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Pope Francis expresses concern about Italy’s low birth rate

Pope Francis on December 11 received the prefects of the Italian Republic in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace and expressed his concern about the low birth rate in the country, lamenting that many times “dogs take the place of children.” The pope reminded that the task of these government authorities is to act […]

Supreme Court rejects challenge to Washington state ‘conversion therapy’ ban

The Supreme Court on December 11 rejected over the objections of three conservative justices a Christian therapist’s free speech challenge to a Washington state ban on so-called conversion therapy aimed at changing a child’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Favored by some conservatives, the widely criticized practice is aimed at encouraging gay or lesbian minors […]

Top cardinal awaits fate as historic Vatican fraud trial ends

A landmark Vatican fraud trial involving a top Italian cardinal and a murky London property deal wrapped up Tuesday after more than two years, with a verdict expected Saturday. Cardinal Angelo Becciu, 75, a former adviser to Pope Francis, became the highest-ranking Catholic Church official to face a Vatican court when proceedings opened in July […]

Devotees remember Venerable Agnelo on his death anniversary

Devotees flocked to shrines dedi-cated to Venerable Agnelo in various places in India on his 96th death anniversary. “Venerable Agnelo is an inspi-ration for Catholics in their journey of faith,” said Cardinal Filipe Neri Cardinal Ferrão, president of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India, in his homily during the co-mmemorative Mass on November 20 […]

Telangana’s “Buffalo-Sister” to strengthen democracy

Frustrated with the pervasive and paralyzing levels of unemployment in the state of Telangana, in southern India, and with no real hope of finding an employment in the near future, Karne Sirisha, a graduate woman, chose to graze buffaloes, and thereby to support her family. At 25, she lives with her mother (who is abandoned […]

Tribal man’s Catholic faith helps him lead dignified life

Ratan Singh Masram does not remember seeing his father, who abandoned his mother a few months after he was born. His mother left him in the care of her parents. Both mother and father remarried and “practically forgot about me,” he says. Masram, a Gond tribal Catholic from central India, works hard as a day […]

The toxic effects of food and fear mongering in Malaysia

A restaurant in Malaysia sacked an employee after a video of him wearing a crucifix at work went viral last Sunday, kicking off a public outcry. The latest mass expression of discontent linked with food could further widen the racial and religious divide in the Muslim-majority Southeast Asian nation. The video of the crucifix-wearing man […]

China’s top patriotic bishop stresses unity, sinicization

Archbishop Joseph Li Shan of Beijing stressed the importance of building unity between Chinese Catholics across the mainland and Hong Kong by promoting Catholic spirituality and evangelization efforts in line with the process of sinicization following his three-day visit to Hong Kong. Sinicization is a process by which religious practice is enculturated into the context […]