Religion
Pope Francis: Tributes, mass and vigils held in towns and cities across Europe
In Italy, bells tolled in church towers and flags were lowered to half-staff on government buildings in Rome.
Vigils, tributes and special services of mass have been held across Europe as faithfuls mourn following the death of the late Pope Francis.
In Italy, bells tolled in church towers and flags were lowered to half-staff on government buildings in Rome.
In France, an Evening Mass was held at Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral, during which worshippers paid homage to the pontiff during a prayer vigil.
Families attending the evening mass lit candles and placed them in front of a large photograph of the Pope.
The Notre Dame bells also rang out 88 times to mark the years in the Pope’s life, while the Eiffel Tower went dark in tribute to Francis.
In Madrid, mass was held at the Almudena Cathedral where some of those attending spoke of the late pontiff, who died earlier on Monday, and said he would be greatly missed and leave a lasting legacy.
“To us, the Pope represents a memory of love and inclusion. As young people, he marked a turning point in the Church. He was a pope we loved dearly and we will remember him with deep affection,” said Sara Ruiz, a teaching assistant in a local Catholic school.
Missionary nun, Miriam Blanco also spoke of Francis’ legacy, saying “it’s a very beautiful memory and the legacy that he leaves us as Holy Father – truth, his simplicity, his closeness, I think it has been very, very good and we are going to miss him a lot.”
Meanwhile, Vatican flags have been raised in Hungary, Croatia and Bulgaria, where worshippers echoed similar sentiments.

A Requiem Mass is held for Pope Francis inside Westminster Cathedral, in London.AP Photo/Alastair Grant
In the small town of Szécsény in Hungary, local residents gathered near the Franciscan church and monastery.
“He was a simple, puritanical man who had tried to bring this to the church as well, rather with less success. Of course, today the pope has relatively little power and voice. Whatever he said, unfortunately, the world did not want to listen to him,” said Lajos Vámosi, a local resident of the town.
Mourners also gathered around the Catholic Cathedral in Zagreb, the Croatian capital, to pay their respects to the late Pope.
“I think one great man has left us. One great man of church, God and the people. This is hard for us. We feel very sorry. I believe he will pray for us from paradise, in the same way that he prayed for us on earth. He was working for everyone, poor or rich,” said Sister Antonija Grubisic, a catholic nun.
Catholics in Bulgaria’s capital Sofia lit candles in the city’s Cathedral, where Monsignor Rumen Stanev said Francis “had a profound affinity for those who are marginalised and abandoned.”
“Like Jesus in the Gospels, he walked among sinners, the outcast, and the weak.”
In the UK too, the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, celebrated a Requiem Mass at Westminster Cathedral on Monday evening, in honour of Pope Francis.
Flags were also flown at half mast across the capital to mark the Pope’s death.
Religion
Pastor Chris Reportedly Fills Up Fifteen Stadiums in One Night at the Night of Bliss
Pastor Chris Oyakhilome’s Night of Bliss on November 21, 2025 has quickly become one of the most talked-about Christian events in Nigeria. The programme was held simultaneously across the country, originally promoted as a ten-stadium event, but several reports and social media posts now claim the gatherings took place in fifteen stadiums nationwide.
Videos, photos and livestreams show massive turnouts across multiple cities, including Benin City, Port Harcourt, Lokoja, Asaba, Jalingo, Eket and others. Reports say all the stadiums involved were filled, though independent verification of exact attendance figures remains limited. What is clear from public footage is that each location recorded huge numbers of worshippers who gathered through the night for prayer, teaching and praise.
Even without confirmed capacity counts, coordinating ten to fifteen major gatherings across different states at the same time is a remarkable accomplishment. The atmosphere in each venue appeared vibrant and unified, with many participants describing the night as spiritually impactful.
For many believers, the Night of Bliss stands out as a moment of nationwide connection, sweeping attendance and extraordinary scale.
Have you ever witnessed anything like this?
Religion
Every member of this church should be awake one hour every night — Bishop Oyedepo reveals how to battle alleged gen0cide of Christians in Nigerians
Presiding Bishop of Living Faith Church Worldwide, David Oyedepo, has warned Christians over the escalating insecurity in Nigeria, following a spate of recent @ttacks on churches that resulted in multiple d3aths and abductions, saying Christians must take decisive action.
The bishop’s warning comes as international concern mounts, with Italy becoming the second G7 nation, after the United States, to openly demand an immediate end to the targeted k!llings of Christians in Nigeria.
Speaking at a Pre-Shiloh Encounter Church Service, Bishop Oyedepo expressed deep concern over the nation’s current situation.
“Developments in the past two weeks, particularly in Nigeria, are worrisome to say the least. There is need for a prompt response in prayers to stop the k!llings once and for all. You can’t trade people’s lives for your comfort.”
“All the innocent bloo.d shared is speaking vengeance… all the perpetrators will pay with their lives.”
The cleric urged church members to launch into “midnight raid (prayers)”.
“Every member of this church should be awake one hour every day for one week before v!olence descends to an@rchy in Nigeria…”
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Religion
‘Children Were Crying’ – St Mary’s Principal Recounts Midnight Raid As More Details Emerge
More details have surfaced regarding the abduction of students and staff of St Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Agwara LGA of Niger State, with the school principal, Rev. Sr. Felicia Gyang, giving a chilling account of how the attackers stormed the premises.
In a video clip dated November 21 and obtained by Sunday Punch, Gyang narrated how the terrorists forced their way into the school in the early hours of the morning while terrified children screamed for help.
According to her, the armed men arrived shortly after midnight, using motorcycles and vehicles to break through successive gates.
“The unfortunate incident happened past 12 when we heard noise, motorbikes, and the sound of cars. Before we knew it, there were serious bangs on different gates in the compound,” she recounted.
She said the sisters quickly gathered to observe the commotion.
She stated, “We got up, and I called my other sisters for us to peep out. When we peeped, we heard noise and children were crying.”
Gyang explained that in the confusion, locating keys to some gates became difficult, leaving her no choice but to exit through an alternative route to assess the situation.
“Apparently, when we were there trying to see what would happen with those that were out of danger at that moment, we could hear the sound of the other bus,” she said, referring to the vehicle used by the attackers.
She added that distress calls echoed from various parts of the compound as the bandits advanced.
The principal revealed that multiple attempts to reach security personnel during the attack were unsuccessful.
She added, “At the end, we heard the security man at the main gate rowing. We couldn’t hear what he was saying, but after some time, we heard them driving off on bikes.
“One of us was making calls to see who we could call for help. We tried to call places around where we could get help. We tried the Divisional Police Officer, too, but we couldn’t get through.”
Asked whether the school had received any prior alerts from security agencies, Gyang dismissed the claims.
“No, we didn’t receive,” she said.
She also denied suggestions that the school had earlier been advised to shut down over security concerns.
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