Faith – Winnipeg Free Press

JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS FILES
Jeff Lieberman, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg, said most people in the community have noticed the rise in antisemitism.

Antisemitism on the rise, becoming normalized, B’nai Brith warns

John Longhurst 3 minute read Yesterday at 2:54 PM CDT

Canada is in the throes of a national antisemitism crisis, says B’nai Brith Canada.

The organization’s annual audit of antisemitic incidents reports 6,800 in 2025, 6,248 of which involved online hate.

That is a 9.3 per cent increase over 2024, when the total was 6,219, and it represents the highest total since 1995, said B’nai Brith, the country’s oldest human rights organization dedicated to eradicating racism, antisemitism and hatred.

The biggest spike in antisemitism occurred in 2023, when the number of incidents rose from 2,769 in 2022 to 5,791 following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

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Mississippi’s largest synagogue finds triumph in rebuilding after arson

Molly Minta/mississippi Today, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

Mississippi’s largest synagogue finds triumph in rebuilding after arson

Molly Minta/mississippi Today, The Associated Press 5 minute read 11:15 AM CDT

Black, sweeping lines form an outline of a tree on the brick wall that once displayed the Tree of Life in Mississippi’s largest synagogue.

The commemorative brass plaque was damaged but withstood a fire that was intentionally set earlier this year at Beth Israel Congregation’s house of worship in northeast Jackson. Flames traced the trunk, branches and brass leaves that contain inscriptions of congregants’ birthdays, weddings and anniversaries.

The plaque has been sent to be restored by specialists, along with five of the synagogue’s Torahs and religious tapestries. For now, Rachel Myers, a congregation leader who teaches the synagogue’s religious school, taped up a picture of a tree drawn by one of the congregation’s children.

“He wanted to make sure that we keep that Tree of Life going,” she said.

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11:15 AM CDT

Children's drawings are taped up in Beth Israel Congregation on Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Jackson, Miss. (Molly Minta/Mississippi Today via AP)

The Latest: United Arab Emirates says it will exit OPEC, while US-Iran negotiations stall

The Associated Press 19 minute read Preview

The Latest: United Arab Emirates says it will exit OPEC, while US-Iran negotiations stall

The Associated Press 19 minute read Updated: 2:32 PM CDT

The United Arab Emirates announced Tuesday that it will leave OPEC effective May 1, stripping the oil cartel of one of its largest producers. While the announcement doesn’t change anything regarding the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, it could help lower oil prices after the war if the UAE increases its production capacity. On Tuesday, Brent crude oil traded above $111 a barrel, over 50% higher than its prewar price.

Iran offered to end its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz if the U.S. lifts its blockade on the country and ends the war in a proposal that would postpone discussions on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, two regional officials said Monday. U.S. President Donald Trump seems unlikely to accept the offer, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared to rule out any deal that excludes Iran’s nuclear program.

Here is the latest:

US budget airlines seek billions in aid amid soaring fuel costs

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Updated: 2:32 PM CDT

Pro-government demonstrators wave Iranian flags during a gathering in Tehran, Iran, Monday, April 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Utah charges man with murder in January shooting outside church in Salt Lake City

By Morgan Lee And Mead Gruver, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Utah charges man with murder in January shooting outside church in Salt Lake City

By Morgan Lee And Mead Gruver, The Associated Press 3 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 5:54 PM CDT

Prosecutors in Utah are seeking the extradition of a man from California on murder charges in connection with a deadly shooting in January at a church parking lot in Salt Lake City that left two people dead, according to court documents unsealed Monday.

Law enforcement took 32-year-old John Vea Uasike Jr. into custody on April 14 in connection with six felony charges including two counts of murder and weapons violations, the Salt Lake County district attorney's office said in a news release.

It was unclear if Uasike has an attorney who could comment on his behalf. The shooting took place Jan. 7 in the back parking lot of a place of worship for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormon church.

Investigators had said the gunfire broke out from a dispute between people who knew each other and were attending a funeral. All the victims were adults. Police have previously said they do not believe the violence was connected to animus toward a particular faith.

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Updated: Yesterday at 5:54 PM CDT

FILE - Police respond to a fatal shooting in a parking lot of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (Rio Giancarlo/The Deseret News via AP,File)

Pope prays with Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally in historic encounter, vows dialogue

Nicole Winfield, The Associated Press 6 minute read Preview

Pope prays with Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally in historic encounter, vows dialogue

Nicole Winfield, The Associated Press 6 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 10:54 AM CDT

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Leo XIV prayed Monday in the Vatican with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, and vowed to keep working to overcome differences “no matter how intractable they may appear,” in a historic meeting with the first female leader of the Church of England and spiritual leader of the global Anglican Communion.

The encounter between Christianity’s two most famous religious figures would have been unthinkable just a few years ago, given the divisions between their two churches over women’s ordination in general and Mullally's appointment in particular.

Leo acknowledged that “new problems” in their relationship had been added onto “historically divisive issues.” But he nevertheless vowed to continue the tradition of past popes to continue to try to reunite the churches.

Anglicans split from Rome in 1534, when English King Henry VIII was refused a marriage annulment. Despite a formal theological dialogue that began in the 1960s, big differences remain, especially over the Church of England’s decision to ordain women. The Roman Catholic Church reserves the priesthood for men.

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Updated: Yesterday at 10:54 AM CDT

FILE - Sarah Mullally speaks to the public after the Enthronement Ceremony installing her as archbishop of Canterbury in Canterbury, England, Wednesday, March 25, 2026, the first woman ever to lead the Church of England. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)

Iran offers to reopen Strait of Hormuz if US lifts its blockade and the war ends, officials say

Samy Magdy, Jon Gambrell And Elena Becatoros, The Associated Press 6 minute read Preview

Iran offers to reopen Strait of Hormuz if US lifts its blockade and the war ends, officials say

Samy Magdy, Jon Gambrell And Elena Becatoros, The Associated Press 6 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 11:44 PM CDT

CAIRO (AP) — Iran offered to end its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz if the U.S. lifts its blockade on the country and ends the war in a proposal that would postpone discussions on the Islamic Republic's nuclear program, two regional officials said Monday.

U.S. President Donald Trump seems unlikely to accept the offer, which was passed to the Americans by Pakistan and would leave unresolved the disagreements that led the U.S. and Israel to go to war on Feb. 28. And U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared to rule out any deal that excludes Iran's nuclear program.

“We can’t let them get away with it,” Rubio said in a Fox News interview Monday. “We have to ensure that any deal that is made, any agreement that is made, is one that definitively prevents them from sprinting towards a nuclear weapon at any point.”

With a fragile ceasefire in place, the U.S. and Iran are locked in a standoff over the strait, through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil and gas passes in peacetime. The U.S blockade is designed to prevent Iran from selling its oil, depriving it of crucial revenue while also potentially creating a situation where Tehran has to shut off production because it has nowhere to store oil.

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Updated: Yesterday at 11:44 PM CDT

FILE - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stands waiting to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin for the talks at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, June 23, 2025. (Alexander Kazakov/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)

The Latest: Iran wants Strait of Hormuz reopening tied to an end to the war, officials say

The Associated Press 18 minute read Preview

The Latest: Iran wants Strait of Hormuz reopening tied to an end to the war, officials say

The Associated Press 18 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 6:56 PM CDT

Iran has offered to end its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the U.S. lifting its blockade on the country and an end to the war, two regional officials said Monday. Under the proposal, discussions on the larger question of Iran's nuclear program would come later.

U.S. President Donald Trump seems unlikely to accept the offer. The existing ceasefire keeps the U.S. and Iran in a fragile standoff over the strait.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was in Russia Monday for a meeting with President Vladimir Putin as part of a trip that included two stops in Pakistan, where leaders are scrambling to reignite stalled talks between Tehran and Washington.

Airlines worldwide have begun canceling flights as the war in the Middle East strains jet fuel supplies and pushes up oil prices. Here’s what to know if your flight is canceled.

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Updated: Yesterday at 6:56 PM CDT

Fadi Al Zein, left, who lost both his homes in Israeli strikes in his village of Khiam and in Dahiyeh, searches through the rubble of his heavily damaged home as a child stands nearby, in Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

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The Latest: Pakistan says US-Iran mediation moving ahead after Trump holds back envoys

The Associated Press 15 minute read Preview

The Latest: Pakistan says US-Iran mediation moving ahead after Trump holds back envoys

The Associated Press 15 minute read Sunday, Apr. 26, 2026

Pakistan's leaders sought Sunday to revive peace talks between the United States and Iran after President Donald Trump canceled plans for his top envoys to travel to Islamabad this weekend for negotiations.

Pakistan-led mediators are working to bridge significant gaps between the U.S. and Iran, according to a regional official involved in the mediation efforts who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter.

Iran still insists on ending the U.S. blockade on its ports before launching a new round of talks with the Trump administration, the official said.

Trump said he told his top envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner not to travel to Pakistan this weekend to negotiate with Iran.

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Sunday, Apr. 26, 2026

Iraqi Muslim women hold portraits of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his son Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, during a protest against U.S. and Israeli attacks on multiple cities across Iran, in Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)

Iran’s top diplomat briefly returns to Pakistan but Trump says the sides can talk by phone

Munir Ahmed, Samy Magdy And Melanie Lidman, The Associated Press 6 minute read Preview

Iran’s top diplomat briefly returns to Pakistan but Trump says the sides can talk by phone

Munir Ahmed, Samy Magdy And Melanie Lidman, The Associated Press 6 minute read Sunday, Apr. 26, 2026

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Iran 's foreign minister briefly visited Islamabad again on Sunday as Pakistan's political and military leadership scrambled to reignite ceasefire negotiations between Tehran and Washington, but U.S. President Donald Trump said they could talk by phone instead.

Abbas Araghchi had left Pakistan’s capital late the previous day, creating confusion around an expected second round of talks there, but he returned before continuing on to Moscow on Sunday, Iranian state media said. He had been in Oman, which previously mediated talks and is on the other side of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

The White House last week said it would dispatch envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Islamabad to follow up on historic face-to-face talks earlier this month. But shortly after Araghchi's departure Saturday, Trump said he had called off the mission because of a lack of progress with Iran.

“If they want, we can talk but we’re not sending people," Trump told Fox News on Sunday. He said earlier on social media: “All they have to do is call!!!”

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Sunday, Apr. 26, 2026

A woman holds an Iranian flag for a pro-government campaign in downtown Tehran, Iran, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Spiritual directors offer solace to those in need

John Longhurst 5 minute read Saturday, Apr. 25, 2026

Does God feel far away? Does your spiritual life feel flat? Is your prayer life unsatisfying? Or maybe things are going well, but you just want to feel closer to God or the divine in your life.

If that describes your situation, you might want to consider meeting with a spiritual director.

Spiritual direction is a practice where a trained guide helps people enter into a deeper relationship with God — however they describe God — in order to grow spiritually. It’s like having a spiritual mentor and companion.

Through spiritual direction, people can become more aware of God’s movement in their lives, and how they can respond to the promptings of the spirit. The goal is not to solve problems, but to hear what God might be saying — in good times, and also in times of crisis.

Ukrainian Catholic Metropolitan set to retire

John Longhurst 5 minute read Preview

Ukrainian Catholic Metropolitan set to retire

John Longhurst 5 minute read Saturday, Apr. 25, 2026

The metropolitan of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Winnipeg has submitted his resignation to Pope Leo XIV.

In a letter sent in January when he turned 75 — the age when Catholic bishops must retire — Lawrence Huculak asked to be released from his responsibilities as leader of Canada’s 200,000 or so Ukrainian Catholics.

“People keep saying to me, ‘I guess this means you are finished,’” he said, adding he will continue in his duties until the Pope formally accepts his resignation and names a replacement. “Until they act on it, it doesn’t take place right away.”

Huculak, who was born in B.C., completed Grade 12 at St. Vladimir’s College in Roblin before entering the Basilian Order in 1969.

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Saturday, Apr. 25, 2026

MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES
Metropolitan Lawrence Huculak of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Canada has informed Pope Leo of his intention to retire. He’ll stay on until the pontiff appoints a replacement.

The Latest: Trump says he called off dispatching envoys to Iran talks

The Associated Press 16 minute read Preview

The Latest: Trump says he called off dispatching envoys to Iran talks

The Associated Press 16 minute read Saturday, Apr. 25, 2026

President Donald Trump says he told top U.S. envoys not to travel to Pakistan to negotiate with Iran, telling Fox News that ″they can call us anytime they want.” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi left Pakistan on Saturday evening, two Pakistani officials told The Associated Press.

Trump said Thursday that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to extend a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah by three weeks after talks at the White House. The meeting was the second high-level negotiation between the two countries since last week. The initial 10-day ceasefire, which took effect last Friday, had been due to expire Monday.

The Trump administration is placing economic sanctions on a major China-based oil refinery and roughly 40 shipping companies and tankers involved in transporting Iranian oil. The move, announced Friday, actualizes the administration’s threat to impose secondary sanctions on entities that do business with Iran, an effort to cut off Iran’s key source of revenue — its oil exports.

Airlines worldwide have begun canceling flights as the war in the Middle East strains jet fuel supplies and pushes up prices. Here’s what to know if your flight is canceled.

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Saturday, Apr. 25, 2026

A container ship is seen in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Qeshm Island, Iran, Saturday, April 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Asghar Besharati)

Talks stumble as Iran’s top diplomat leaves Pakistan and Trump says he told envoys not to go

Munir Ahmed, Samy Magdy And Jon Gambrell, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

Talks stumble as Iran’s top diplomat leaves Pakistan and Trump says he told envoys not to go

Munir Ahmed, Samy Magdy And Jon Gambrell, The Associated Press 5 minute read Saturday, Apr. 25, 2026

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The latest ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran appeared to fail Saturday before they began, as Tehran's top diplomat left Pakistan and President Donald Trump soon afterward said he had told envoys not to travel to Islamabad.

The negotiations were meant to follow historic face-to-face talks earlier this month between the U.S., led by Vice President JD Vance, and Iran, led by parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf. But Iranian officials have questioned how they can trust the U.S. after its forces started blockading Iranian ports in response to Iran's war grip on the Strait of Hormuz waterway.

“If they want to talk, all they have to do is call!!!” Trump said on social media, adding: “Too much time wasted on traveling, too much work!” The White House on Friday said Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would be going to Islamabad.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi left Islamabad on Saturday evening, two Pakistani officials told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

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Saturday, Apr. 25, 2026

A police officer stands to divert traffic on a road barricaded by authorities due to security arrangements for possible second round of talks between the U.S. and Iran, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, April 24, 2026. (AP Photo/M.A. Sheikh)

Crown accused of influencing expert witnesses in case against spiritual leader, wife

Daniela Germano, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Crown accused of influencing expert witnesses in case against spiritual leader, wife

Daniela Germano, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Friday, Apr. 24, 2026

EDMONTON - Lawyers representing a self-styled spiritual leader and his wife say Crown prosecutors in a sexual assault case allegedly convinced two expert witnesses to make their reports more damning before trial.

Charges were stayed last week against Johannes (John) de Ruiter and his wife, Leigh Ann, who faced six charges each of sexual assault and were slated to go to trial in Edmonton in September.

Police have said John de Ruiter is the leader of a group known as the College of Integrated Philosophy or the Oasis Group.

Investigators alleged he told female members that he was directed by a spirit to engage in sexual activity with them and doing so would give them the opportunity to achieve spiritual enlightenment.

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Friday, Apr. 24, 2026

Criminal defence lawyers Matthew Ackerman, left to right, Zachary Al-Khatib and Dino Bottos speak to media outside the Edmonton Law Courts building in Edmonton on Friday, April 24, 2026. The lawyers are representing self-style spiritual leader Johannes (John) de Ruiter and his wife, Leigh Ann, who were facing six counts of sexual assault each before Crown prosecutors stayed the charges last week. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Daniela Germano

Lebanon resident recognizes family crucifix smashed by Israeli soldier in viral image

Sally Abou Aljoud, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Lebanon resident recognizes family crucifix smashed by Israeli soldier in viral image

Sally Abou Aljoud, The Associated Press 4 minute read Friday, Apr. 24, 2026

BEIRUT (AP) — Houssam Naddaf said no words could capture the shock of seeing an Israeli soldier smash a crucifix in his family’s private garden in the southern Lebanese village of Debel — an image he recognized instantly as it spread online.

“I saw it on the internet like everyone else,” he said. Naddaf had not been able to go to the house in person to see the damage because of restrictions on movement imposed by Israeli forces in the area.

Israeli forces took control of the area as part of the latest Israel-Hezbollah war, which began on March 2 when the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group fired a salvo of missiles over the border two days after the U.S. and Israel launched their war on Iran. Israel then launched a ground invasion of southern Lebanon and its forces have remained there despite the announcement of a truce last week.

The images of the soldier swinging an ax into the fallen statue of Jesus on the cross in the southern Lebanese village of Debel had sparked widespread condemnation, in Lebanon and internationally.

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Friday, Apr. 24, 2026

The Apostolic Nuncio to Lebanon Monsignor Paolo Borgia, center, poses with residents next to a crucifix sent by Italy to replace one that was defaced last week by an Israeli soldier in the Christian village of Debel, south Lebanon, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (Houssam Naddaf via AP)

Trump dispatches Witkoff and Kushner to Pakistan for new talks with Iran’s foreign minister

Munir Ahmed, Jon Gambrell And Jamey Keaten, The Associated Press 6 minute read Preview

Trump dispatches Witkoff and Kushner to Pakistan for new talks with Iran’s foreign minister

Munir Ahmed, Jon Gambrell And Jamey Keaten, The Associated Press 6 minute read Friday, Apr. 24, 2026

ISLAMABAD (AP) — President Donald Trump is sending his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan to meet with Iran's foreign minister, the White House said Friday, as officials in the South Asian nation pushed to revive ceasefire talks between the U.S. and Iran.

The talks planned for Saturday come as much of the world is on edge over a war that has snarled crucial energy exports through the Strait of Hormuz, clouded the global economic picture and left thousands dead across the Middle East.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Islamabad late Friday. Earlier on social media, he wrote that he was traveling to Pakistan on a trip focused on “bilateral matters and regional developments.” He didn’t specify who he would meet.

Shortly after Araghchi touched down, the country’s government made it clear there would be no direct negotiations with American government representatives during this visit.

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Friday, Apr. 24, 2026

April 28, 2026

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