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        <title>Christian Daily International | Latin America</title>
        <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/latin-america</link>
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            <title>Christian Daily International | Latin America</title>
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        <copyright>Christian Daily International © 2026</copyright>
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        <lastBuildDate>Sun, 20 Sep 2026 21:09:14 -0400</lastBuildDate>
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                                                        <item>
                <title><![CDATA[Costa Rican Evangelical Alliance asks opposition lawmaker to identify pastor who allegedly offered votes for money]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/costa-rican-evangelical-body-asks-opposition-lawmaker-to-identify-pastor-who-offered-votes-for-money</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/costa-rican-evangelical-body-asks-opposition-lawmaker-to-identify-pastor-who-offered-votes-for-money</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Lizzie Sotola]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Opposition lawmaker Abril Gordienko.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Opposition lawmaker Abril Gordienko. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Fri, 18 Sep 2026 08:38:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The Costa Rican Evangelical Alliance Federation (Federación Alianza Evangélica Costarricense, FAEC) has asked opposition lawmaker Abril Gordienko to identify the Christian pastor who, she said publicly, offered her 42,000 votes in exchange for 420 million colones (about $940,000) during the most recent election campaign.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
The Costa Rican Evangelical Alliance Federation (Federación Alianza Evangélica Costarricense, FAEC) has asked opposition lawmaker Abril Gordienko to identify the Christian pastor who, she said publicly, offered her 42,000 votes in exchange for 420 million colones (about $940,000) during the most recent election campaign.
Gordienko made the claim Sept. 16 on the floor of the Legislative Assembly during an exchange with ruling-party lawmaker Gonzalo Ramírez of the evangelical bloc. According to CR Hoy, Ramírez criticized the traditional political parties, including Gordienko's, for keeping up "old-style politics." Gordienko responded by recounting the alleged offer she had received from a pastor.
"You know, Don Gonzalo, for me it was the other way around. A Christian pastor actually offered me 42,000 votes for ₡420 million. The things that happen, right?" she said.
Ruling-party lawmaker Kattia Mora, who is also linked to the evangelical sector, then urged Gordienko to file a criminal complaint. Gordienko replied that her comment was not aimed at persecuting pastors and said she would go to the appropriate authorities.
FAEC asks that the accusation be made specific
In a statement issued Sept. 17, FAEC said an accusation this serious cannot remain a general reference to "a pastor."
"The general reference to 'a pastor' opens the door to generalizations and unjustly places under suspicion thousands of pastors who serve with integrity in Costa Rica," the federation said.
The organization asked Gordienko to name the person and to submit the evidence supporting her accusation to the competent authorities. It said that if the facts are proven and meet the elements established by law, the case could constitute the offense against the free self-determination of the voter.
FAEC said it does not seek to cover up any wrongdoing.
"If a person acted outside the law, he must answer individually for his actions," the organization stated. But it rejected the idea that a single case should become an accusation against all pastors in Costa Rica.
'No pastor owns those votes'
The statement also defended the personal nature of evangelical believers' votes. The federation said evangelicals make up about 30% of the Costa Rican electorate and that no religious leader controls those votes.
"No pastor owns those votes. Every Christian decides in conscience and exercises individually his right to vote," FAEC said.
The organization said it will send a formal letter to Gordienko asking her to identify the person she mentioned and to take the matter to the authorities if she has evidence to support the complaint.
FAEC said transparency requires both investigating any possible crime and preventing vague accusations from damaging the reputations of those who serve in pastoral ministry with integrity.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Peru's president unveils school reform to remove content her government considers ideological]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/peru-s-president-unveils-school-reform-to-remove-ideological-content</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/peru-s-president-unveils-school-reform-to-remove-ideological-content</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Lizzie Sotola]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Keiko Fujimori (middle) during an event at the Ministry of Education. Her government announced a reform of the school curriculum to remove content it considers ideological.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Presidency of Peru ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Keiko Fujimori (middle) during an event at the Ministry of Education. Her government announced a reform of the school curriculum to remove content it considers ideological. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Thu, 17 Sep 2026 04:28:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori unveiled an education reform Sept. 14 that would update the national school curriculum and remove content her government considers ideological.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori unveiled an education reform Sept. 14 that would update the national school curriculum and remove content her government considers ideological.
The review is not limited to so-called "gender ideology." Education Minister José Antonio Chang said it will also cover how schools teach the period of violence Peru experienced from 1980 to 2000. The reform follows a 2025 law that already ordered changes to sex education in schools.
Fujimori and Chang announced the plan during the presentation of the National Education Plan 2026-2031 at the José María Arguedas school in Santa Anita, a district of Lima.
Fujimori said teaching should prioritize data and verifiable information, the official gazette El Peruano reported.
Chang said: "We are going to remove every kind of ideology from the national curriculum."
The plan also aims to strengthen reading, writing, mathematics, science, civic education, English and financial education. The executive branch announced a daily reading hour and a guide to help families support their children's learning.
What content is under review
Official statements point to a broad review of the curriculum. Some outlets have reported the announcement as a specific order to eliminate "gender ideology," but the government's wording also covers the teaching of the country's recent history.
In an interview with Caretas, Chang said his ministry will review content and materials on the 1980-2000 period of violence.
He said the changes must be based on teaching criteria and scientific evidence. He also said he rejects what he considers manipulation or indoctrination in how terrorism is taught.
The government has not yet announced a timeline for the changes.
The 2025 law on gender and sex education
Law 32535, published Dec. 24, 2025, set a new framework for equal opportunities between women and men.
The law provided for replacing the National Gender Equality Policy. It also established that references to the gender approach are to be understood as references to the approach of equal opportunities between women and men.
In education, the law directed the Ministry of Education to issue sex education guidelines on a scientific, biological and ethical basis and to include them in the curriculum update. It removed references to comprehensive sexuality education. It also recognized the role of parents or guardians in their children's education.
The law is separate from this week's reform announcement. Further steps are still needed to bring the changes into classrooms.
Questions over the reform's scope
The proposal has raised questions about how the government will decide what counts as ideological content.
In an editorial, the Institute for Democracy and Human Rights of the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru expressed concern about the reform's possible effects on the teaching of the internal armed conflict, the gender approach and comprehensive sexuality education.
The executive branch has not yet defined which content will be removed or the criteria it will use to apply the changes.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[More than 300 baptized at Methodist gathering in eastern Cuba]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/more-than-300-baptized-at-methodist-gathering-in-eastern-cuba</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/more-than-300-baptized-at-methodist-gathering-in-eastern-cuba</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Javier Bolaños]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[More than 300 people gather for a district baptism service at Tabernáculo de Avivamiento (Revival Tabernacle), a Methodist church in Guantánamo, Cuba.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Tabernáculo de Avivamiento ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ More than 300 people gather for a district baptism service at Tabernáculo de Avivamiento (Revival Tabernacle), a Methodist church in Guantánamo, Cuba. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:59:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[More than 300 people were baptized at a gathering of the Methodist Church in Cuba's Guantánamo District, according to Luzvisión Noticias, which described the event as historic. Bishop Ricardo Pereira and Superintendent Roelvis Gaínza led the ceremony, which drew hundreds of families.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
More than 300 people were baptized at a gathering of the Methodist Church in Cuba's Guantánamo District, according to Luzvisión Noticias, which described the event as historic. Bishop Ricardo Pereira and Superintendent Roelvis Gaínza led the ceremony, which drew hundreds of families.
The outlet reported that the Methodist Church in Cuba has seen notable growth in its local ministries over the past decade. It said evangelical congregations have become key places of social support, hope and moral renewal for Cubans, despite complex socioeconomic conditions and structural restrictions on the island.
Organizers described the gathering as a time of spiritual unity, with "more than 300 souls gathered in one accord, in one faith, in one Lord." Participants sang songs of thanksgiving and celebration.
Church leaders spoke about the gospel's power to change individual and family life. The ministers said baptism marks a deep transformation, noting that "each life that goes down into the waters is leaving the old behind."
Each person baptized, they said, becomes a living example of Christian consecration and a sign of hope for communities in eastern Cuba.
According to Luzvisión Noticias, local evangelicals saw each baptism as a spiritual victory and a visible sign of the church's growth.
The outlet said the Guantánamo gathering reflects the perseverance of Cuba's homegrown pastoral leaders in difficult circumstances. It also pointed to revival movements that it said continue to spread the gospel in provinces across the island.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Global study finds a third of young people have an AI companion as close friendships narrow]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/global-study-finds-a-third-of-young-people-have-an-ai-companion</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/global-study-finds-a-third-of-young-people-have-an-ai-companion</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[A young woman using a smartphone. AI. technology. Mobile phone.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ iStock/pocketlight ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ A global study released Sept. 10, 2026, by the Christian youth ministry Young Life found that 35% of adolescents and young adults surveyed across 11 countries report having an artificial intelligence companion, and that 60% of those users say they are more comfortable confiding in it than in some friends or family members. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 12:26:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[More than a third of adolescents and young adults surveyed across 11 countries say they have an artificial intelligence companion, and most of that group say they find it easier to confide in the software than in some of their friends or relatives, according to research released Thursday by Young Life.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
More than a third of adolescents and young adults surveyed across 11 countries say they have an artificial intelligence companion, and most of that group say they find it easier to confide in the software than in some of their friends or relatives, according to research released Thursday (Sept. 10) by Young Life.
The RELATE Project 2026, the second wave of a global study by the Christian youth ministry, surveyed 7,105 people ages 13 to 24 online between November 2025 and January 2026 and followed the survey with 22 focus groups involving 97 participants, most of them Young Life volunteers or staff. Young Life said the findings point in two directions at once: the number of close relationships young people report has fallen since 2023 and conversational AI has moved into part of that space, yet the same respondents say they increasingly prefer to meet in person.
Nearly all those surveyed — 89% — said they use AI in some form, most often for practical tasks, the report said. About one in three use it relationally. Within the full sample, 35% said they have an AI companion, a figure the study reported at 45% among 13- to 15-year-olds and 29% among 22- to 24-year-olds. Young men were somewhat more likely than young women to report one, 38% to 32%.
Of those with an AI companion, 60% agreed strongly or somewhat that they are more comfortable with it than with some friends or family members, according to the study. The report also said roughly one in 10 adolescents manage stress by talking with an AI companion.
Spiritual questions put to chatbots
The survey asked for the first time whether young people treat AI as a source of religious guidance. Across the sample, 41% agreed that AI is a reliable source for spiritual questions and 30% disagreed, the report said, with the youngest respondents the most willing to trust it in that area.
Identity questions showed a smaller but notable shift. Asked whom they trust most when working out who they are, two-thirds of respondents named friends or family. Teachers, coaches, pastors and other religious leaders ranked at the bottom of that list. Eight percent named AI.
Young Life cautioned in the report that AI companions are built to supply constant validation, simulated empathy and immediate availability, and that leaning on them in place of people may leave young users without practice in conflict, disappointment, apology and repair. The organization described the technology as functioning for the next generation as a low-risk substitute or supplement for human relationships.
That concern was echoed by young people themselves. In focus groups, older members of Generation Z said they worried about how readily their younger peers accept AI and wished they were more skeptical, according to the report.
"The RELATE Project tells us that while young people are constantly connected online, they are craving authentic, in-person community," said Newt Crenshaw, president and CEO of Young Life, in a statement accompanying the release. He said respondents were looking for "trusted, consistent adults" who would earn and keep their trust and listen.
What counts as listening
One of the study's more pointed findings concerns how young people define good listening. Asked what matters most, 42% chose giving full attention and putting devices away, and 33% chose responding without judgment. Asking follow-up questions came last, cited by 19% — a break from the active-listening model taught to earlier generations, the report said.
Those criteria closely match what chatbots are designed to do: express empathy, keep what is said private and withhold judgment. The report drew the comparison directly.
Fewer people to turn to
The average number of close relationships young people reported fell from 5.3 in 2023 to 4.4 in the latest wave, Young Life said. On average, respondents said they had two people they could talk to about things that really matter.
Four in 10 said they were not fully confident that any adult in their life is genuinely interested in listening to them. Satisfaction with friendships has held steady, with 58% rating their contentment at eight or higher on a 10-point scale, but focus group participants described relationships as central to their lives and, at the same time, unreliable.
Trust is conditional. In every country surveyed, confidentiality ranked as the first priority in building trust, with 73% calling it extremely or very important. Loyalty was the trait most respondents wanted to be known for, chosen by 53%. Focus groups defined both as not repeating someone's story without permission — a definition shaped, participants said, by growing up with parents and peers who post about them without asking.
"This starts with proving we are safe enough to listen — protecting their confidentiality and offering space for them without immediately trying to offer advice or judgment," said Kimberly Nollan, director of research and practice at Young Life.
Preference for face-to-face contact rose over the same period. Sixty-four percent named it as their preferred way to communicate with close friends, up from 54% in 2023. Yet 63% said they find it easier to express themselves online than in person, a pattern the report said was strongest among the youngest respondents.
Stress, sleep and mental health
More than a third of respondents, 35%, said they feel a lot or a great deal of stress regularly. Their most common worries were thinking about the future, cited by 57%, money at 49% and school at 42%. Mental health ranked as the top concern across the full sample and among the top three in nearly every country surveyed.
Sleep was short almost everywhere. Only 40% of 13- to 15-year-olds reported eight hours or more, falling to 25% among those ages 22 to 24. Music was the most common way respondents said they relieve stress, chosen by 57%, ahead of time with friends, exercise and time outdoors.
Faith described as lived rather than inherited
Across all countries, 71% said they follow their family's religious affiliation. More than four in 10 expressed a commitment to faith and a desire to grow in it, the most frequent response in every country surveyed, regardless of religious background.
Among respondents who identified as Christians, 71% said they believe they are important to God and the same share said their faith is important in their life. Fewer reported having a relationship with God, at 55%, or having made a commitment to follow Jesus Christ, at 57%. Only 26% felt strongly that their beliefs help them understand the world and how to live in it.
The report found a link between feeling important to God and believing oneself worthy of being loved. Sixty-two percent of respondents rated their worthiness of being loved at eight or higher; among those with no religious affiliation, the figure was about half. Religious adolescents also reported a greater sense of being able to make a difference in others' lives than those who identified as atheist, agnostic or unaffiliated, 42% to 45% against 28%.
Focus group participants described faith less as a fixed system of belief than as something practical and tested, and said Generation Z has little appetite for a faith that is inherited or taught in the abstract. They judge the credibility of Christianity, according to the report, by whether adult leaders live out what they preach.
On forgiveness, 36% said they almost always forgive someone who makes a mistake and 39% said they often do. Some focus group participants questioned those numbers, suggesting their peers may prefer to think of themselves as forgiving while avoiding the work of repair. The report connected that pattern to the premium placed on staying calm and avoiding conflict.
The survey covered the United States, with 1,672 respondents, the United Kingdom, 880; India, 822; Mexico, 804; Hong Kong, 706; Ethiopia, 426; Nigeria, 400; Kenya, 356; Argentina, 353; Liberia, 345; and Zimbabwe, 341.
Young Life, founded 85 years ago, works through volunteers who build friendships with adolescents and introduce them to Christianity. The ministry said the RELATE findings are already shaping how it trains leaders and equips parents. The full report and regional breakdowns are available at relate.younglife.org.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Dominican evangelical body urges national response to falling PISA scores]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/dominican-evangelical-body-urges-national-response-to-falling-pisa-scores</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/dominican-evangelical-body-urges-national-response-to-falling-pisa-scores</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Lizzie Sotola]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[High school students walk between classes.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Antonio_Diaz/iStock ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ High school students walk between classes. Seven of 13 Latin American and Caribbean countries assessed in the latest PISA round posted average score declines, and the Dominican Evangelical Alliance has called for limits on cellphone use during school hours as part of a national response. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 11:45:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[More than 700,000 15-year-old students took part in the latest edition of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). According to CNN en Español, seven of the 13 countries assessed in the region posted average declines compared with previous measurements, confirming a picture of stalled learning affecting young people.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
More than 700,000 15-year-old students took part in the latest edition of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). According to CNN en Español, seven of the 13 countries assessed in the region posted average declines compared with previous measurements, confirming a picture of stalled learning affecting young people.
The international assessment covered science, math and reading in 91 countries. The organization warned that the overall level achieved in this round represents "one of the lowest levels of educational performance ever recorded for the PISA tests," pointing to structural challenges in classrooms across the continent.
In response, the Dominican Evangelical Alliance (AEDO) called for a national response to the country's low student learning levels. In a statement, the organization proposed strengthening basic skills, reviewing teacher training, and promoting greater involvement from families and society as a whole in education.
According to the PISA report on the Dominican Republic, only 9% of students assessed reached the minimum proficiency level in math, 23% in reading and 26% in science.
"This data isn't just a poor international score; it's a serious warning about the present and future of our nation," said Bishop Reynaldo Franco Aquino, AEDO's president.
The organization warned that difficulties in understanding texts, reasoning and interpreting evidence undermine teenagers' preparedness to function in society. In its view, the problem also requires addressing motivation, study habits, perseverance and family support.
The statement noted that between 2022 and 2025, the share of students who said they work harder when faced with difficult tasks fell by 10.8 percentage points, while curiosity dropped 10.2 points.
Another focus of the statement was the use of digital devices. AEDO said technology can expand access to knowledge, but warned of the risks of using it in ways that replace reading, reflection and independent work. It called for effectively regulating cellphone use during school hours and developing programs on digital responsibility and critical thinking.
Among its proposals is an emergency plan to strengthen reading, math and science, with public goals and regular assessments. It also called for reviewing teacher training, hiring and support, while ensuring decent working conditions.
The organization also called for greater transparency around education spending, so that accountability measures show how much students are actually learning. It further called for strengthening school attendance, punctuality and discipline.
AEDO said these responsibilities go beyond the Ministry of Education and involve schools, teachers, families, churches, media outlets and community organizations. In particular, it stressed that parents cannot fully hand off their children's upbringing to schools.
As part of its response, the alliance said it was ready to mobilize churches, schools, universities and community organizations to organize reading clubs, tutoring, family support programs and guidance on the responsible use of technology. It stressed that these initiatives need to be part of a sustained, measurable national strategy.
"PISA's results shouldn't leave us so ashamed that we're paralyzed — they should shake us into action," Franco Aquino said, urging that the findings be translated into decisions, sustained education policy and concrete results.
Original reporting by Diario Cristiano, Christian Daily International's Spanish edition.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Argentina’s rising suicide rate highlights need for youth support, experts say]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/argentinas-rising-suicide-rate-highlights-need-for-youth-support-experts-say</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/argentinas-rising-suicide-rate-highlights-need-for-youth-support-experts-say</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Lizzie Sotola]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[youth]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Photo by Michael Walk / Unsplash ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:15:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[In 2025, Argentina recorded 5,209 suicides, according to the report “When Suicide Appears as an Option in Argentina” by the Criminal Policy Observatory. The figure represents a 22.6% increase over 2024 and a rate of 11.8 suicides per 100,000 people.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
In 2025, Argentina recorded 5,209 suicides, according to the report “When Suicide Appears as an Option in Argentina” by the Criminal Policy Observatory. The figure represents a 22.6% increase over 2024 and a rate of 11.8 suicides per 100,000 people.
The report also notes that 45.3% of the suicides recorded in 2024 involved people between the ages of 15 and 34. The Observatory said suicide became the leading cause of death in that age group.
The numbers describe an urgent situation, but they do not, by themselves, explain what young people are experiencing. Argentina’s Ministry of Health defines suicide as a multifaceted problem involving personal, family, social, cultural and community factors. Reducing each case to a single reason is not only inaccurate; it can also deepen stigma.
Guidelines from UNICEF Argentina call for an interdisciplinary and cross-sector response. The question, then, is not only which data to examine, but also what relationships and responses are being built around adolescents and young people experiencing distress.
Participation Means More Than Attendance
Gastón Bruno, a political scientist specializing in education, argues that activities involving adolescents cannot be designed without including them.
“If the perspective of the person we are working with — the adolescent — is not part of the planning, it is impossible to create a sense of closeness and belonging,” he says.
Bruno proposes learning about adolescents’ cultural habits, interests, forms of entertainment, engagement with gaming and ways of organizing their time. He says this should not be a superficial exercise, but rather a condition for creating spaces that feel relevant to them.
In schools, he warns, small, safe places where students can talk are often scarce. Creating opportunities for participation, where each adolescent’s opinion and experience are respected, is an urgent need, he said.
But this is not a quick response. Detecting sustained changes in mood, attendance or relationships requires consistent work throughout adolescence and young adulthood.
That continuity also reshapes the role of volunteers in churches and Christian organizations. Their presence can be valuable, but it does not replace training.
“Volunteers need professional training, even when they approach the work as a vocation,” Bruno says.
The role of a trusted adult is not to diagnose. It is to learn how to listen, recognize warning signs, avoid minimizing distress and know when to refer someone for professional help. Training in respectful language and care protocols is essential to avoid both romanticizing suicide and contributing to stigma.
The Cost of Appearing Perfect
María Paula Zuccherino, a psychologist, identifies a particular tension among some young people connected to evangelical churches. Belonging can be a protective factor, but a culture of guilt, high expectations or fear of judgment can make it more difficult to put painful experiences into words.
“Excessive guilt” and “the pressure to meet expectations” are factors that can isolate adolescents, she explains. Sometimes this is compounded by difficulty talking about emotions, sexuality, family conflicts or personal problems when they feel they are expected to project an image of perfection before leaders and peers.
For Zuccherino, faith communities have a concrete opportunity to become places of belonging. Meaningful relationships, adults who are available to listen, a sense of purpose and shared spiritual life can strengthen young people.
However, she emphasizes a crucial limitation.
“The church acts as a support network. It does not replace therapy or mental health professionals.”
A church can provide support, help someone access a qualified mental health professional and respect confidentiality. When appropriate, the family, adolescent, therapist and community can work together without confusing spiritual support with clinical intervention.
Zuccherino identifies several signs that deserve attention, including persistent isolation, irritability, behavioral changes, apathy, changes in sleep or eating, declining school performance and a persistent sense of emptiness. None of these signs constitutes a diagnosis on its own, but they can be reasons to draw closer, ask questions and listen.
When there is an immediate risk of suicide, a recent suicide attempt or suicidal thoughts, intervention should be immediate. Pastoral support does not replace an urgent professional evaluation.
Personalizing Relationships
Natalia Zukowski, an educator, encourages people not to measure an adolescent’s sense of belonging by attendance at a weekly meeting. Some young people cannot attend because of sports, artistic activities, work, family commitments or other church activities. That should not leave them outside the community.
Attending a game, an art exhibition or a competition — or simply sending a message — can show that the interest is genuine.
“Those things really make a difference, so that when they have a difficulty, they know you are there,” she says.
Zukowski says adults often underestimate the importance of digital experiences for younger generations. She also warns that recognizing changes is not easy because many adolescents have learned how to appear as though everything is fine.
“The key is to personalize,” she says.
This means moving away from talking about young people as a uniform group and getting to know their stories, absences, interests and needs.
The educator also suggests reconsidering how small groups function. The issue is not simply whether there is a place where someone can speak honestly. The central question is what happens after they do. An inattentive, moralizing or indiscreet response can close the door to future conversations.
She also says adults should ask questions before planning.
“What do you need? What is happening with you? What would you feel comfortable with?”
Listening to those answers can be more valuable than designing activities without the participation of the people they are intended to serve.
Caring Without Exposing
Support does not end when a crisis occurs. After a suicide attempt or death, Zuccherino recommends prioritizing support, confidentiality and respect for the family’s privacy. It is not the time to look for someone to blame, speculate or share details.
The community can provide a space for family members, friends and peers to express their emotions. It should also pay attention to those who are most affected and help them access professional support.
Official Argentine guidelines for responsible communication about suicide recommend avoiding sensationalism, not attributing a death to a single factor and not presenting suicide as an understandable response to problems.
The interviews point to a shared conclusion: Prevention does not depend on a perfect phrase or a single event. It requires available adults, young people who are heard, trained volunteers, communities that do not demand perfection and mental health networks that people can access without delay.
In an immediate crisis, people should contact emergency services or go to the nearest emergency department and should not leave the person alone.
Originally published by Diario Cristiano, Christian Daily International's Spanish edition.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Rule change allows Brazilian pastor to resume Texas pastorate]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/rule-change-allows-brazilian-pastor-to-resume-texas-pastorate</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/rule-change-allows-brazilian-pastor-to-resume-texas-pastorate</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Albert Oliveira baptizes a new believer at First Baptist Church of Gordon, Texas, in July.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ First Baptist Church of Gordon ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Albert Oliveira baptizes a new believer at First Baptist Church of Gordon, Texas, in July. The Brazilian pastor resumed his ministry there in April after a change in U.S. immigration rules ended a one-year wait abroad for religious workers. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Tue, 08 Sep 2026 07:25:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[A Brazilian pastor who left the United States in late 2025 rather than stay beyond the expiry of his visa is again leading his congregation in Texas, after a change in U.S. immigration rules ended a one-year waiting period for religious workers seeking to return, Baptist Press reported.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
A Brazilian pastor who left the United States in late 2025 rather than stay beyond the expiry of his visa is again leading his congregation in Texas, after a change in U.S. immigration rules ended a one-year waiting period for religious workers seeking to return, Baptist Press reported.
Albert Oliveira came back in April to First Baptist Church of Gordon, in a small town in north Texas, together with his German-born wife, Caroline, and their 4-year-old son, Elliott. Under the earlier rules he would have had to remain outside the country for a full year before applying again for an R-1 visa, the temporary category used by foreign-born clergy and other religious staff working in the United States.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced the change on Jan. 14 and published it two days later as an interim final rule, which took effect on publication. Religious workers who reach the statutory five-year maximum in R-1 status must still leave the country, but the department removed any minimum period they must spend abroad before seeking readmission for a further five years.
DHS said the change was intended to reduce the length of time congregations are left without their clergy. The department described priests, nuns and rabbis as among those affected, and said in a statement attributed to a spokesperson that such workers are "essential to the social and moral fabric of this country." The rule was issued in support of an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in February 2025 establishing a White House Faith Office.
Behind the change lies a bottleneck in the separate EB-4 immigrant visa category, through which many religious workers pursue permanent residency. Demand there has outstripped supply for years, and DHS said adjustments made by the State Department in 2023 lengthened the wait considerably for applicants from certain countries. Workers caught in the backlog frequently exhaust the five-year limit on their temporary status before a permanent visa becomes available.
Oliveira told Baptist Press the amendment had removed a significant obstacle without resolving the underlying problem. "It did make things a lot easier," he said. "But it's definitely not a solution. But it at least allowed for me and everyone involved to be able to make long-term plans with their churches, to be able to dream together."
He said congregations that struggle to recruit qualified pastors should be able to look abroad without committing years to administrative processes, and framed the question partly in terms of religious liberty. "I believe that churches should be able to have the option to have a pastor from a different country if that's what they believe that they need," he said, calling for an immigration system that is both fair and secure.
Oliveira kept his position while in Brazil, preaching online and holding meetings by video. His return to Gordon was marked by a public welcome, with fire and police vehicles escorting the family and residents gathering along the streets.
According to the Baptist Press report, the congregation has continued to grow and to baptize new members, prompting it to form a committee on church growth and to look for larger premises. "Everybody's just playing musical chairs with the rooms, trying to find a place for everyone," Oliveira said.
He argued that pastors born abroad bring experience that congregations focused on mission cannot easily obtain otherwise, and pointed to his own background. "I for example accepted Christ by the work of missionaries from North Carolina in Brazil," he said. "I know what it's like to receive a team of American missionaries in my house, and I know the challenges of the local pastor after they leave."
Employing pastors from other countries also signals to a community that a church welcomes different cultures, languages and accents, he said.
Oliveira compared the family's experience to that of the first Christians. "If the challenge is immigration, and if the challenge is government changes, those are things that the early Christians had to deal with too," he told Baptist Press. "It's nothing new."
DHS said about 19,000 people were in the United States on R-1 visas when the rule was updated. Because the measure took effect as an interim final rule, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services accepted public comment until March 17 and has not yet issued a final rule. In June the agency published guidance for staff applying the change.
Separate legislation that would allow religious workers to remain in the country until decisions are reached on their applications for permanent residency, the Religious Workforce Protection Act, has been introduced in both chambers of Congress with cross-party sponsorship but has not been passed.
Galen Carey, vice president of government relations for the National Association of Evangelicals, welcomed the effort, saying: “Religious communities unite and serve believers of multiple nationalities. It is important that our leaders have the freedom to serve across national boundaries, and that our churches have access to staff with the expertise they need. The Religious Worker Visa Program has served our country well and has been a blessing to our churches.”]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Nicaragua advances constitutional reform that would bar ‘traitors to the homeland’ from elections]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/nicaragua-advances-constitutional-reform-that-would-bar-traitors-to-the-homeland-from-elections</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/nicaragua-advances-constitutional-reform-that-would-bar-traitors-to-the-homeland-from-elections</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Lizzie Sotola]]></dc:creator>
                                                                                                                            <media:content  url="https://www.christiandaily.com/media/original/img/0/52/5221.png">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[Nicaragua’s National Assembly]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Photo: UNAN-León, National Autonomous University of Nicaragua ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Nicaragua’s National Assembly approved the constitutional reform in its first legislative session during a special session held in León on Sept. 1, 2026. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 08:05:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Nicaragua’s National Assembly, dominated by the ruling party, approved a partial constitutional reform Sept. 1 in its first legislative session that would bar people deemed “traitors to the homeland” from running for office, holding public positions or serving in party leadership.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Nicaragua’s National Assembly, dominated by the ruling party, approved a partial constitutional reform Sept. 1 in its first legislative session that would bar people deemed “traitors to the homeland” from running for office, holding public positions or serving in party leadership.
The measure was approved unanimously by a show of hands during a special session in León, marking the first formal approval of an initiative promoted by co-presidents Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo.
The constitutional changes are not yet in effect. The reform requires a second approval during the next legislative session in 2027 before it can take effect, according to EFE.
The reform would extend the terms of elected officials from six to seven years, including those of the co-presidents, lawmakers and mayors. It would also apply to other officials, including judicial and electoral magistrates, the attorney general and the heads of the Army and National Police.
The proposed changes would impose restrictions on people who have participated in or are linked to attempted coups, received foreign funding, called for military intervention, promoted sanctions or blockades against Nicaragua, or been accused of acts considered contrary to national sovereignty.
The move follows an announcement Ortega made in July, when he said that “there will be no more elections” in Nicaragua and indicated that he would promote constitutional reforms to prevent the opposition from coming to power through elections. Diario Cristiano, Christian Daily International's Spanish edition, reported at the time that Ortega had not specified the legal mechanism for implementing the proposal.
The constitutional reform also follows public support from some evangelical pastors, who said the measure would contribute to peace, stability and the well-being of the country. 
With its first approval, the reform now moves to the next stage of the constitutional process.
Originally published by by Diario Cristiano, Christian Daily International's Spanish edition.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[US slams 'golden door' on world’s persecuted Christians, report says]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/us-slams-golden-door-on-worlds-persecuted-christians-report-says</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/us-slams-golden-door-on-worlds-persecuted-christians-report-says</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Edward Ross]]></dc:creator>
                                                                                                                            <media:content  url="https://www.christiandaily.com/media/original/img/0/52/5222.jpg">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[The Statue of Liberty stands in New York Harbor, long a symbol of refuge for those fleeing persecution, its pedestal bearing Emma Lazarus’ sonnet welcoming immigrants through a “golden door.” Fiscal Year 2026 will likely close Sept. 30 with no persecuted ]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ iStock/kasto80 ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ The Statue of Liberty stands in New York Harbor, long a symbol of refuge for those fleeing persecution, its pedestal bearing Emma Lazarus’ sonnet welcoming immigrants through a “golden door.” Fiscal Year 2026 will likely close Sept. 30 with no persecuted religious minorities resettled in the United States, according to a Sept. 3, 2026 report by World Relief and Open Doors US. ]]>
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                                                                                                <media:content  url="https://www.christiandaily.com/media/original/img/0/52/5224.png">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[Arrival of Christian refugees from the 50 countries of Open Doors 2026 World Watch List.]]></media:title>
                                                            <media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">
                                    <![CDATA[ State of the Golden Door Report ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Arrival of Christian refugees from the 50 countries of Open Doors 2026 World Watch List. ]]>
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                                                                                                <media:content  url="https://www.christiandaily.com/media/original/img/0/52/5225.png">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[Number of Christian refugee arrivals from selected countries: 2020, 2024, 2025, 2026.]]></media:title>
                                                            <media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">
                                    <![CDATA[ State of the Golden Door Report ]]>
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                                                                                        <media:description type="plain">
                                    <![CDATA[ Number of Christian refugee arrivals from selected countries: 2020, 2024, 2025, 2026. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Thu, 03 Sep 2026 13:25:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The U.S. government’s 2026 Fiscal Year ending on Sept. 30 likely will be the first in a quarter century in which no refugees enduring religious persecution are resettled in the United States, according to a report by two Christian aid agencies.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
The U.S. government’s 2026 Fiscal Year ending on Sept. 30 likely will be the first in a quarter century in which no refugees enduring religious persecution are resettled in the United States, according to a report by two Christian aid agencies.
“Barring a significant change in U.S. policy in the final month of the federal fiscal year, we anticipate that FY2026 will be the first year in at least a quarter century, and likely in the entire history of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, in which persecuted religious minorities have been completely shut out,” concludes the report released today (Sept. 3) by humanitarian organization World Relief and Christian support group Open Doors US.
Amid unprecedented levels of persecution of Christians worldwide, the experience of seekers of asylum in the United States in 2025 and 2026 has been unpredictable and chaotic, states the report, “State of the Golden Door: Evaluating U.S. Refugee Resettlement and Asylum in Light of Global Christian Persecution.”
“While the leaders of both World Relief and Open Doors US affirm the need to ensure secure borders and the need for reforms to the asylum system, those goals cannot come at the cost of legitimate asylum applicants’ safety and right to a fair process,” it states. “The combination of changes outlined here have together, functionally discontinued the asylum system in the U.S. This means, in turn, that for those asylum seekers with legitimate concerns of persecution on account of their faith, the U.S. may not offer the safety it has for many years promised to provide.”
In a letter introducing the report, Myal Greene, president and CEO of World Relief, and Ryan Brown, president and CEO of Open Doors US, state that their organizations are politically non-partisan but that, as all human beings are created in God’s image with inherent dignity, they believe they are worth protecting.
“We also take seriously the Old Testament command to welcome the stranger, as well as Jesus’ admonition to care for the neighbor, illustrated in the parable of the Good Samaritan, as extending beyond those who happen to share the same ethnic or religious characteristics,” they write.
Many Christians agree with them, they stated, that the U.S. should keep open refugee access, termed the “golden door” as referenced on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. Recent polling by Lifeway Research found that 70 percent of evangelical Christians believe the U.S. has a moral responsibility to accept refugees, regardless of whether those refugees are Christian. Even more recently, 82 percent of Protestant pastors agreed, they stated.
Greene said at a briefing in Washington, D.C. on Thursday (Sept. 3), “The U.S. has taken this golden door and closed it.”
Ara Torosian, who arrived in the U.S. as a refugee from Iran, pastors Cornerstone Church in West Los Angeles, which includes other Iranian refugees. He said at the briefing that persecuted Christians trying to attain asylum are trying to save their lives and are not a danger to the United States.
“America has always been a place of refuge for Christian people,” Pastor Torosian said.
The U.S. administration of President Donald Trump in early 2025 halted all refugee resettlement via executive order with very narrow exceptions, and while the program was never officially restarted, the Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2026 set a new precedent, the report notes.

“Disregarding the traditional international legal definition of a refugee, individuals identified outside of their country of origin who have a well-founded fear of persecution, it instead made a provision for resettling 7,500 white South Africans, mostly of the Afrikaner heritage, whom it describes as ‘victims of unjust racial discrimination,’” the report states, noting that the ceiling increased to 17,500 in June but with the same singular focus on one group. “Notwithstanding the hardship that some South Africans have experienced, South Africa is not known to be a country which restricts religious liberty, so any hardship experienced is unlikely to be religiously motivated. Because the three individuals resettled this fiscal year who were not from South Africa were not members of religious minorities in their country of origin, we can confidently conclude that, thus far in FY2026, no refugees experiencing religious persecution were resettled in the U.S.”
Since the Refugee Act of 1980 established the foundations of the modern resettlement program, the U.S. has accepted nearly 3.7 million refugees primarily through the Refugee Admissions Program, the report states. The law draws on the international definition of a refugee, determining that those fleeing credible threats of persecution due to race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular group could qualify as a refugee with proper documentation and screening.
“On average, the nation has resettled an [annual] average of about 73,500, with more than 200,000 arriving in a single year in 1980 and several other years exceeding 100,000,” it states. “In recent years, this number has plummeted.”

The administration has also begun efforts to send away immigrants already accepted as refugees. In November 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced its intention to reopen the cases of some 230,000 refugees admitted under the previous administration, while also pausing green card processing for refugees who entered during the same time period. DHS then in January announced Operation Post-Admission Refugee Reverification and Integrity Strengthening (PARRIS), claiming it would address fraud in the refugee resettlement program, the report states.
“They began in Minnesota, specifically targeting 5,600 refugees who had not yet received green cards,” it states. “Through Operation PARRIS, around 150 refugees were detained, some through door-to-door arrests, and transferred to Texas for re-interviews. A number of these refugees were released in Texas without transportation back to Minnesota, and in some cases without their documentation.”
A court case, U.H.A v Bondi, halted Operation PARRIS’s arrests and detentions in Minnesota, accusing DHS of detaining refugees for lacking green cards while at the same time preventing refugees from receiving them. Another lawsuit, Jean A. v Noem, seeks to prevent similar tactics nationwide; it is ongoing but led to a nationwide pause on the policy until the case is decided.
DHS has since shifted from detentions to call-in letters for re-interviews across the country.
“The policy continues to cause fear for refugees and their families, employers and communities, including for many whose refugee designation was based upon religious persecution,” the report states.
The report highlights the case of Saw Shining, who fled Burma (Myanmar) and first arrived in Minnesota more than 15 years ago as a refugee after decades in a Thai refugee camp. He became pastor of a church in Minneapolis that included Christian Karen people, a persecuted ethnolinguistic group from southeastern Burma. He also became a naturalized U.S. citizen.
“When he and the Karen community heard President Trump’s calls for aggressive immigration enforcement, they thought that those without a criminal record would be safe, especially given their legal status as refugees,” the report states. “However, as Operation PARRIS rolled out, it soon became clear that even some immigrants who were lawfully present and had not been charged with crimes were being targeted for detention. Overnight, the community became fearful of law enforcement, evoking memories of encounters with police in Burma and Thailand, where refugees were closely monitored and kept apart simply due to their status as refugees.”
Older members of the Karen community in Minneapolis or who those who spoke less English began to stay at home, even U.S. citizens like Saw Shining’s parents.
“Nevertheless, between 30 to 50 lawfully present Karen refugees who had not yet received their green cards were detained during Operation PARRIS,” the report states. “One member of his previous church was separated for three weeks from her 5-month-old baby – whom she had been breastfeeding prior to her detention – while she was being reinterviewed in Texas.”
While all members of the community have returned after the judicial orders, call-in letters have continued to arrive for reinterviews, the report notes.
“What happened [during Operation PARRIS] was really hard for our Karen people,” Pastor Shining said. “We are not Thai or Burmese citizens; we are U.S. citizens. This nation is ours, and we must love, care for and support our Constitution. We do not want to become stateless again.”
At this writing the Trump administration had yet to respond to a request for comment on the Golden Door report.
Approval Rate Plummets
In the Refugee Act and as a party to an international convention, the U.S. has pledged not to turn away people who can demonstrate they meet the necessary conditions for asylum. Unlike refugees, there is no legal limit on the number of asylum seekers that can be approved each year.
The two main avenues for asylum are an “affirmative” claim, when applicants submit a claim to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and a “defensive” claim, when the DHS seeks to deport someone and the person pleads asylum at a removal hearing in front of an immigration judge.
“While data is not publicly available on the religious demographics of those who seek asylum defensively, it’s clear that as the overall asylum approval rate has plummeted, Christians fleeing religious persecution are much less likely to be approved as well,” the report states.
In FY2023, immigration judges granted asylum to 17,157 people of all religious backgrounds from countries on the World Watch List of the 50 countries with the worst persecution, accounting for 58 percent of all asylum decisions for those from those countries, according to the report. In FY2025, the approval rate declined to 26 percent for those from those 50 countries.
“During the first nine months of FY2026, the approval rate for these countries had declined further, to just 10 percent,” the report states. “Specific countries that rank high on the World Watch List for Christian persecution such as Iran (#10), India (#12) and China (#17) have been particularly affected by the stark decline in asylum approval rates in immigration court.”
For each year from FY2020 to FY2024, at least 62 percent of asylum decisions for Indian nationals were approvals, but for FY2026, the asylum approval rate has dropped to just 6 percent. Iran has historically had very high rates of asylum approvals before immigration judges, above 80 percent from FY2020 through FY2024, but for FY2025 and FY2026 year-to-date, it has fallen to just 38 percent, with most Iranian asylum applicants being denied, according to the report.
Rates of asylum approval for Chinese nationals fell from as high as 88 percent in FY2022 to just 29 percent thus far in FY2026, it states.
“The decrease in approved asylum cases coincides with a dramatic increase in the number of asylum claims being adjudicated,” the report notes. “FY2025 saw 121,936 decisions, the highest ever, likely due to the speed at which cases were being decided.”
Refoulement
The principle of non-refoulement, established in international law and in U.S. statute, states that countries will not deport anyone (especially refugees and asylum seekers) back to countries where their “life or freedom would be threatened” due to “race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.”
To avoid explicitly violating the principle of non-refoulement, the Department of State has made arrangements with third countries to allow the U.S. to deport would-be asylum seekers to those other countries rather than back to the asylum seeker’s home country, the report states.
“As a result, over 21,000 people have been deported to countries to which they have never been, have no connections in, and in some cases, do not even speak the language,” it notes. “The U.S. currently has third-country removal agreements with 35 nations, most of which are in Africa or Central America. Since these agreements are not public, the exact details of this process is unclear, but some agreements have resulted in people being repatriated by the third country back to the country where they initially fled persecution.”
Those removed have included asylum seekers at the southern border, those with pending cases in immigration court and others who have been granted protection from removal, the report states.
“Credible reports suggest that in transport, Non-refoulement & Deportation Agreements individuals have been shackled, held in primitive conditions and threatened with being sent back to their home country,” it states. “Furthermore, when people are being sent to countries where they have almost no resources, it renders them extremely vulnerable to abuse and injustice.”
These third-country deportations have impacted persecuted Christians. In February 2025, an Iranian woman who converted to Christianity and fled fearing persecution made it into the U.S. only to have her claims for asylum ignored, according to the report.
“She was subsequently sent to a detention camp in Panama’s jungle. There, she was held, along with several other Iranian Christians who had sought asylum in the U.S., only to be turned away,” it states.
These policies have been repeatedly challenged in court, both in the U.S. and in the third countries themselves, but as of this year, the deportations continue, according to the report.
“World Relief and Open Doors US firmly believe that returning someone to a place of persecution – however indirectly – is a stark violation of the principles on which our nation was founded, and in direct contradiction to our beliefs as Christians.”]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Colombian evangelical body backs pastor as court finds prayer at presidential inauguration breached religious neutrality]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/colombian-evangelical-body-backs-pastor-as-court-finds-prayer-at-presidential-inauguration-breached-religious-neutrality</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/colombian-evangelical-body-backs-pastor-as-court-finds-prayer-at-presidential-inauguration-breached-religious-neutrality</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Lizzie Sotola]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Pastor Eduardo Cañas prays for Colombia during the presidential inauguration of Abelardo de la Espriella on Aug. 7 in Cali.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Still from the official broadcast ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Pastor Eduardo Cañas prays for Colombia during the presidential inauguration of Abelardo de la Espriella on Aug. 7 in Cali. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:24:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The Evangelical Confederation of Colombia (CEDECOL) has expressed its "absolute support" for Pastor Eduardo Cañas Estrada after a court found that the religious content of President Abelardo de la Espriella's inauguration breached the state's duty of religious neutrality.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
The Evangelical Confederation of Colombia (CEDECOL) has expressed its "absolute support" for Pastor Eduardo Cañas Estrada after a court found that the religious content of President Abelardo de la Espriella's inauguration breached the state's duty of religious neutrality.
In a statement dated Sept. 1 and signed by its president, Pastor Lyda Elena Arias, the confederation criticized the legal action as an attempt at "censorship and stigmatization against faith in the public sphere."
The case turns on a tutela filed over the Aug. 7 ceremony in Cali, at which Cañas and clergy from other traditions took part in a segment of prayer and praise. A Bogotá court ruled at first instance that the ceremony violated state neutrality, but it dismissed Cañas and the other religious representatives as parties and directed its orders at the officials who organized the event. The dispute has revived a longstanding question in Colombia: how far the state must go to avoid favoring one faith without restricting the public expression of religion.
"[Cañas'] participation in the ceremonial protocol was a legitimate invocation of peace and blessing for the nation," the confederation said, while rejecting any stigmatization or judicial persecution tied to the public exercise of faith.
The tutela and the ruling
A tutela is a fast-track judicial mechanism by which a person may ask a judge to protect their fundamental rights when they believe those rights have been violated or threatened. In this case, a citizen, Omar Alberto Franco Becerra, alleged that the religious content of an official act of state had impaired his freedom of conscience and of worship.
The Fifth Labor Circuit Court of Bogotá ruled in favor of the claimant. It held that the ceremony had breached the state's duty of religious neutrality and ordered De la Espriella to apologize publicly to the Colombian people in an address broadcast on radio and television on Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. In that address, he must say he will refrain from conduct implying a leaning toward the Catholic Church or any other creed. He must also issue a directive requiring public servants to respect and enforce state religious neutrality at official events.
The court also issued an order to the president of Congress, Honorio Miguel Henríquez, because the inauguration took place within the framework of a legislative session.
The ruling did not sanction Cañas or bar him from praying. The court released Cañas, Rabbi David Michaan and Monsignor Francisco Javier Múnera from the action, according to information published by Cambio. In the court's view, responsibility lay with the officials who determined the content and the institutional character of the ceremony.
For that reason, to say that Cañas was "sued for praying" gives an incomplete impression. His prayer was one of the facts examined in the tutela, but he was not the recipient of any judicial order.
De la Espriella apologized publicly on Aug. 30, before CEDECOL released its statement. El Espectador reported that, in his remarks, he defended his right to profess his faith and said he respects the separation of church and state. The presidency maintains that this satisfies the court's order, although the ruling set Sept. 30 for an address on radio and television.
The prayer at the inauguration
When Cañas took the lectern on Aug. 7, he prayed for Colombia, for the new government, for the Military Forces and for various sectors of society. It was an act of faith before members of Congress, national authorities and international guests.
De la Espriella assumed the presidency at the Arena USC in Cali for the 2026-2030 term. Alongside the constitutional protocol for the transfer of power, the ceremony included a segment titled "Invocation and Praise."
Representatives of different religious traditions took part in that segment: Michaan; Cañas; the chaplain of the presidency, Álvaro Duarte Torres; and Múnera, president of the Colombian Bishops' Conference. There was also an image of Our Lady of Fátima and a rendition of "Aleluya" by the singer Maía.
Cañas, founder of Manantial de Vida Eterna, offered a Christian prayer for the country. El Heraldo reported that he asked for protection and wisdom for Colombia and its authorities.
The prayer took place within an official ceremony rather than at a private, campaign or congregational event. That is what brought the matter into judicial dispute.
Cañas' response
Cañas defended his participation in a video released after the proceedings became known. "I am not ashamed of the Gospel ... nor of having represented a Christian people who love God," he said.
His post drew messages of support from believers and Christian leaders.
The constitutional argument
CEDECOL said the presence of spiritual representatives at events of national significance should be seen as an expression of pluralism, not a breach of state neutrality. It cited Article 19 of the Colombian Constitution, which guarantees freedom of worship and the right of every person to profess and disseminate their religion individually or collectively, and recognizes that all confessions and churches are equally free before the law.
The statement also invoked Article 192, which provides for the presidential oath "to God" and before the people. A spiritual invocation at an inauguration, CEDECOL argued, is not foreign to the country's constitutional tradition.
The confederation further challenged the idea of a secular state understood as the exclusion of God or of religious expression from the public square. The constitution, it said, defines Colombia as a pluralist state, called to recognize and respect the diversity of beliefs among its population.
Colombia is a secular state, which does not mean it is atheist or hostile to religion. Within that framework, the state may not adopt an official faith or institutionally favor one confession over the others. The Constitutional Court explained in Judgment C-350 of 1994 that religious neutrality seeks to protect pluralism, equality among confessions and the autonomy of churches from political power.
CEDECOL said the evangelical churches will go on praying for the authorities and for Colombia, which it called an inalienable right of believers.
Original reporting by Diario Cristiano, Christian Daily International's Spanish edition.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Bible societies mark Bible Month with festivals, exhibitions and two anniversaries]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/bible-societies-mark-bible-month-with-festivals-exhibitions-and-two-anniversaries</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/bible-societies-mark-bible-month-with-festivals-exhibitions-and-two-anniversaries</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Diario Cristiano]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[The Biblia del Oso is a great legacy of faith for Spanish-speaking Christians. Reinas version was the first translation of the complete Bible into Spanish to use the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts as its textual basis.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Christian Daily International / Lizzie Sotola ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ The Biblia del Oso is a great legacy of faith for Spanish-speaking Christians. Reina's version was the first translation of the complete Bible into Spanish to use the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts as its textual basis. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:02:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Bible societies in Argentina, Spain, Peru and the Dominican Republic are marking Bible Month this September with conferences, exhibitions, festivals and anniversary celebrations.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Bible societies in Argentina, Spain, Peru and the Dominican Republic are marking Bible Month this September with conferences, exhibitions, festivals and anniversary celebrations.
Each society has a program running through the month. Two are also marking milestones of their own: 190 years of work in Spain and 75 years in the Dominican Republic.
September was chosen for two reasons. The first complete Bible in Spanish was printed in September 1569. And Sept. 30 commemorates Jerome of Stridon, who translated the Bible into Latin.
In Argentina, the Argentine Bible Society (Sociedad Bíblica Argentina) will hold MDB Conf '26 on Sept. 19 in Quilmes, Buenos Aires. The event will bring together young people, families, leaders and pastors, with biblical teaching, music, worship, an exhibition of Bibles and study materials. More information.
In Spain, the Bible Society (Sociedad Bíblica) will celebrate 190 years of work. Every Monday in September it will offer an online seminar on Bible translations, the Biblia del Oso and the history of Casiodoro de Reina. It will also visit churches in Valladolid, hold a conference and a public reading in Segovia, and present the exhibition "Bible and Culture" in Guadix. Full program.
In Peru, the Peruvian Bible Society (Sociedad Bíblica Peruana) will take part in ExpoBiblia and the Christian Book Fair, held Sept. 11-27 in Lima. The fair will feature Bibles, books, Christian resources and a Bible Museum. A Children's Bible Festival and a Youth Festival are set for Sept. 12, and a United Service for Bible Day for Sept. 30. Schedule in Lima.
In the Dominican Republic, the Dominican Republic Bible Society (Sociedad Bíblica Dominicana) will celebrate its 75th anniversary under the motto "The Word of God: light for the Dominican Republic." The program includes services, Bible workshops, activities for children, music, webinars and celebrations in the churches, along with a banquet to mark the anniversary. Program of activities.
The 1569 translation was produced by Casiodoro de Reina and is known as the Biblia del Oso ("Bear Bible"). Cipriano de Valera later revised the text, producing the Reina-Valera version.
Original reporting by Diario Cristiano, Christian Daily International's Spanish edition.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Paraguay Senate advances bill establishing National Evangelical Church Day]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/paraguay-senate-advances-bill-establishing-national-evangelical-church-day</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/paraguay-senate-advances-bill-establishing-national-evangelical-church-day</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Lizzie Sotola]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[The Paraguayan Senate]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Photo: Chamber of Senators of the Republic of Paraguay ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ The Paraguayan Senate gave preliminary approval to a bill establishing a National Day of the Evangelical Church. The bill, sent to the Chamber of Deputies, sets the observance for the last Sunday of October. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Tue, 01 Sep 2026 06:15:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Paraguay’s Senate gave preliminary approval Wednesday to a bill that would establish a National Day of the Evangelical Church in Paraguay. The measure, approved with amendments Aug. 26, now goes to the Chamber of Deputies for consideration.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Paraguay’s Senate gave preliminary approval Wednesday to a bill that would establish a National Day of the Evangelical Church in Paraguay. The measure, approved with amendments Aug. 26, now goes to the Chamber of Deputies for consideration.
The Senate’s action advances a process previously reported by Diario Cristiano, Christian Daily International's Spanish edition. The original bill proposed Oct. 31 as the date for the observance, referencing the Protestant Reformation of 1517.
The Senate, however, amended the bill to designate the last Sunday of October each year instead. The official record of the Aug. 26 Senate session confirms that the amended bill was sent to the Chamber of Deputies.
The bill was introduced Aug. 12 by Sens. Orlando Penner, Lizarella Valiente, Blanca Ovelar and Gustavo Leite. It seeks to recognize and promote the historical, cultural, social, educational, humanitarian and spiritual contributions of evangelical churches in Paraguay.
According to the official report, Penner said the initiative was introduced at the request of the Association of Evangelical Churches of Paraguay and is intended to recognize the work of numerous congregations in serving society.
Not a national holiday or part of the school calendar
The Senate’s amendments narrowed the scope of the original proposal. The version approved by the Senate does not make the last Sunday of October a national holiday. Although the possibility had previously been discussed publicly, it was not included in the bill approved by the Senate, ABC Color reported.
The Senate also removed an article, proposed by Sen. Blanca Ovelar, that would have directed the Ministry of Education and Sciences, through its Vice Ministry of Worship, to add the observance to the national school calendar and promote activities to commemorate it. La Nación also confirmed the amendment.
As a result, if the Chamber of Deputies approves the Senate’s version, the observance would not be a national holiday and would not require schools to recognize or commemorate it.
Recognition and diversity
The Senate’s preliminary approval represents a significant development for a broad segment of Paraguay’s evangelical community. Evangelical churches have played roles in areas including education, health care, humanitarian cooperation, social assistance, communications and support for vulnerable communities. RCC highlighted this history as one of the foundations of the bill.
At the same time, the legislative debate revealed differences within Paraguay’s evangelical and Protestant communities.
During the Senate session, Sen. Yolanda Paredes called for consideration of the bill to be postponed and questioned the speed with which it was being considered. According to ABC Color, she also proposed holding a public hearing first, arguing that the proposal did not have sufficient support across all evangelical groups.
Sen. Rafael Filizzola likewise urged caution about Congress establishing a date for such a commemoration. According to Última Hora, he argued that, given the diversity within the evangelical community, churches should reach a consensus on how such an observance should be designated.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Paraguay and the Evangelical Church of the River Plate also expressed concerns. Both organizations welcomed official recognition of Protestantism but questioned the proposed name of the observance and aspects of the bill’s historical framing.
According to ABC Color, they asked lawmakers to consider calling it “Protestant Reformation Day” and to recognize the historical contributions of German-speaking Lutheran communities.
In its earlier coverage, Diario Cristiano quoted evangelical leaders who viewed the initiative as recognition of the service provided by many churches throughout Paraguay.
Pastor Adolfo Aguero Esgaib, vice president for international affairs of the Association of Evangelical Churches of Paraguay (ASIEP), previously said the significance of the proposal was not simply the creation of a new date on the calendar, but the opportunity to highlight the spiritual, social and community contributions of evangelical congregations.
The Senate’s action moves the proposal forward, although the amended bill differs from the original version. It changes the date, removes the provision concerning the school calendar and does not establish a national holiday.
Original reporting by Diario Cristiano, Christian Daily International's Spanish edition.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Thousands of women gather at Arena Ciudad de México for Bible-centered event]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/thousands-of-women-gather-at-arena-ciudad-de-mexico-for-bible-centered-event</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/thousands-of-women-gather-at-arena-ciudad-de-mexico-for-bible-centered-event</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Ommar Ayala]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[The Mexico City Arena]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Photo by Ommar Ayala ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ The Mexico City Arena became a gathering place for thousands of women who attended “The Bible and Us.” ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Fri, 28 Aug 2026 06:25:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Arena Ciudad de México became a gathering place for thousands of women who took part in "The Bible and Us," a Christian event aimed at strengthening women's identity, faith and knowledge of Scripture.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Arena Ciudad de México became a gathering place for thousands of women who took part in "The Bible and Us," a Christian event aimed at strengthening women's identity, faith and knowledge of Scripture.
Michelle Ruiz organized the event, with special guests Sonia Luna, Ana Gabriela Fidalgo, Gloriana Montero and Ester Aguaron, along with worship leader and singer Karen Espinosa. Río Worship, a ministry affiliated with Río MX, led the music.
Ruiz told the crowd that a personal experience of pain and spiritual searching had led her to find comfort and direction in Scripture.
Over time, those early gatherings grew into a discipleship program aimed at helping women not just read the Bible, but understand it, live it out and apply it to their everyday lives.
Ruiz drew on the Psalm "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" to remind the audience that God's light guides believers at every step.
Gloriana Montero, a pastor at Lakewood Church in Texas, shared a series of personal testimonies and urged women to stand firm in their faith and convictions in daily life.
Sonia Luna, co-founder of Casa de Dios Church in Guatemala, encouraged women to follow God's voice no matter their circumstances.
Ester Aguarón called out several women by name during her ministry time, offering words of prophetic activation and spiritual revelation.
The Arena CDMX event capped off a tour that organizers said stopped in roughly 25 cities across Mexico and the United States before wrapping up in the Mexican capital.
What began as a small initiative has grown into a community focused on helping women not only read the Bible, but put it into practice — building an identity rooted in the Christian faith.
Worship, teaching and creativity
Organizers moved away from a traditional conference format, adding creative elements throughout. Early on, attendees stood out for interacting with illustrations using copies of "The Bible and Us" during the program.
A key part of the project was making sure the experience didn't end when attendees left the arena. As a follow-up, participants were invited to continue with a 40-day devotional through the YouVersion app.
Organizers also announced a partnership with Canzion Films to promote the upcoming movie "He Calls Me His Daughter," which explores themes of identity and purpose and is set to hit theaters across Latin America soon.
The goal, organizers said, was to turn the shared experience into an ongoing discipleship process that carries into everyday life, homes, churches and communities.
A growing voice for women in the Christian movement
The scale of the event reflects a broader trend: Christian initiatives designed specifically for women are on the rise.
Beyond its size, "The Bible and Us" raises broader questions about the role of women's Bible study programs within evangelical churches today — how to combine biblical teaching with community, leadership, creativity and spiritual mentorship.
In that sense, Arena CDMX served two purposes: a venue for a large-scale expression of faith, and a launching pad for a community organizers hope will stay active long after the event ends.
Scripture at the center
The movement said its core mission was to put Scripture back at the center of participants' lives.
Its stated goals include deepening knowledge of God's Word, strengthening believers' personal relationship with God, building an identity grounded in Scripture, and encouraging a practical, consistent faith.
The event marks a new chapter for an initiative that started with small gatherings and has since grown enough to fill one of Mexico City's largest event venues.
Looking beyond a single event
With Arena CDMX as the final stop on its tour, organizers hoped "The Bible and Us" would be more than a one-day experience — but a starting point for thousands of women to keep studying the Bible and living out their faith in practical ways.
Organizers summed up that vision simply: women gathered around the Word, called to carry what they've learned back to their families, churches and communities.
What started as a small Bible study born out of personal pain has grown into a platform with national and international reach.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[United Bible Societies reports 148 million printed Scriptures distributed in 2025]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/united-bible-societies-reports-148-million-printed-scriptures-distributed-in-2025</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/united-bible-societies-reports-148-million-printed-scriptures-distributed-in-2025</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Chris Eyte]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Childrens Bible Study]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ FatCamera/Getty Images ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Thu, 27 Aug 2026 07:55:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The United Bible Societies distributed 148.3 million printed Scriptures last year as the mission celebrated its 80th anniversary, noting that 25 billion scriptures have been given out since its founding in 1946, including 1.1 billion Bibles across 240 countries.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
The United Bible Societies distributed 148.3 million printed Scriptures last year as the mission celebrated its 80th anniversary, noting that 25 billion scriptures have been given out since its founding in 1946, including 1.1 billion Bibles across 240 countries.
The figure from the recently released “UBS Distribution Statistics Report 2025” includes 22.4 million full Bibles, 10 million New Testaments, and 115.9 million printed Scripture “portions and selections.”
“While printed Scriptures remain an essential part of Bible ministry, the report also reflects changing patterns in how people access God’s Word,” UBS said.
In the past decade, UBS has distributed 2.3 billion printed Scriptures, reflecting a “sustained commitment to making God’s Word available to people everywhere.”
“Bible distribution remains at the heart of our ministry because translation fulfils its purpose only when Scripture reaches people’s hands and hearts,” UBS said.
Digital scripture engagement is a key driver for reaching people with the Word of God.
Bible Society resources were downloaded 26.4 million times, with Bible chapters viewed 32.2 billion times - a 13.8% increase compared with the previous year. Audio Scripture was played 1.4 billion times.
“These figures demonstrate that people are increasingly engaging with the Bible through mobile devices and digital platforms, while printed Scriptures continue to play a vital role in many parts of the world,” UBS said.
The report also reviewed how Bible engagement differed in regions across the world. Distribution was highest in Central and South America with almost 98.5 million portions and selections.
Asia continued to show sustained demand for New Testaments and introductory Scripture resources, while Africa demonstrated balanced growth in Bible distribution.
This was lower in the West, but UBS said that people were engaging more via digital means in this region.
“North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania accounted for comparatively smaller volumes, suggesting that Bible engagement strategies in these regions may increasingly rely on digital access rather than print distribution,” UBS said.
Leading languages for printed full Bible distribution last year remained consistent with previous years.
“Spanish, Portuguese, English, Mandarin, and Indonesian continued as the top five languages, reflecting both population size and active Bible engagement initiatives in those linguistic communities,” UBS said. “Swahili, French, Tagalog, and Telugu also retained their positions within the top 10, while Korean replaced Arabic in 2025.”
Altogether, the top 10 languages represented 69% of global full Bible distribution, slightly lower than 71.8% in 2024.
English and Spanish were the top two languages for digital Bible chapter views last year, with almost equal shares. However, Portuguese also dominated.
“Within digital Bible downloads, Spanish and English rank second and third, respectively, while Portuguese leads with 62.7% of total downloads,” UBS said. 
“Portuguese is third behind English and Spanish in chapter views, with approximately 5.5 billion, or 17.1% of the total globally. French, Indonesian, and Chinese also remained major languages for digital distribution, reflecting both large language populations and strong digital Bible usage.”
For audio plays, Spanish and Portuguese led globally, together accounting for nearly three-fourths (72.9%) of all top language audio activity, followed by French and English, UBS said.
“Collectively, these figures demonstrate lives being touched, communities being strengthened, and the sustained commitment of Bible Societies to ensure everyone has an opportunity to read and hear God’s Word through access to Scripture,” UBS said.
“The statistics reflect both continuity and change. Rising printing and transport costs continue to affect print distribution, while digital platforms are opening new opportunities for people to read, hear, and engage with Scripture wherever they are. 
“Together, these trends reinforce the same enduring mission that has shaped the Bible Society movement for 80 years: ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to encounter God’s Word in a language and format they understand.”]]></content:encoded>
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