From a bird's-eye view high above St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, a stunning photograph shows the estimated 250,000 mourners who gathered for the funeral of Pope Francis. Another photo, taken at sunset from a beach in Uruguay, shows a solitary woman wading knee-deep into the ocean to pay homage to the African sea goddess Yemanja.

The contrasting images — a reverent multitude and a lone believer – epitomize the dazzling diversity of themes and settings depicted by Associated Press photographers in 2025 as they chronicled displays of faith and spirituality around the world.

Among the 30 photos selected for this gallery — out of more than 1,000 reviewed by AP photo editors — several vividly captured the fervor and joy of religious festivals, pilgrimages and parades.

In San Bartolome de

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