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Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine: Light of Christmas stronger than bombardments

“The light of Christmas is so intense and so great that it rises above all difficulties, above any aggression and any bombing.” The Apostolic Nuncio in Ukraine, Visvaldas Kulbokas, offered this reflection after the Christmas Eve Mass at the Latin Cathedral in Kharkiv, where he stood alongside the Pope’s almoner, Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, who serves […]

330,000 people in need receive Christmas lunch around the world

For 80,000 people in Italy and 250,000 others around the world, Christmas Day lunch was prepared by the Community of Sant’Egidio and the Italian police, the Carabinieri. This year, the police delivered presents for the children and desserts for the meals organized around Rome. On the first full day of the Jubilee Year of Hope, […]

From Shanghai to Filipino prisons the Churches of Asia open the Jubilee

All the dioceses of the world are now experiencing the local opening of the Holy Year 2025, which by the will of Pope Francis has as its theme “Pilgrims of hope”. The celebration is also involving many Churches in Asia with significant gestures. In Shanghai, the opening Mass of the Holy Year was presided over […]

Cardinal Bo bids farewell: ‘We have forged a legacy’

Myanmar’s Cardinal Charles Maung Bo of Yangon has issued a farewell message as he concludes his second three-year term as the President of the Federation of the Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC), saying he is “filled with profound gratitude and humility.” “Our journey together,” he reflected, “has been one of profound growth, learning, and shared commitment […]

Sri Lankan cardinal mandates male-only altar servers in Colombo Archdiocese

Sri Lankan Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith has mandated that girls are not permitted to serve as altar servers in parishes within the Archdiocese of Colombo. “No girls should be invited to serve at the altar, as altar servers, in the archdiocese,” Ranjith wrote in an October 22 letter to parish priests that was made public in […]

Aleppo parish priest: Christmas of hope, amid packed churches and no incidents

A ‘very peculiar’ Christmas amid ‘reassurances’ from the new authorities that the faithful will be able to ‘continue to practise’ and episodes of sectarian violence in the days leading up to the holiday. Despite fears and uncertainties, Syrian Christians participated in the celebrations, as emerges from the account given to AsiaNews by Fr Bahjat Karakach, […]

Christmas Eve arson attack on Tripura Christian’s homes

A fire engulfed the houses of 17 Christian families of the Tripura ethnic group in the area of Sarai Tangojhiri, in the upazila lama of Bandarban, in southeastern Bangladesh, late in the evening of 24 December. The villagers claim that the fire was an act of arson, possibly related to extortion demands made earlier by […]

Indian Christians witnessed increased hostility in 2024

Christians in India will look upon 2024 as a year that challenged their faith and resilience with increased hostility, internal conflicts, scandals, power struggles, and natural cala-mities. Attacks against and harassment of Christians swelled this year amid growing hostility, particularly against those in remote villages of Hindu-dominated northern states, Christian leaders say. January through Sept-ember, […]