2015 in religion

This is a timeline of events during the year 2015 which relate to religion.

Events

• 7 January – Islamic terrorists carry out an attack against the Charlie Hebdo newspaper in Paris for publishing a satirical image of Muhammad. Several other Islamic terrorists carry out random attacks in the Île-de-France region over the following days. ^[1]
• 15 January – Pope Francis visits the Philippines. ^[2]
• 19 January – The Eritrean Catholic Church is established as a separate entity from the Ethiopian Catholic Church. ^[3]
• 25 January – The Scientology documentary Going Clear premieres at Sundance, bringing scrutiny to the Church of Scientology. ^[4]
• 14 February – Islamic terrorists carry out several attacks in Copenhagen, Denmark, targeting Lars Vilks at a cultural event and targeting the Great Synagogue. ^[5]
• May – The Islamic State in the Greater Sahara is created by a faction of Al-Mourabitoun declaring its loyalty to the Islamic State. ^[6]
• June – American conversion therapy organization JONAH is ordered to dissolve after being found to be fraudulent. ^[7]
• 18 June – Laudato si' is published as an encyclical by Pope Francis. ^[8]
• 27 June
  • The Dicastery for Communication is created within the Roman Curia of the Catholic Church. ^[9]
  • A white supremacist gunman attacks the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. ^[10]
• 1 July – The First Church of Cannabis is established in Indianapolis, Indiana. ^[11]
• 16 August – Our Lady of Perpetual Exemption is founded for one month by satirist John Oliver as a criticism of prosperity theology. ^[12]
• 11 September – A crane collapses on a crowd preparing for the Hajj. ^[13]
• 19 September – Pope Francis visits Cuba. ^[14]
• 22 September – Pope Francis visits the United States. ^[15]
• 23 September – The Moscow Cathedral Mosque opens in Moscow, Russia, in a ceremony attended by Vladimir Putin, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Mahmoud Abbas. ^[16]
• 24 September
  • The Cathedral of the Holy Martyrs is consecrated in Gyumri, Armenia. ^[17]
  • A crowd crush occurs during the Hajj. ^[18]
• 1 October – The Imam Ali Mosque opens in Copenhagen, Denmark. ^[19]
• 3 December – The Center for Jewish–Christian Understanding and Cooperation publishes To Do the Will of Our Father in Heaven: Toward a Partnership between Jews and Christians. ^[20]
• 8 December – The Catholic Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy begins. ^[21]

Undated

• The Aiyy Faith is registered in Russia.
• The Commonwealth of Pagan Communities of Siberia–Siberian Veche is registered in Russia.
• The Global Confessional and Missional Lutheran Forum is established.
• The Presbyterian Reformed Church in India is founded in South India.
• The Rodnover Confederation is founded in Poland.

References

1. "Charlie Hebdo attack: Three days of terror". BBC News. 7 January 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
2. "Pope Francis arrives in Philippines". The Guardian. 15 January 2015. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2 April 2023.
3. Dipippo, Gregory (20 January 2015). "The Pope Creates a New Sui Juris Church in Eritrea". New Liturgical Movement. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
4. Foundas, Scott (26 January 2015). "Sundance Film Review: 'Going Clear: Scientology & the Prison of Belief'". Variety. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
5. Gargiulo, Susanne; Botelho, Greg; Almasy, Steve (14 February 2015). "Copenhagen attacks: Police kill man during shootout". CNN. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
6. "IntelBrief: ISIS in the Greater Sahara". The Soufan Center. 18 May 2018. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
7. Kasperkevic, Jana (18 December 2015). "'Gay conversion therapy' provider ordered to shut down after lawsuit". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 1 April 2023.
8. "Laudato Si: On Care for our Common Home". USCCB. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
9. "Pope Francis promulgates Motu Proprio instituting the 'Secretariat for Communications'". Vatican Radio. 27 June 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
10. Elliott, Debbie (17 June 2020). "5 Years After Charleston Church Massacre, What Have We Learned?". NPR. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
11. Prisco, Joanna (15 June 2015). "For First Church of Cannabis, Ganja is Godly". ABC News. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
12. Pellot, Brian (18 August 2015). "'Megareverend' John Oliver trolls televangelists with new tax-exempt church". Religion News Service. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
13. "Mecca crane collapse: 107 dead at Saudi Arabia's Grand Mosque". BBC News. 11 September 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
14. Chalasani, Radhika (20 September 2015). "Pope Francis visits Cuba". CBS News. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
15. Collinson, Stephen (22 September 2015). "Pope Francis arrives in U.S. for historic visit". CNN Politics. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
16. MacFarquhar, Neil (23 September 2015). "Putin Opens New Mosque in Moscow Amid Lingering Intolerance". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 1 April 2023.
17. "New Armenian Catholic Church Consecrated in Gyumri". MassisPost. 24 September 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
18. Bucks, Jonathan (23 December 2015). "The Hajj crush: 'It was the closest thing to hell on earth'". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2 April 2023.
19. "Largest Shia mosque opens in Copenhagen". The Local DK. 1 October 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
20. "Doing the Father's will: how Orthodox rabbis see common ground with Christians". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
21. "It's time to rediscover God's mercy, Pope says at Jubilee launch". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 1 April 2023.