Login      Register  
Subscription

Myanmar bishops appeal for humanitarian assistance

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Myanmar has issued a statement last week calling for humanitarian assistance to thou-sands of people who have been displaced by the ongoing conflict in the country. In a letter of appeal released on Jan. 14, the Church leaders called on “all concerned” to facilitate “humanitarian access to suffering and internally […]

Vatican official launches nunciature in Abu Dhabi

The opening of a new apostolic nunciature in the United Arab Emirates is a testament to fraternity and goodwill between Muslims and Christians, said Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra. Speaking at the inaugural ceremony in Abu Dhabi Feb. 4, Archbishop Peña, the substitute secretary for general affairs in the Vatican Secretariat of State, said the new […]

Synodal process: Indian laity group pleads for extension

A laity group in India has urged the Vatican to extend the primary synthesis stage of the Rome Synod for another three more months. “The third wave of corona pandemic is sweeping across the world. As such it is impossible for people to travel or organize physical gatherings, so critical to discerning God’s will for […]

Pope appoints new archbishop of Trivandrum

Pope Francis on Feb. 2 appointed Msgr Thomas J Netto as the new head of the Trivandrum Latin rite Archdiocese. The Pope has also accepted the resignation of Archbishop M Calist Soosa Pakiam, who headed the archdiocese since February 2, 1990. These details were made public at noon time in Rome, says a press release […]

Priest musician, Siddha practitioner dies

Father A. Pitchaimuthu, a practitioner of Siddha medicine famous for composing the Catholic liturgy in folk style, died January 30 in Tamil Nadu, southern India. He was 82. The death of the priest, who was also an educationist, occurred at 5:30 am in Viruthachalam town in Cuddalore district, some 225 km southwest of Chennai, the […]

Minorities support former VP’s views on India

Indian minorities have come out in support of former vice president Hamid Ansari, who is being criticized for his brief statement expressing concern over the rising trend of Hindu nationalism in the country. Ansari was speaking at a virtual panel discussion on Jan. 27 organized by the US-based Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) and is […]

Kerala bishop arrested for “illegal” sand mining in Tamil Nadu

A Catholic bishop and five priests from Kerala, southern India, have been arrested on charges of illegal sand mining in the neighboring state of Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli district court has remanded all the six in judicial custody, but Bishop Samuel Mar Irenios Kaattukallil of Pathanamthitta and Father Jose Chamakala were admitted to the […]

Religious repression in Hong Kong could soon worsen, Christian cleric warns

Speaking anonymously during an online discussion, a Christian cleric in Hong Kong said he thinks it is likely that greater repression by the Chinese government of religious freedom in Hong Kong, particularly the freedom of religious schools, is about to occur. The cleric, identified only as Reverend L, told the Hudson Institute’s Nina Shea on […]