Last year they repaired about 200 calvaries, most of which were scattered across France by 19th-century missionaries in a bid to restore the prominence of the Catholic faith following its suppression during the revolution. Many of them have since fallen into disrepair (Kampfner, The Times UK)
Read MoreEaster is the peak time for searching for “Jesus,” according to the Google Trends website, which measures the popularity of online queries. But this February, interest ran higher than at any other time of year including Christmas. The reason seems to have been a pair of unusual ads that ran during the Super Bowl telecast. (Rocca, The Wall Street Journal)
Read MoreThe long-running NBC comedy series poked fun at former President Trump’s recent indictment during an Easter-themed opening sketch, starring Mikey Day as Jesus Christ. Jesus gathered his loyal disciples for an important conversation during The Last Supper. (Segarra, USA Today)
Read MoreThe Supreme Court on Thursday refused to immediately reinstate a West Virginia law barring transgender athletes from playing on female sports teams from middle school through college, avoiding for now a stand on a controversial issue that has divided society. (Barnes & Marimow, The Washington Post)
Read MoreThe real-life crucifixions in the farming village of San Pedro Cutud in Pampanga province north of Manila resumed after a three-year pause due to the coronavirus pandemic. About a dozen villagers registered but only eight men participated, including 62-year-old sign painter Ruben Enaje, who was nailed to a wooden cross for the 34th time in San Pedro Cutud. (AP/NPR)
Read MoreAfter gathering in favorite pews and hearing sermons and songs in person, many churchgoers have come to relish the convenience and comfort of worshipping from home. But as Easter approaches, leaders of some of those denominations cautiously hope for a resurrection in the numbers of people who return to the pews. (Banks, Religion News Service)
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