Religion & Belief in the 21st century

283 sourced entries, 2000 CE to 2025 CE, oldest first. Also see Religion & Belief across every century or everything else in the 21st century.

20006 February - President of Ireland, Mary McAleese attends a concert at Clonard Monastery.Northern Ireland source
2000February 19 – Goran Karan won Dora 2000 to become Croatia's representative at the Eurovision Song Contest 2000 with the song "Kad zaspu anđeli".Croatia source
2000March 12 – Pope John Paul II apologizes for the wrongdoings by members of the Roman Catholic Church throughout the ages.source
2000March 12–26 – Pope John Paul II visits Israel, and thus becomes the second pope to visit Israel. During his stay, the Pope visits Yad Vashem (the Israeli national Holocaust memorial) and the Western Wall placing a letter inside it in which he prayed for forgiveness for the actions against Jews in the past.Israel source
2000April 13 - Nina Brink is fired as the chairwoman of the commissary council of World OnlineNetherlands source
2000April 15: Pope John Paul II names Eduardo Patino and Hipolito Reyes Larios as bishops of the newly created dioceses of Córdoba and Orizaba in the state of Veracruz.Mexico source
2000April 30 – Canonization of Polish Catholic sister Faustina Kowalska in the presence of 200,000 people and the first Divine Mercy Sunday is celebrated worldwide.source
200031 May - 2000 Bulgarian Cup FinalBulgaria source
2000August 14 – Tsar Nicholas II and his family are canonized by the synod of the Russian Orthodox Church.source
20003 September – Bangladesh repeals Vested Property Act.Bangladesh source
2000December 7 – Kadisoka temple is discovered in Sleman, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.source
2000Tun Tan Sri Michael Chen Wing Sum (from 7 December)Malaysia source
20011 January – Bangladesh High Court bans religious edicts also known as FatwasBangladesh source
2001January 21 – Pope John Paul II names 37 cardinals in one day for a total of 128.source
2001January 25 – Armenia and Azerbaijan join the Council of Europe.source
200128 April – Construction of the Umm al-Qura Mosque, one of the largest mosques in Iraq, is completed.Iraq source
200123: Madrid is chosen to be a World Book CapitalSpain source
200114 June – The establishment of Council for Hakka Affairs of the Executive Yuan.Taiwan source
2001August 27 - Abu Ali Mustafa, 63 Palestinian politician, member of the PLO executive.Palestine source
2001September 1 – About two dozen foreign aid workers were expelled from Afghanistan by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan for allegedly preaching Christianity. The workers were from the international aid organization SERVE and the International Assistance Mission.Afghanistan source
2001September 25 - Pope John Paul II visits Armenia to participate on the celebrations of 1,700th anniversary of the adoption of Christianity as a national religion in Armenia.Armenia source
200122 November – First Minister David Trimble and deputy First Minister Mark Durkan meet with residents of Upper Ardoyne, and the next day, 23 November, the Holy Cross protests are called off after 14 weeks.Northern Ireland source
2002January 6 – The Boston Globe publishes results of an investigation leading to the criminal prosecutions of five Roman Catholic priests and bringing widespread attention to the sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy.source
20029 January – Holy Cross dispute: Confrontations outside Holy Cross Primary School, a Roman Catholic girls' school in the largely Protestant Ardoyne district, during the afternoon school run, explode into widespread sectarian rioting which spreads across north Belfast and continues on 10 January, when the school is closed.Northern Ireland source
2002February 11 – The Catholic Church establishes four new dioceses in Russia, prompting backlash from the Russian Orthodox Church.source
200225 March – The renaming of Council of Aboriginal Affairs to the Council of Indigenous Peoples.Taiwan source
20025 April – At the Council of Australian Governments Meeting in Canberra, Prime Minister John Howard concedes ground to the States on human embryo research.Australia source
20028 June – Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad visits Vatican City and meets Pope John Paul II for the first time.Malaysia source
200222 June – Ashok Singhal, leader of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), announces that the VHP is no longer bound by its earlier promise to the government to await a court ruling before embarking on the construction of a temple to the god Rama on the site of the destroyed Babri mosque at Ayodhya.India source
2002July 9 – The Church of England allows divorcees to remarry.source
2002October 15 – The Somali Reconciliation Conference begins, initiating peace talks between two factions of the Somali Civil War: the Transitional National Government and the government of Puntland.source
2002Ismail Khan, Afghan provincial governor of Herat, reimposed a ban on wedding celebrations at restaurants, on the grounds that they encourage men and women to dance together. The ban was based on a decree from Herat's 60-man Council of Scholars and Clerics. The ban was first imposed by Khan four months ago after a young woman burned herself to death when her parents told her they could not afford to hold her wedding party at a restaurant. Khan later reversed this decision after complaints.Afghanistan source
20024 December – Xavier Deutsch awarded the Prix Rossel for La Belle Étoile.Belgium source
2002December 31 – The United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina ends.source
2002Establishment of the Reykjavík Mosque.Iceland source
200314 February – The remains of Carol II and of his wife, Magda Lupescu, are repatriated from Portugal and placed inside the Curtea de Argeș Cathedral.Romania source
2003February 27 – Rowan Williams becomes Archbishop of Canterbury.source
200327 February: Archbishop of Santa Fe, Edgardo Gabriel Storni, is accused of sexual abuse on a seminarist, and absolved from two previous similar accusations.Argentina source
2003Tariq Aziz of Iraq met with Pope John Paul II.Iraq source
2003March 6 – SCO Group files a lawsuit against IBM as part of an ongoing dispute regarding the use of Unix in the development of Linux.source
200311 March – President of the Council of State Marcel Sauber resigns to take up the vacancy left in the Chamber of Deputies by the death of Willy Bourg on 21 February.Luxembourg source
2003April 7 – The Archaeological Survey of India orders that Hindus be allowed to worship in the Kamal Maula Mosque.source
2003May 6 – John Paul II visits Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, becoming the first pope ever to enter a mosque.source
200322 June – Real Madrid clinches the Primera división, the top football league in Spain, beating Real Sociedad by two points. The very next day, Real fires its manager, Vicente del Bosque.Spain source
2003The Afghan Information Ministry shut down the weekly publication Aftab because it questioned Islam and the Qur'an in an article titled "Holy Fascism." The article said there had been no progress in the Islamic world for 1,400 years. Copies of Aftab were confiscated and its chief editor Sayed Mahdawi and his deputy Ali Riza Payam were arrested.Afghanistan source
2003September 19 – The United Nations establishes the United Nations Mission in Liberia with Resolution 1509.source
2003October 16 – Pope John Paul II holds mass to celebrate his 25th anniversary as pope, becoming the fourth pope to reach the milestone.source
2003October 19 – Mother Teresa is beatified by Pope John Paul II.source
2003December 9: Roman Catholic Diocese of Mindelo established from the northern part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Santiago de Cabo VerdeCape Verde source
2003December 12 - The Dutch Reformed Church, Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands decide to merge.Netherlands source
2004January 24 – Abdul Rahman Munif, authorIraq source
20041 April – The merging between West District and Central District to form the West Central District in Tainan City.Taiwan source
2004April 30 – Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople breaks Eucharistic communion with Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens.source
200415 October – Romain Nati is appointed to the Council of State, replacing Nicolas Schmit, who resigned in July.Luxembourg source
2004November 11 - Yasser Arafat, 75, first President of the Palestinian National Authority, Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization, and founder and leader of Fatah.Palestine source
2004November 17 – Hella Haasse receives the Prijs der Nederlandse Letteren.Netherlands source
20041 December: Archbishop of Buenos Aires Jorge Bergoglio calls an art exhibition by León Ferrari "a shame" and "blasphemy". Many of Ferrari's works employ religious icons and characters.Argentina source
2004Attempts at reconciliation in Somalia (1991–2004)Somalia source
2004Honorary: César Keiser and Margrit LäubliSwitzerland source
20053 February: Avowed feminist and militant atheist Carmen Argibay is sworn into the Supreme Court.Argentina source
2005March 4 – Nicola Calipari, Italian secret agentIraq source
2005April 12 – Shahrokh Meskoob, 81, Iranian Man of letters, writer, translator, scholar and university professor.Iran source
2005April 12 - Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh rules that forcing women to marry against their will is against Islam.Saudi Arabia source
2005June 29: St. Peter and Paul¹ in TicinoSwitzerland source
200512 October – Jean-Claude Juncker delivers a declaration on the political state of the country in place of his eleventh State of the Nation address, on account of Luxembourg's presidency of the Council of the European Union earlier in the year.Luxembourg source
2005Matiur Rahman, the Editor of Daily Prothom Alo, was awarded Ramon Magsaysay Award.Bangladesh source
2005ALUPEC was recognized by the Cape Verdean government as the writing system for Cape Verdean CreoleCape Verde source
200623rd - Archbishop Peter Derry is appointed Cardinal by The Vatican at age 88Ghana source
2006March 23 – members of the Special Air Service recovered British and Canadian hostages ending the Christian Peacemaker hostage crisis.Iraq source
200610 June – Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume is appointed to the Council of State.Luxembourg source
2006June 24: The orthodox Christian party SGP lifts its ban on female membership. The party had lost its government subsidy because a court in The Hague found the ban on female membership to be in violation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.Netherlands source
2006July 1: Finland receives the presidency of the Council of the European Union.Finland source
200613 July – Viru Prison was established.Estonia source
200621 August – Dawra degree of Qawmi Madrasah gets recognition as equivalent to master's degree.Bangladesh source
2006October 10 - A couple is caught having sex in a mosque during Ramadan in Gilgil and are sentenced to 18 months in prison.Kenya source
2007January 25 – The city council of Shushi, Nagorno-Karabakh has selected a new coat of arms for the city as part of a "Shushi Revival." The new coat of arms was designed by Rouben Arutchyan, an artist from Yerevan by descent from a famous Shushi family. The new coat features a guardian angel of "Sourp Amenaprkich Kazanchetsost" Church.Armenia source
2007January 25 – Vietnam's prime minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng becomes the first leader of the communist nation to meet and hold talks with the head of the Roman Catholic Church. Prime Minister Dũng met Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican City in Rome.Vietnam source
2007March 20 – Taha Yassin Ramadan (born 1938), Iraqi vice president of Saddam Hussein, executed by hangingIraq source
2007Pope Benedict laments the violence in Darfur, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Afghanistan, and the Middle East, stating, "nothing positive is happening in Iraq" in his Easter homily.Afghanistan source
2007May 17 – The Russian Orthodox Church Abroad and the Moscow Patriarchate re-unite after 80 years of schism.source
2007May 20 – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Dubai makes the largest single charitable donation in modern history, committing €7.41 billion to an educational foundation in the Middle East.source
2007June 8: Denis Komivi Amuzu-Dzakpah is ordained Archbishop of LoméTogo source
2007September 12 - Daniel Ciobotea is elected as the 6th Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church since the Church was elevated to this status in 1925.source
2007October 8: 2007 Burmese anti-government protests: Burma's junta announces that Buddhist monasteries have accepted US$8000 as well as food and medicine from its soldiers to signify the armed forces have not left the faith.Myanmar source
2007October 17 – John Njue, the newly appointed Archbishop of Nairobi, is now elevated to cardinal status. He became the second Kenyan cardinal, the other was Maurice Michael Otunga, who died in 2003.Kenya source
2007October 19: EU leaders agree in Lisbon that the transcription "eвро" (evro) will be used in Bulgarian translations of the euro in official EU documents.Bulgaria source
2008January 1 – Israeli settlers from the Efrat and El'eazar settlements ignited a fire in a 700-year-old mosque situated on the lands of Al Khader village, close to the settlements near Bethlehem.Palestine source
2008January 26: Bishop Wim Eijk of Groningen-Leeuwarden is installed as Archbishop of Utrecht.Netherlands source
200813 March – It was reported that Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho's body had been found buried in a shallow grave near Mosul. Officials of the Chaldean Church in Iraq said they had received a call telling them where the body was buried. Reports over the cause of death were somewhat contradictory.Iraq source
200823 April: Poet Juan Gelman receives the Cervantes Prize, the Spanish-speaking world's highest literary honour.Argentina source
2008May 22: Ghaleb Abdullah Moussa is appointed as the new Catholic Church Archbishop of Algiers by Pope Benedict XVI. El Khabar,Algeria source
2008June 24 - Representing Pope Benedict XVI, Colombian Cardinal Darío Castrillón Hoyos makes a reconciliation offer to the conservative Society of St. Pius X. Hoyos requested the Society respect the Pope's authority, and expected a positive response by the end of the month.Colombia source
2008October – Indonesian Atheists is formed.Indonesia source
2008Al-Falah Mosque (Belize) opens May 16Belize source
20091 January – The official adaptation of Hanyu Pinyin in Taiwan.Taiwan source
200919–25 January – Tour de San LuisArgentina source
2009February 1 – Patriarch Kirill of Moscow is enthroned as the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church following the death of his predecessor, Alexy II in 2008.source
2009March 15 – Luis León Sánchez wins the Paris–Nice.Spain source
2009March 21 – Khadijeh Saqafi, 93, Iranian widow of religious/political leader Ruhollah Khomeini, after long illness.Iran source
2009April 24 - Eliud Wabukala is elected the new archbishop of the Anglican Church of Kenya, replacing the outgoing Benjamin NzimbiKenya source
2009May 11–15 – Pope Benedict XVI visits the Palestinian territories and Israel. During his visit, the pope condemned Holocaust denials and called for cooperation between the Palestinians and Israelis.Palestine source
200922 June - A protest by European milk farmers outside a Council of the European Union meeting in Luxembourg City ends in rioting.Luxembourg source
2009June 26 – The Ruins of Loropéni were added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Ruins were the second out of three total sites in Burkina Faso to be added to the list, and was the country's first cultural UNESCO site.Burkina Faso source
201018–24 January – Tour de San LuisArgentina source
2010February 3 – Elazar ben Tsedaka ben Yitzhaq, 83, Samaritan High Priest.Palestine source
2010President Hamid Karzai pledged that tribal leaders would be consulted before any coalition push to oust the Taliban from Kandahar, their spiritual home in southern Afghanistan.Afghanistan source
20103 June – Pope Benedict XVI visits the country for 3 days, the first such visit by any Pope in the modern era.Cyprus source
20106 June – Fr. Jerzy Popiełuszko became beatified on Marshal Jozef Pilsudski Sq. in Warsaw.Poland source
2010July 31: 2010 Johan Cruijff SchaalNetherlands source
2010September 7: Algerian publisher, Barzakh Editions, will receive the Principal Prince Claus Award of 100,000 Euros on December 17, 2010. The business is one of ten other laureates to be honored at the Royal Palace (Amsterdam).Algeria source
201031 October – A number of terrorists storm the Sayidat al-Nejat Cathedral and hold worshippers as hostages. The Siege lasted few hours until security forces broke into the church, the confrontation led to at least 58 dead and around 100 injured.Iraq source
20111 January – Hungary assumes the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.Hungary source
2011January 4 – Ali-Reza Pahlavi, 44, royal, son of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, suicide by gunshot.Iran source
2011March 3 – Essam Sharaf was appointed Prime Minister of Egypt by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, replacing Ahmed Shafik.Egypt source
2011April 29 – An estimated two billion people watch the wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey in London.source
20117 May – The establishment of Taiwan Halal Integrity Development Association in Zhongzheng District, Taipei City.Taiwan source
20111 July – Poland takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from Hungary for a six-month term.Poland source
201127 July – Rudolf Baláž, bishop (born 1940).Slovakia source
2011September 25 - A suicide bombing struck a cathedral in Solo. At least 28 people were injured in the attack. The perpetrator was the sole fatality.Indonesia source
2011October – Lucy Caldwell is awarded the Rooney Prize for Irish LiteratureNorthern Ireland source
2011December 17 – In North Korea, following the death of the country's leader, Kim Jong-il, the official reaction is grief and support for the succession of his son, Kim Jong Un.source
20121 January – The renaming of Council for Hakka Affairs to Hakka Affairs Council.Taiwan source
201228 January – Irish Football League Cup final – Coleraine v Crusaders.Northern Ireland source
201213 May – Pastor Maldonado wins the Spanish Grand Prix, marking him the first Venezuelan Formula One driver to win a race.Spain source
2012June 26 – Bhutan's four-century-old Wangdue Phodrang Dzong, a ridge-top monastery, catches fire and is destroyed; however no relics were destroyed since the monastery was undergoing a renovation.Bhutan source
2012June 28 – Vice President of Iran Mohammad-Reza Rahimi delivers an antisemitic speech at a United Nations conference on the illegal drug trade saying that a central Jewish text, the Talmud, was responsible for the spread of illegal drugs around the world; his speech draws condemnation from U.N. and the European Union diplomats.Iran source
2012July 31 - Iryna Kalynets, Ukrainian poet;Ukraine source
20122 September – Meles' state funeral took place in Addis Ababa and inhumed at Holy Trinity Cathedral Church.Ethiopia source
2012October 21 – Pedro Calungsod is canonized in the Vatican City. He is the second Filipino saint.Philippines source
2013February 12 - Law lecturer Moses Foh-Amoaning promises that he will reform gay advocate Andrew Solomon, through Christian prayers and cogent arguments.Ghana source
201317 February – Bodu Bala Sena hold a meeting in Maharagama, Colombo which is attended by around 16,000 people including 1,300 monks.Sri Lanka source
2013February 18 - Voters in Armenia go to the polls for a presidential election with incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan expected to win. Independent observers including the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe have expressed concern about the conduct of the elections.Armenia source
2013February 28 – Benedict XVI resigns as pope, becoming the first to do so since Gregory XII in 1415, and the first to do so voluntarily since Celestine V in 1294.source
2013March 13 – Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina is elected the 266th pope, whereupon he takes the name Francis and becomes the first Jesuit pope, the first pope from the Americas, and the first pope from the Southern Hemisphere.source
201312 April – The official opening of Nalaikh Mosque in Nalaikh, Ulaanbaatar.Mongolia source
2013April 18 – Senior Associate Justice Francis Korkpor is appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia. Korkpor had been serving as Interim Chief Justice ever since Johnnie Lewis' resignation in September 2012.Liberia source
2013Ruqayyatu "Ruqayyah" Rufai – Minister of EducationNigeria source
20138 November – President Chinchilla met Pope Francis in the Apostolic Palace Library in the Vatican, accompanied by a presidential delegation of thirteen people including the Minister of Communications, Carlos Roverssi; the Foreign Minister, Enrique Castillo; foreign policy chief, Javier Díaz; Deputy Ileana Brenes Jiménez of the National Liberation Party; the Costa Rican ambassador to the Vatican, Fernando Sánchez; the President's personal assistant, Alejandra Fonseca; Secretary of the Governing Council, Marta Monge; the chief of protocol, Ludwig Sibaja; and the President's husband. During their 25-minute meeting, Chinchilla gave the Pope a handmade stole made by indigenous women from Costa Rica. He gave her a copy of the Aparecida Document (the master plan for the New Evangelization in Latin America), and a medal of his pontificate. The President told the Pope that she would not be attending the canonization of Pope John Paul II. Chinchilla, who visited Pope Benedict XVI on 28 May 2012, invited Pope Francis to visit her country (John Paul II visited Costa Rica in 1983).Costa Rica source
201316 December - A new counterterrorism law is passed by Saudi Council of ministersSaudi Arabia source
2014January 13 – The Prophet's BirthdayUnited Arab Emirates source
201429 January – At a service including religious figures gathered at the Metropolitan Cathedral in San José, the Bishop of Cartago, Francisco Ulloa, reminded voters in the forthcoming election to support candidates who were anti-abortion and anti-gay marriage. Juan Luis Calvo, president of the Evangelical Alliance called on the government to rethink guidelines on sexuality published by the Ministry of Public Education.Costa Rica source
2014March 1 – Amid tensions in Ukraine's Crimea, the Federation Council of Russia authorizes President Vladimir Putin to use force.Ukraine source
2014March 16 – 2014 Crimean status referendum: A disputed referendum on the status of the Crimean Peninsula is held.source
2014March - Hongkonger and Hong Kongese were officially added to the Oxford English Dictionary.Hong Kong source
2014April 27 – The Catholic Church simultaneously canonizes Popes John XXIII and John Paul II.source
20144 June - When viewing on the recognition of the Armenian genocide, the Foreign Minister of Australia Julie Bishop publicly declared that, while respecting the rights of individuals and groups to have strong views on the matter, Australia does not view the tragic events during the end of the Ottoman Empire as a genocide.Armenia source
2014June 13 – The city council of Pello offers 50 euro to each Finnish speaking taxpayer who changes language to Swedish in order to secure the bilingual Finnish-Swedish regime.Finland source
2014June 29 – The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant declares itself a caliphate.source
2014August 25 – Boko Haram declares an Islamic state in areas of Nigeria under its control.Nigeria source
2014October 19 – The Roman Catholic Church beatifies Pope Paul VI.source
2014December 26 - Inauguration of Heydar Mosque in BakuAzerbaijan source
2015January 15–19 – Pope Francis visits the country for a five-day state and pastoral visit. The pope also visits the victims of Typhoon Haiyan in Leyte. This is the first papal visit to the Philippines in the 21st century.Philippines source
2015January 16 — Latvia to the European Commission was transfer 1.2 billion euros from the 2009 loan.Latvia source
201516 January - second honorary consulate of Estonia in Lithuania was opened in the city of Kaunas.Lithuania source
2015March 19 – Bishop Richard Williamson consecrates Father Jean-Michel Faure as a Bishop in the Mosteiro da Santa Cruz.source
20151 April - The Executive Council of Hong Kong announced that Asia Television's television licence will not be renewed, the first time this has happened. Meanwhile HK Television Entertainment is awarded a new television licence.Hong Kong source
201515 May – Singapore Botanical Gardens gets ICOMOS nod to be the first UNESCO World Heritage Site.Singapore source
2015May 29 - The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claims responsibility for another attack on a Shia mosque in Dammam.Saudi Arabia source
2015June 18 – Pope Francis releases the encyclical letter Laudato si, dated May 24, 2015.source
201525 July – Jacob Chang (張大同) takes over as the ROC Representative to Singapore.Taiwan source
201518 October – 2015 Swiss federal election held for the National Council and the first round of elections to the Council of States.Switzerland source
20162 January – Nimr al-Nimr, Shia religious leader (born 1959).Saudi Arabia source
20167 January: Anton Srholec, 86, Salesian priest.Slovakia source
201616 January: From the Diocese of Tonga, Catholic Cardinal Soane Patita Paini Mafi is welcomed at the Co-Cathedral of Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus in Honolulu, Hawaii. Appointed by Pope Francis, Mafi is the first and youngest cardinal from Tonga.Tonga source
2016January 20 - National Council of Slovenia recognizes Khojaly MassacreAzerbaijan source
2016February 12 – Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill sign an Ecumenical Declaration in the first such meeting between leaders of the Catholic and Russian Orthodox Churches since their schism in 1054.source
2016The New Territories East by-election was held to elect a replacement for legislative councillor Ronny Tong Ka-wah of New Territories East constituency who quit the Civic Party and resigned from the Legislative Council of Hong Kong (LegCo), effective on 1 October 2015. Alvin Yeung of the Civic Party was duly elected.Hong Kong source
2016April 8 – Pope Francis' apostolic exhortation Amoris laetitia (dated March 19) is published in the Vatican; it appears to amend the Roman Catholic Church's position on the availability of sacraments to Catholics who have divorced and contracted a civil remarriage.source
2016May 7 – Nusantara Qur'an Reading was held throughout the nation.Indonesia source
20165 November: 38 Martyrs of the Catholic Church executed by the communist regime in Albania, were beatified by the Vatican in a mass organized at St. Stefan Church in Shkodra.Albania source
2016November 18 – The remains of Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos are buried in a private ceremony at the Libingan ng mga Bayani prompting protests throughout the Philippines.source
2016City council of Tampere approved building of light rail system.Finland source
20171 January – Malta takes over the six-month rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union.Malta source
20179 April – The Palm Sunday church bombings, twin suicide bombings that took place at St. George's Church in Tanta, and Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Alexandria, killed at least 45 people and injured more than 100.Egypt source
2017April 25 – The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) unanimously adopted a call to place Turkey back under monitoring due to setbacks in democracy, human rights, the rule of law, freedom of expression, and judicial independence. Turkey last officially exited the monitoring process in 2004 when it began accession negotiations with the European Union.source
20174 May - After meeting Pope Francis, Suu Kyi establishes full relations between Myanmar and the Holy See.Myanmar source
201716 June – Samoa becomes a Christian state. Article 1 of the Samoan Constitution states that “Samoa is a Christian nation founded of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit”.Samoa source
201717 July – A Charismatic pastor was arrested after two worshippers drowned while being baptised by him in the Ungwasi river. The victims were overwhelmed by the river's current.Tanzania source
201730 July – establishment of the Province of the Episcopal Church of SudanSudan source
2017November 14 - Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, leader of the Lebanon-based Maronite Church, makes a rare visit to Saudi Arabia, where he meets with King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The visit comes at a time of high tension between Saudi Arabia and Lebanon.Saudi Arabia source
201730 November – The Roman Catholic Diocese of Siuna is establishedNicaragua source
2018January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency.source
201818 January – Philip Dykes is elected as the next chairperson of the Bar Council of the Hong Kong Bar Association, defeating incumbent Paul Lam.Hong Kong source
2018February 10 – Kay Goldsworthy becomes the first female archbishop in the Anglican Communion on her installation in the Anglican Diocese of Perth, Western Australia.source
2018March 30 – The mandate of the United Nations Mission in Liberia ends.Liberia source
2018April 20 – The 2018 Bhutanese National Council election is held to elect 20 out of 25 members of the National Council of Bhutan, the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Bhutan.source
2018June 8 – Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announces its closing seven mosques and could expel up to 40 imams from the country. the mosques were accused of preaching Salafi positions and they were funded by turkey.Austria source
2018July 1 – Austria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Bulgarian presidency.source
20181 November – Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert is appointed Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq; Thom de Graaf becomes Vice-President of the Council of StateNetherlands source
2018November 4–6: President of the Council of State of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel visits North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang.North Korea source
201827 November – According to Matthew was released in Sri Lanka and Australia.Sri Lanka source
2018December 4 – A Spanish institutional crisis surrounding the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) begins.source
201815 December – Egyptian archeologists discover a 4,400 year old tomb from the Pharaonic period, belonging to a high priest called Wahtye, decorated with statues and hieroglyphs.Egypt source
201827 December – Appointment of the controversial judge Levan Murusidze to the Court of Appeals for lifetime tenure stirs up criticism and concerns over his independence voiced by two non-judge members of the High Council of Justice and civil society groups.Georgia source
2019January 1 – Romania takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Austrian presidency.source
2019January 5 – Bartholomew I of Constantinople issues a formal decree granting independence to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine from the Russian Orthodox Church.source
20196 January – Thousands of Orthodox Christians dived into icy rivers and lakes throughout the country to retrieve crucifixes placed by priests in the water to celebrate Epiphany.Bulgaria source
201922 January – The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), in its resolution welcomes Georgia's so-called Otkhozoria-Tatunashvili list, a "sanctions list of perpetrators and persons responsible for the cover-up of grave human rights violations" in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.Georgia source
2019February 3 – Pope Francis arrives in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, becoming the first pope to visit the Arabian Peninsula.source
2019April 15 – During Holy Week, a major fire engulfs Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, resulting in the roof and main spire collapsing.source
2019Makkah Document (2019) was declared in Makkah.Saudi Arabia source
2019July 1 – Finland takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Romanian presidency.source
2019July 1 – 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests: During the annual July 1 protests that mark the anniversary of the British handover of the city to China, a group of a few hundred protesters stormed the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, defacing various portraits and destroying furniture before being dispersed by police using tear gas.source
2019September 24 – The Supreme Court of Spain unanimously rules in favour of the exhumation of the remains of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco from the Valle de los Caídos. He is finally exhumed on October 24, being re-inhumed in a private crypt with his wife.source
2019October 26 – The Amazon Catholic bishops synod proposes that married men be ordained as priests, which would reverse the Church's centuries-old discipline of celibacy.source
2019November 9 – The Supreme Court of India awards a holy site in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh to Hindus, rejecting a Muslim claim. The move is likely to spur sectarian disputes.source
2019November 10 – Pope Francis says he wishes to visit South Sudan in 2020. A National Security Services officer kills two policemen in Gok State while trying to release his brother from detention.South Sudan source
2019December 16 – Pope Francis abolishes pontifical secrecy in sex abuse cases; the move follows the Vatican's Meeting on the Protection of Minors in the Church months prior. The Pope also raises the definition of "child pornography" from 14 to 18 years old.source
201924 December 2019 to 30 August 2020 – 2019–2020 Clerical protests in MontenegroMontenegro source
2019December 24 – Midnight mass is celebrated as the first event leading to the reopening of the Cathedral of Saint Louis, the first Christian Church in West Africa, in the city of Saint-Louis, Senegal.Senegal source
2019The Abdülhamid II Mosque, the largest mosque in the country is completed.Djibouti source
2019Mayor and Chairman of the Island Council: Shawn Christian (until 31 December)Solomon Islands source
20207 January – Orthodox Tewahedo Christmas in Ethiopia and EritreaMauritius source
202019 January – The 2020 Tobago Council of the People's National Movement leadership election is won by Tracy Davidson-Celestine.Trinidad and Tobago source
2020February 29 – A senior Russian-backed bishop in Ukraine Onufriy Berezovsky participated and led a prayer walk and protest rally in Podgorica, reflecting tense relations between the Montenegrin government and Russia.Montenegro source
202023 August – Bishop Silvio Báez, who has been outside of Nicaragua for reasons of security since April 23, 2019, accuses President Ortega of being a dictator. The Centro Nicaragüense de Derechos Humanos (Nicaraguan Human Rights Center, Cenidh) says that the Catholic Church has been the victim of 24 attacks since April 2018.Nicaragua source
2020October 29 – The Prophet's BirthdayFiji source
2020November 1 – All Saints Day (Public and Roman Catholic holiday)Haiti source
2020November 5 – Baptism of the ProphetMali source
202013 November – 12 December: 2020 Taça 12 de Novembro.East Timor source
202116 January – The French Embassy announces it is working with the Association of the Tanzanian Diaspora Living in France to promote the Kiswahili language.Tanzania source
20215 February – Evangelical minister Miguel Ángel Casco went viral on social media when he praised the ″multiplication of penises″ under President Daniel Ortega. Speaking on live television he said, ″Yo creo firmemente que Nicaragua va a experimentar... los milagros de multiplicar los penes”. (English: ″I firmly believe that Nicaragua is going to experiment... the miracle of multiplication of penises.″) He may have confused the Spanish words panes and penes, which are translated as ″bread″ and ″penises″, respectively.Nicaragua source
202111 February – Roman Catholic priest Pedro Opeka is nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for his work with the poor in Antananarivo.Madagascar source
2021February 18 – Porfirije Peric is elected as the 46th Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church.source
2021February 20 – Pope Francis accepts the resignation of conservative Cardinal Robert Sarah, 75, from the Vatican′s Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. As Metropolitan Archbishop of Conakry he was a critic of Islam and of President Ahmed Sékou Touré.Guinea source
2021March 6 – Pope Francis meets with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in Najaf, Iraq. It is the first-ever meeting between a pope and a grand ayatollah.source
2021March 12 – San Juan′s San José Church prepares for reopening after being closed in 1996 for restoration and repairs. The second-oldest church on the island, which was built in 1532 near the ocean on top of a Taíno settlement at the highest point of Old San Juan, was originally a Dominican convent where Bartolomé de las Casas lived.Puerto Rico source
20215 April – Goabaone Taylor is appointed as the CEO of the Botswana Football Association.Botswana source
2021April 18 – Twelve football clubs, including three from La Liga and leading clubs from the Premier League and Serie A, agree to join a new breakaway European Super League, prompting international condemnation. Two days later, following major protests from supporters, other clubs and politicians, Manchester City withdraw from the league; this prompts all the remaining Premier League clubs and three others to do the same.source
2021May 28 – The New York Times breaks the story on a Canadian Indian Residential School Cemeteries announcement, incorrectly reporting a discovery of "mass graves" of Indigenous children at a former school site. The reporting would help "spawn a new holiday, Truth and Reconciliation Day, prompt an official visit by Pope Francis, and result in Canadian flags being kept at half-mast for a record-breaking five consecutive months."source
20215 September - Clashes in the city of Cetinje following inauguration of Serb Orthodox Church leader Joanikije II.Montenegro source
202118 October – Mawlid (Birthday of Muhammad)Fiji source
2022January 1 – France takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Slovenian presidency.source
2022January 5 – A nationwide state of emergency is declared in Kazakhstan in response to the 2022 Kazakh unrest. The cabinet of prime minister Askar Mamin resigns, while president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev removes former president Nursultan Nazarbayev, widely regarded as being the real power in the country, from his position as Chairman of the Security Council of Kazakhstan.source
20227 January — "Khanim Fatimeyi-Zahra" mosque in Yeni Günəşli settlement of Suraxanı district was put into use after reconstructionAzerbaijan source
202211 January – Patriarch Porfirije, the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, tests positive for COVID-19.Serbia source
202213 March – The Transitional Military Council of Chad meets with 44 different armed rebel and opposition groups, including the Front for Change and Concord in Chad, Movement for Democracy and Justice in Chad, and the Union of Forces for Democracy and Development in Doha, Qatar for peace talks. The President of Chad, Mahamat Déby, hopes that the talks will be the first step towards agreeing on a new constitution and holding free elections.Chad source
2022March 19 – The apostolic constitution Praedicate evangelium, reforming the Roman Curia, is promulgated by Pope Francis, coming into force on 5 June.source
2022July 1 – the Czech Republic takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the French presidency.source
202219 August – Police in Nicaragua confirm that they have arrested an anti-Ortega Roman Catholic bishop in Managua and warned against further "provocative and destabilizing" activities amongst the clergy.Nicaragua source
20228 September – Accession of Charles III as King of Belize following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.Belize source
202214 September – A memorial church service takes place at the Saint Barnabas Anglican Cathedral on to celebrate the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II.Solomon Islands source
2022September 19 – The state funeral of Elizabeth II is held in Westminster Abbey, London. Her coffin is then taken by procession to Windsor Castle for burial with her husband, parents and sister in the King George VI Memorial Chapel. The funeral is speculated to be the most watched television event in world history.source
20222 October – A state memorial service for Elizabeth II, Queen of the Bahamas, takes place at Christ Church Cathedral in Nassau.Bahamas source
2022Controversies of Hassan Sheikh MohamudSomalia source
20231 January – Uzbekistan's Latin alphabet transition is completed.Uzbekistan source
2023January 5 – The funeral of Pope Benedict XVI is held at St. Peter's Square in the Vatican City. The funeral was attended by an estimated 50,000 people.source
202314 January - 2023 Kazakh Senate electionKazakhstan source
2023February 16 – Lawmakers in the Russian State Duma vote to withdraw Russia from 21 conventions of the Council of Europe.source
202324 February – Gambian president Adama Barrow appoints Muhammad B.S. Jallow as the country's new vice-president after the previous one, Badara Joof, died last month in India.Gambia source
202321 March – Commissioning ceremony of KDB As-Siddiq at Jetty Bravo, Muara Naval Base.Brunei source
2023April 21 – The Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, representing a majority of the global Anglican population, reject the leadership of Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby as the head of global Anglicanism over his support for same-sex marriage.source
2023May 6 – The coronation of Charles III and Camilla as King and Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms is held in Westminster Abbey, London.source
202318 October – Nicaragua releases 12 Catholic priests, critical of President Daniel Ortega's regime, and sends them to Rome, Italy, following an agreement with Vatican City.Nicaragua source
20233 November – El Hadi Idriss, a member of the Sudan Liberation Movement - Transitional Council, is fired from the ruling Transitional Sovereignty Council of Sudan for unknown reasons.Sudan source
20236 November – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China urges the State Administration Council of Myanmar to cooperate with Chinese officials in protecting Chinese border villages, two days after a shell fired by the Tatmadaw kills one and wounds several in China.Myanmar source
202312 December – 2023 Guayana Esequiba crisis: A meeting is to be held in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on Thursday to discuss the ongoing dispute between Venezuela and Guyana. Both countries will try to prevent the crisis escalating into an armed conflict.Guyana source
202416 May: Foreign minister Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz writes to the Council of Europe for member nations to consider Kosovo entry into the council.Kosovo source
202424 May – Saints Cyril and Methodius' DayNorth Macedonia source
2024June 30 - Daniil Nikolov is elected as the 29th Patriarch of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.source
202410 July – First Sermon of Lord BuddhaBhutan source
202415 August – Founding of AsunciónParaguay source
202415 September – Day after The Prophet's BirthdayIvory Coast source
20249-11 September - Pope Francis makes a visit to Timor-Leste, becoming the first pope to do so since 1989 and the first since the country gained independence in 2002.East Timor source
20248–15 September – 53rd International Eucharistic Congress at QuitoEcuador source
2024Welsh jurist Malcolm Bishop is appointed Tonga’s chief justice and president of the Land Court; a petition is filed for his removal over his sexuality but he remains in office.Tonga source
2024November 12 – Justin Welby announces his resignation as Archbishop of Canterbury following the publication of a report critical of his handling of the abuse of children within the Church of England by John Smyth.source
2024December 7 – The Notre-Dame Cathedral reopens to the public after previously being damaged by a structural fire in 2019.source
2025January 1 – Poland takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Hungarian presidency.source
202521 January – Our Lady of High GraceDominican Republic source
202529 March–1 April – End of RamadanOman source
2025April 2-3 – The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA)-Olympic Solidarity (OS) Regional Forum is held in Thimphu.Bhutan source
2025April 26 – The funeral of Pope Francis is attended by delegations from 164 countries, including 82 leaders, and 250,000 members of the public.source
2025May 7–8 – 2025 conclave: 133 cardinal electors select Robert Francis Prevost as Pope Francis's successor, on the fourth ballot. He takes the name Leo XIV, and becomes the first pope from North America, the first with Peruvian or U.S. citizenship, and the first from the Order of Saint Augustine.source
2025May 8 – American Robert Francis Prevost is elected pope during the 2025 conclave, becoming the first North American to hold the position. He chooses the name Leo XIV.United States source
202524 May – Saints Cyril and Methodius' DayNorth Macedonia source
2025May 31 – Josep-Lluís Serrano Pentinat is sworn in as the new Episcopal Co-Prince of Andorra and Bishop of Urgell after the Vatican accepts the resignation of Joan Enric Vives i Sicília for age limitation reasons.source
202511 July – Mount Mulanje is designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.Malawi source
202515 August – Founding of AsunciónParaguay source
20255 September – The Prophet's BirthdayMali source
2025October 3 – Dame Sarah Mullally is named the first female Archbishop of Canterbury.source
2025November 27–30 – An ecumenical meeting of the Eastern Orthodox Church and Catholic Church at Nicaea is held to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea.source
202515 December — The United States State Department threatens to reduce aid to Fiji unless the Fijian government takes action against a South Korean religious cult called the Grace Road Church, which has been accused of forced labour and human trafficking.Fiji source