According to the World Christian Encyclopedia, there are 19 significant world religions which can be broken into 270 large religious groups and numerous smaller ones. Christianity, including Catholicism and Protestantism, is the most popular one; approximately 33 percent of the global population is Christian. The spiritual leaders of these groups can have a tremendous influence on the lives and beliefs of their followers.
Dalai Lama
Tenzin Gyatso is the 14th Dalai Lama, the head monk Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. He is 79 years old and his reign began on November 17, 1950. After the failed Tibet uprising in 1959, the Dalai Lama fled to Dharamshala, India and has lived there ever since. He has traveled the world advocating for many issues including the rights of the Tibetan people, the environment, women’s equality and nonviolence. In 1989, the Dalai Lama won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Pope Francis
Pope Francis, 78, is the leader of the world’s approximately 1.2 billion Catholics. He was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires on December 17, 1936. Prior to being ordained Pope on March 13, 2013, he was a cardinal. Known for his humility, Pope Francis is credited with helping to revitalize the interest in Catholicism, and the church in general. He has captured the imagination of Catholics and non-Catholics, the young and old, and everyone in between.
Justin Welby
Justin Welby is the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury, the senior cleric and leader of the Church of England. This religious position was originally created in the year 597. Welby served as the Bishop of Durham before being installed as Archbishop in 2013. Prior to studying for ordination, he had a career in the oil industry. Two of Archbishop Welby’s many duties are marrying and crowning British monarchs.
Katharine Jefferts Schori
Katherine Jefferts Schori, 61, is the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church of the United States. She was installed in 2006 and is the first woman to hold the position. Before being named Presiding Bishop, Jefferts Schori was the Bishop of Nevada. She was ordained a priest in 1994 and attended Pacific Church Divinity School. There are close to two million Episcopalians in America.
Prince Shah Karim Al Hussaini Aga Khan (IV)
Prince Shah Karim Al Hussaini Aga Khan is the 49th Imam (spiritual leader) of Nizari Ismailism, which is a denomination of Shia Islam and has approximately 20–30 million followers. Aga Khan is believed to be a direct descendent of the prophet Mohammed. In 1957, he succeeded his grandfather, Sir Sultan Muhammed Shah, Aga Khan III. Aga Khan is a British citizen, businessman and racehorse owner, and has a net worth of approximately $800 million. His position is unique because he does not rule over a defined geographic territory. Some of the causes he supports are the elimination of global poverty, improving the status of women and the preservation of Islamic art and architecture.
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is best known for her day-time talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show, but is also considered a highly influential spiritual leader. While she rarely discusses her own religious views, the uplifting content broadcasted on her former TV program and OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network) is believed to have had a positive impact on the lives of millions of people, particularly women. Super Soul Sunday, which can be viewed on the OWN network, is her latest vehicle for promoting inspirational programming. Winfrey and guests discuss topics in an effort to help people live their best lives. In a testament to her influence, Winfrey was invited by New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani to host a Prayer for America service in Yankee Stadium shortly after the September 11 attacks.
These six people hold a wide variety of religious and spiritual beliefs. They can collectively influence over a billion people with their words and actions.