Pope Benedict XVI said Thursday there are growing signs of religious freedom in Cuba and that there is an opportunity for reconciliation between the communist nation and the United States. Welcoming Havana's new ambassador to the Vatican, Benedict also expressed sympathy for Cuba's suffering during ...

The Obama administration on Monday came out strongly against efforts by Islamic nations to bar the defamation of religions, saying the moves would restrict free speech. "Some claim that the best way to protect the freedom of religion is to implement so-called anti-defamation policies that would restrict freedom of expression ...

A religious freedom watchdog Wednesday urged US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to discuss repression in Iran during upcoming talks on its controversial nuclear program. "It is vitally important that Iran be called to account for its deplorable human rights record, including egregious violations of religious freedom," the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) wrote in a letter to ...

More than 80 percent of Israeli Jews support freedom of religion, but a majority of ultra-Orthodox Jews reject it, according to an opinion poll published on Monday. A total of 83 percent of the Jewish population say freedom of religion and conscience must be upheld and 60 percent support the separation of religion and state, the results showed. Support for ...