by the Cymmrodorion, began a test case against an English clergyman, Dr Thomas Bowles, who could not conduct services in Welsh and whose attempt to do so had ended in ridicule. In its verdict in 1773 the Court of Arches refused to deprive Dr Bowles of his living, but did lay down the principle that clergy should be examined and found proficient in Welsh in order to be considered for Welsh-speaking parishes.
18th century conditions.
The condition of religion in Wales was bleak from the mid-17th century to the mid-18th century. The established Church of England recovered slowly from the widespread damage brought about by the English Civil War, and the Puritan Commonwealth of Cromwell, in the mid-17th century. Poverty was widespread in the overwhelmingly rural country. The clergy were impoverished and subsisted on their own farm work on their glebes. Facilities from personages to graveyards to churches to cathedrals were commonly in physical disrepair. Membership and participation was falling.
Nonconformity, membership and revivals.
Nonconformity grew rapidly and came to dominate the religious life of Wales from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries. The Welsh Methodist revival of the 18th century was one of the most significant religious and social movements in the history of Wales. The revival began within the Church of England in Wales and at the beginning remained as a group within it, but the Welsh revival differed from the Methodist revival in England in that its theology was Calvinist rather than Arminian. Welsh Methodists gradually built up their own networks, structures, and even meeting houses (or chapels), which led eventually to the secession of 1811 and the formal establishment of the Calvinistic Methodist Presbyterian church of Wales in 1823. Emotionalism had free rein; in contrast to Scotland with its four universities, good schools, and a strong theological tradition, Wales had no universities and widespread illiteracy.
The Welsh Methodist revival also had an influence on the older nonconformist churches, or dissenters – the Baptists and the Congregationalists – who in turn also experienced growth and renewal. As a result, by the middle of the nineteenth century, Wales was predominantly a nonconformist country.
Statistics of membership between 1680 and 1840 demonstrate that the established Church of England lost one-fifth of its membership. In addition, an ever-increasing number of nominal Anglicans also ceasing to practise. Nonconformity more than quadrupled, mainly from 1760 and especially after 1800. In 1800 there were twice as many Anglican churches as Nonconformist chapels; in 1850, chapels outnumbered churches by a ratio of 5 to 2. Roman Catholicism kept pace with demographic growth, but, even reinforced by Irish immigration, remained a limited force in 1840. Judaism and overt irreligion were both rare.
In 1910, the nonconformist bodies numbered 550,000 members, as against 193,000 in the established Church of England. Nonconformists, led by Liberal David Lloyd George, increasingly controlled the politics of Wales, although the elite sectors were still dominated by the Anglicans.
The 1904-1905 Welsh Revival was the largest full scale Christian Revival of Wales of the 20th century. At least 100,000 people became Christians during the 1904–1905 revival. Even so, it did not put a stop to the gradual decline of Christianity in Wales, only holding it back slightly. Despite this, by 2011 South Wales (and especially settlements in the former coalfield area) showed the highest proportions of no religion anywhere in the country, rising in places to over 50%. The reasons for this are unclear.
Disestablishment - creation of the Church in Wales.
In reaction to the rise of nonconformity, some Anglicans came to recognise the weaknesses of the established church and its failure to counteract the popular aspects of nonconformity. The rigidity of the parish system and the distance between churches were quoted as examples of the failure of the church to adapt.
The Welsh Church Act 1914 provided for the separation of the four dioceses of the Church of England located in Wales (known collectively as the Church in Wales) from the rest of the Church, and for the simultaneous disestablishment of the Church. The Act came into operation in 1920. Since then there has been no established church in Wales. Between 1996 and 2016 the number of signed-up Church in Wales members dropped from 91,247 to 45,759 or 1,5% out of a total population of 3,113,150 The number of signed-up Church in Wales members dropped further to 42,441 by 2018 or 1,4% out of the total Welsh population of 3,187,203
Present-day Roman Catholicism.
Catholics are served by the Ecclesiastical Province of Cardiff, which exists out of the Archdiocese of Cardiff, the Diocese of Menevia and the Diocese of Wrexham. The bishops of these dioceses are part of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales. In total, the three dioceses counted 209,451 Catholics on a population of 3,112,451 inhabitants, equalling to a percentage of 6,7% Catholics. The three dioceses have 172 priests and 34 permanent deacons, 75 male religious and 267 female religious, and a total of 154 parishes as of 2016 (2017 for the diocese of Wrexham). However, the province is not completely equal to Wales, as the Archdiocese of Cardiff also covers Herefordshire, in England.
Sabbatarianism.
The Sabbatarian temperance movement was strong among the Welsh in the Victorian period and the early twentieth century, the sale of alcohol being prohibited on Sundays in Wales by the "Sunday Closing Act" of 1881 – the first legislation specifically issued for Wales since the Middle Ages. From the early 1960s, local council areas were permitted to hold referendums every seven years to determine whether they should be "wet" or "dry" on Sundays: most of the industrialised areas in the east and south went "wet" immediately, and by the 1980s, Dwyfor in the northwest as the last of the dry regions went wet after a local referendum in 1982; however, in the next referendum it returned to a dry region on Sundays from 1989 to 1996.
In early 1996 reconstruction of Gwynedd resulted in Dwyfor district being abolished and Dwyfor area is now covered by an area committee of the Gwynedd Council and there have been no further "Wet - Dry" referendums.
Saints.
Saint David is the patron saint of Wales.
Wales is particularly noted for naming places after either local or well-known saints – many or perhaps most places beginning in Llan e.g. Llanbedr – St Peter (Pedr); Llanfair – St Mary (Mair); Llanfihangel – St Michael (Mihangel); Llandecwyn – Saint Tecwyn. Because of the relatively small number of saints' names used, places names are often suffixed by their locality e.g. Llanfihangel Glyn Myfyr, Llanfihangel y Creuddyn, Llanfihangel-y-Pennant.
Islam.
The largest non-Christian faith in Wales is Islam, with about 46,000 adherents in 2011. Most Muslims live in Cardiff (23,656 in 2011, 6.8% of the population), but there are also significant numbers in Newport (6,859 in 2011) and Swansea (5,415 in 2011).
There has been a Somali and Yemeni Islamic community in Cardiff since the mid-1800s, founded by seafarers to Cardiff Docks.
Judaism.
Judaism has quite a long history in Wales, with a Jewish community recorded in Swansea from about 1730. In August 1911, in a period of public disorder and industrial disputes, Jewish shops across the South Wales coalfield were damaged by mobs. Since that time the Jewish population of that area, which reached a peak of 4,000–5,000 in 1913, has declined. In 2011 there were a total of 2,064 Jewish adherents in Wales, including 802 in Cardiff.
Other faiths.
Hinduism and Buddhism each have about 10,000 adherents in Wales, with the rural county of Ceredigion being the centre of Welsh Buddhism. Govinda's temple & restaurant, run by the Hare Krishnas in Swansea, is a focal point for many Welsh Hindus. There are about 3,000 Sikhs in Wales, with the first purpose-built gurdwara opened in the Riverside area of Cardiff in 1989. In 2011 some 13,000 people classified themselves as following "Other religion" including a reconstructed form of Druidism, which was the pre-Abrahamic religion of Wales (not to be confused with the Druids of the Gorsedd at the National Eisteddfod of Wales).
Irreligion.
In the United Kingdom census, which asks the question "What is your religion?", 32.1% of people in Wales declared no religion in 2011, compared with 18.5% in 2001. Other surveys which ask the question "Do you have a religion, and if so what is it?" have by contrast found that an outright majority of people in Wales do not have a religion. The 2018 British Social Attitudes Survey, an annual state-funded poll, found that 58% of Welsh adults did not identify with a religion, making Wales the most irreligious part of the UK.


Anna Diamantopoulou

Anna Diamantopoulou (; born 26 February 1959 in Kozani, Greece) is a Greek civil engineer and politician of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) who currently serves as president of the Athens-based think tank "DIKTIO" Network for Reform in Greece and Europe.
Earlier in her career, Diamantopoulou served as Minister of Education as well as Minister for Development, Competitiveness and Shipping. She also served as European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities in the Prodi Commission, a post she held between 1999 and 2004. She has since held various positions, including in corporate boards.
Education and academic career.
Diamantopoulou attended Aristotle University of Thessaloniki where she received training in civil engineering and then earned graduate degree with honours on regional development from the Panteion University.
She was a lecturer at various academic institutions including Bocconi, Boston and Harvard universities, Goethe University Frankfurt, London School of Economics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Queens College, City University of New York, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Political career.
Career in national politics.
Diamantopoulou joined the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) youth organisation in 1976 and was elected as president of the university’s civil engineering students’ union a year later.
Diamantopoulou's political career began in 1984, when she was appointed as a Prefects (Governor) of Kastoria. Appointed at the age of 25, she was the youngest ever Governor in the history of Greek State. Two years later, she was appointed as Secretary General for Adult Education and later for Youth. She was appointed President of the Hellenic Organization of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Handicraft (EOMMEX) in 1993 and left the position to become Secretary General for Industry.
Diamantopoulou's parliamentary career began in 1996 when she was elected to represent the district of Kozani. In the government of Prime Minister Costas Simitis, she was appointed as Deputy Minister for Development in charge of responsible for industrial restructuring as well as the privatization of 100 state companies, a position she left in order to become a European Commissioner.
Member of the European Commission, 1999–2004.
From 1999 until 2004, Diamantopoulou served as the European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities in the European Commission led by President Romano Prodi, which made her the youngest person and second woman to be appointed as Member of the European Commission by the Greek government.
During her mandate in the Prodi Commission, Diamantopoulou completed various legislative initiatives, including the “Agenda for Social Policy” for the EU. The agenda included a series of strategies and programs which aimed at securing equal opportunities for men and women, improving working conditions, legislating against discrimination at work and the fight against social exclusion.
Another initiative was the European Health Insurance Card, considered at the time to be a step towards a Social Europe. She promoted agreement on the White Paper on Corporate Social Responsibility, establishing CSR as an important aspect in European business agenda. Diamantopoulou was also the legislator behind the establishment and implementation of the regular issuance of EU guidelines for a European Employment Strategy.
Diamantopoulou led efforts on the European Commission's legislative initiative against discrimination in 2003, by introducing a directive against discriminations based on gender, origin, religion, handicap and sexual orientation. The directive aimed to outlaw sexism in areas like television programming, advertising, taxation, newspaper content and education as well as to ensure equal access to goods and services for women and men, e.g. not pay more for health insurance because you are a woman who may have a child.
In 2003 Diamantopoulou and Pehr Gyllenhammar held a nomination ceremony of European awards which acknowledged the excellence in the fields of lifelong learning, diversity and gender equality.
Minister of Education, 2009–2012.
On 4 October 2009 Diamantopoulou was re-elected as a Member of Parliament and served as Minister for Education, Lifelong Learning and Religious Affairs in the cabinet of George Papandreou.
As minister, Diamantopoulou introduced the major legislative reform of Higher Education in the “Metapolitefsi Period” overhauling the existing status quo. The so-called “Diamantopoulou Law” included reforms for primary and secondary education ranging from rationalization of resources to educational content, the introduction of “Digital School” in all levels of education system and the introduction of a new Framework for Lifelong Learning. The “Diamantopoulou Law” is considered an example of parliamentary consensus, as it was approved by a supermajority of 255 MPs. She also introduced legislation to partially liberalize higher education by permitting private sponsorship of science, technology and business programmes at state universities.
Minister of Competitiveness, 2012.
Later on, Diamantopoulou was appointed as Minister of Competitiveness, Development and Shipping. Upon taking office, she suspended more than 100 civil servants involved in awarding investment grants, following the arrest of two officials for taking bribes. She also managed to unblock EU funds left unspent by her predecessors. One of her major achievements was the introduction of the “Competitiveness Bill”, a legislation for removing existing barriers for entrepreneurship, exports, tourism and other economic activities.
Diamantopoulou was among a number of prominent PASOK politicians who were voted out in the May 2012 Greek legislative election.
Later career.
In 2012 Diamantopoulou became a Fisher Family Fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government and in 2015 was named Distinguished Scholar by the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
Since 2013, Diamantopoulou has been presiding over DIKTIO-Network for Reform in Greece and Europe, a leading Athens-based independent, non-partisan and non-profit think tank that aims to undertake cutting-edge policy research and practical policy advice. The purpose of DIKTIO's establishment has been to effectively forge partnerships for policy change at the domestic level and promote informed debate about Greece's role in the European Union and the world. DIKTIO is the first Greek think tank to host major international personalities for closed-door discussion with high-level Greek stakeholders.
In 2020 Diamantopoulou was named as possible candidate to the post of OECD secretary general to succeed Angel Gurria in 2021, having been nominated by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Writing career.
Diamantopoulou is also known for her authorship of various books on Greece and its European integration. Such an example would be hers "Exipni Ellada" (Intelligent Greece) which outlines the need for innovation, goal-oriented endeavours and professional approaches as the key prerequisites for social and economic progress. Her other books are: "European Integration and Governance: A Comparison with the US Model in Transatlantic Relations: Cooperation or Competition" and "The Future of Europe: A Discussion for All – A Question of Participation". In 2020, Anna Diamantopoulou published a book in Greek, on progress and peace in the 21st century, with foreword by EU High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell
Awards.
Anna Diamantopoulou was one of the juries for the Women of Europe Awards.