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Priest shot dead after Mass in northern Philippines

A Catholic priest was shot and killed after saying Mass in the northern Philippine town of Gattaran in Cagayan province on April 29. Police said Father Mark Anthony Yuaga Ventura, 37, was shot twice by a lone gunman. The priest was blessing children who attended the Mass while talking to members of the choir when […]

In Iran, Christian converts face 10 year prison sentences

In Iran, conversion to Christianity can be a crime meriting a sentence of more than 10 years imprisonment. Catholic Churches within the country are closely monitored with surveillance cameras to ensure that Muslims do not enter, and religious schools are limited in what they can teach, an Iranian-born journalist, Sohrab Ahmari, explained to CNA. Ahmari […]

Pope asks German bishops to try to find unanimity on Communion question A German Bishop says Pope Francis Has Hinted Support for Intercommunion Proposal

Pope Francis asked the bishops of Germany to continue working together to find broader consensus on guidelines for allowing a Protestant married to a Catholic to receive the Eucharist. “Pope Francis appreciates the ecumenical commitment of the German bishops and asks them to find, in a spirit of ecclesial communion, a result as unanimously as […]

Pittsburgh diocese will see number of parishes drop from 188 to 57

After three years of discussions, Pittsburgh Bishop David A. Zubik said the 188 parishes of the diocese will be placed into 57 groupings that will eventually become new parishes. Bishop Zubik announced the plan on April 28 during a media conference, saying the effort was designed to promote vibrant faith and revitalize parishes. The announcement […]

Henan suppression is ‘systematic and planned’

Concern in Beijing about the growing influence of Christianity triggered a recent escalation of repression against Christians in China’s Henan province, according to a leading Hong Kong academic. The recent crackdown on various Catholic and Protestant communities was the result of more than two years of organization and preparation at provincial, city and country level […]

Mangalore’s age-old harmony caught in crosshairs of communal hate

The beauty of coastal Karnataka is in sharp contrast to its politics. Sparkling back-waters and swaying palms were once witness to a land of religious co-existence. But over the last two decades, this picturesque region has been caught up in the politics of religious polarisation. It was from here the Sangh Parivar first began its […]

Lenin should be buried, Stalin returned to Georgia – Kadyrov

Moscow, April 13, Interfax – A prompt decision needs to be made on the burial of the remains of Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin and on the transfer of the remains of Joseph Stalin to Georgia, Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of Chechnya, said. “If I was asked, I would make this decision today, without waiting until […]

Hindu influence tips India’s scales of justice

For the first time since the British left and India became a free country, its judicial system is being questioned, with opposition and civil society groups accusing the pro-Hindu ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using the judiciary for its own political purposes. On April 21, seven opposition parties led by Congress met Vice-President Muppavarapu […]