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Indian Catholic bishop, nun seek bail in ‘conversion’ case

A Catholic bishop and a nun named in a case under the stringent anti-conversion law have filed anticipatory bail applications against their possible arrest in a central Indian state. Bishop Gerald Almeida of Jabalpur and Sister Liji Joseph, in charge of Asha Kiran (ray of hope) Children’s Care Institute, a home for destitute children filed […]

Japanese Protestant daughter introduces mother to Catholic Church

Kazuko Nabeshima was born 70 years ago in Nomozaki at the southern tip of the Nagasaki Peninsula, a town now part of Nagasaki City. But was “never religious” despite her peninsula housing many churches. She left Nagasaki after graduating from school to take up a job and lived for more than 30 years without any […]

Bible students study China’s Communist Party Congress

Students at a Bible school in China attended a study session on last year’s 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and were urged to pay respect to three Christian figures who became associates of the party, says a report. The Shaanxi Bible School in north-western Shaanxi province, managed by the state-sanctioned Protestant […]

Poverty, hunger drive suicides in North Korea

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered local authorities to take suicide prevention measures after various media re-ports revealed families committed suicide due to hunger and poverty. Kim officially defined suicide as an “act of treason against socialism” and issued a confidential suicide prevention order during emergency meetings of the party leaders all over […]

Indonesia to relax building rules for worship Places

The Indonesian government has decided to ease rules for building houses of worship, including churches, by initiating changes to a 17-year-old decree, considered a major barrier to such plans. Religion Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas told law-makers on June 5 that the Joint Ministerial Decree of 2006 will be revised, doing away with the need […]

Chinese Christians jailed for printing religious materials

A court in China’s Shandong province handed down jail terms to a pastor and a co-worker of an independent house church for alleged “illegal business operations.” Pastor Qin Sifeng and co-worker Su Minjun of Beijing Lampstand Church were sentenced to five and a half years, and three and half years respectively, ChinaAid reported on June […]

Corpus Christi procession in Valencia, Spain, continues to catechize

Year after year, the feast of Corpus Christi brings whole neighborhoods to the streets in Spain, with some enterprising families chaining lawn chairs to prominent viewing spots days in advance. This year was no different, with the procession lasting for hours and civic and religious leaders, as well as representatives of various religious groups, taking […]

Asian Church voices concern over shrinking democratic spaces

A weeklong conference of Asian Church leaders has ex-pressed concern over shrinking democratic spaces in several countries in the region. The June 5-10 conference at Marian Pilgrim Centre Bai Dau in the Vang Tau City of Vietnam regretted that the rulers in those countries have become totalitarian, violating their citizens’ basic rights and instilling fear […]