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Father Earl Fernandes, son of immigrants from India, named next bishop of Columbus, Ohio

Father Earl K. Fernandes says that when he was growing up in Toledo, Ohio, his mother used to pray that he’d become “a good boy, a tall boy, and a doctor like my dad.” God had other plans for his profession. On April 2nd, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis has appointed the 49-year-old Cincinnati […]

Culture of service should replace clericalism, says Indian theologian

Clericalism, which Pope Francis calls “a perversion of the priesthood,” operates also among some Catholic priests and bishops in India, says a Jesuit moral theologian. Clericalism is largely center-ed on one’s access to power and wealth in the Church, which in turn gives some priests and bi-shop the taken-for-granted immunity, explains Father Stanislaus Alla, professor […]

Missionaries of Charity’s new leader to continue original charism

Sister Mary Joseph, the newly elected superior general of the Missionaries of Charity, says her global congregation will continue its original mission of serving the poorest of the poor, despite numerous hurdles. She also asserts that religious conversion is not their agenda as alleged by some hardliners. Sister Joseph cannot speak for a long time […]

Burmese soldiers invade Catholic cathedral, detain archbishop

Approximately 40 Burmese soldiers forcibly took control of a Catholic cathedral in Mandalay prior to a Lenten prayer service on April 8 and detained an Archbishop and dozens of other worshippers, including a correspondent for CNA. The soldiers entered Sacred Heart Cathedral at 2:30 p.m. local time April 8 and refused to allow worshipers to […]

Bishops tell Filipinos not to gamble with nation’s future

Philippine Bishops have urged voters not to gamble with the country’s future in national elections in May by voting for corrupt and incompetent candidates. Their call came as senior Catholic officials, together with religious congregations and lay-people, gathered in Manila on April 6 for a solidarity Mass on the Catholic Church’s role in the polls. […]

Sri Lanka urged to respect people’s right to protest

A global civil society alliance has expressed serious concern over Sri Lanka’s clampdown on civic space and urged the government to release those detained arbitrarily and investigate and punish abuses by security forces. “We urge the government to refrain from deploying violence against protesters and instead respect and protect people’s rights to peaceful protest,” said […]

Myanmar Buddhist finds Christ after fleeing conflict

When Buddhist San Shwe Mya’s uncle, a Christian, tried to speak about Jesus Christ, he was annoyed and paid little attention. “I told my uncle he couldn’t persuade me to convert to Christianity as I had no interest in it,” San Shwe recalled. Living in a remote village in western Myanmar’s Rakhine state, work was the first […]

Prevent Sri Lanka becoming failed state: Bishops

As Sri Lanka continues to sink hopelessly into the worst economic crisis in memory, the country’s Catholic Bishops are calling for unity among politicians to save the nation from becoming a failed state. The country of some 22 million is facing its worst economic nightmare since its independence, with foreign exchange reserves falling abysmally by […]