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.
