Episcopalians, Catholics and several other religions have been specifically setting aside dates for annual pet blessings. As humans find comfort in their pets, especially those who have lost their loved ones (i. e. , spouses, children and so forth), they also want their pets to be blessed by their religious affiliation. This brings humans an additional comfort as their religion recognizes the bond between themselves and their pets.

Indonesian police have cordoned off a banyan tree after a Muslim youth group attacked the tree to challenge its alleged mystical powers. Reuters quotes Susi Marsitawati, of Jakarta's park agency, as saying that, "The city government tried hard not to cut the tree when we built a bus lane. It is more than 100 years old and it is important for the environment. "

The Roman Catholic Church has expressed a serious need for Polish priests to serve the hundreds of thousands of Poles who have been flocking to Britain since Poland gained admission into the European Union. Monsignor Tadeusz Kukla, the Vicar Delegate for Poles in England and Wales, told Reuters, "There are over 500,000 Poles working in Britain. We encourage them to integrate but we want to preserve their religion and culture. Once they lose their identity, they lose everything. "

An American woman entered a "Miss Bikini" pageant in China as an unauthorized representative of Pakistan, a conservative Muslim country. Mariyah Moten, 22, won "Best in Media" at the pageant for being the most photographed and interviewed contestant. A government official says the Houston resident did not have permission to represent Pakistan. The country does not hold beauty contests, and many women only go out with veils covering them.

Prosecutors in Poland, where Catholicism is the dominant religion, are asking priests to read the names of people who drink and drive from the pulpit. There is a high death rate from drunk driving in the country, and prosecutors think that public shaming may cut the rate down. Rafal Grabia, a prosecutor in the mountain town of Zywiec in southern Poland, tells Reuters, "We post the names of convicted drunk drivers at town halls. But who reads that? The information is not reaching family, friends and neighbors. "