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More French Catholics officially renouncing their faith

Requests to officially renounce the Catholic faith, known traditionally as apostasy, have been on the rise in France, a sample survey by La Croixconfirms. And the survey suggests that the practice is linked to publicity over controversial issues such as clerical sex abuse. But the numbers involved are relatively small compared to some media reports […]

Franco Zeffirelli, enigmatic Catholic director of operas and film, dies

Franco Zeffirelli, the famed film director and film, television and opera producer, died on June 15, 2019, in Rome at the age of 96. He was born out of wedlock near Florence, Italy, in 1923. His mother, a widow, was not able to give him her married surname or that of his father, so she […]

Church fights changes to Hong Kong’s extradition law

The Hong Kong government’s determination to pass a bill amending its controversial extradition law has compelled Christian communities to express their concern in a series of statements. Officially known as the Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance, the law would allow people from the former British colony to be sent to […]

Manila tour promotes closer Muslim-Christian ties

Quiapo district in the Philippine capital Manila has always been a hub of commerce and a centre of piety among Filipino Catholics. It is home to shops that offer low prices and to the centuries-old image of the Black Nazarene, which is housed in a church in the middle of a busy marketplace. Unbeknown to […]

Vietnamese Catholics share Jesus’ love with the poor

Lovers of the Holy Cross Sister Anna Tran Thi Hien and four other nuns get up at 3.30 a.m. and prepare breakfast for hospital patients. They provide chao (rice cooked with meat or fish) for hundreds of poor patients and their relatives at a public hospital in Dong Ha city in Quang Tri province. They […]

Cardinal Tagle Asks Students not to Bully

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila has asked the students to never bully others or allow bullying to happen in their schools or anywhere near them. In his homily during the Mass of the Holy Spirit at the Manila Cathedral, he noted ton on June 19, 2019, the growing phenomenon of bullying, especially online. “Gossiping, […]

Christians face more persecution in Modi’s India

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi starting his second term after leading his pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to victory in India’s recent election, complaints of violence are growing from the country’s persecuted Christians. Christians face a new wave of threats from Hindu groups after the BJP retained its grip on power in May. “A second […]

Let’s stand up for defence of religious freedom for all: Pompeo

US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo on June 26 pitched for the “defence of religious freedom for all,” days after a report published by his ministry made critical remarks over the status of minorities in India. At the same time, he hailed the rule of law prevailing in India, like in the US, and said […]