Login      Register  
Subscription

Church leaders oppose changes to Indian state’s forest laws

Catholic bishops of the Eastern rite Syro-Malabar Church have opposed changes to the forest law in southern Kerala state, saying the move could harm farmers amid a rising man-animal conflict. The Communist-led government has proposed amending the Kerala Forest Act of 1961 purportedly to suit current social needs and help better forest conservation. The amendments […]

Indian court hands burial ground back to Christians

A district authority in Maharashtra state in western India has been ordered to take back land encroached upon by a state minister and designate it as a multi-faith burial ground as per a directive the authority made eight years ago. Last week, the Bombay High Court ordered the Thane Municipal Corporation “to secure the land from illegal encroachment.” The […]

Archbishop Mar Joseph Pamplany Appointed Vicar of the Major Archbishop for the Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly

His Beatitude Mar Raphael Thattil, the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church and the Metro-politan Archbishop of Emakulam-Angamaly, appointed Archbishop Mar Joseph Pamplany as the Vicar of the Major Archbishop for the Archeparchy of Emakulam-Angamaly on January 11, 2025. This appoint-ment was made following the First Session of the XXXIII Synod of Bishops of the […]

Mumbai musicians release youth anthem for 2025 Jubilee

A group of musicians from Mum-bai has launched an album featuring 15 songs to mark the 2025th year of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. The collection, titled “Jubilate Jesus 2025,” released on December 31, 2024, is an initiative by Tej-Prasarini, the media production house of the Mumbai Salesian province. The project was coordinated by […]

New church in Jordan reflects national desire for closer ties with Christendom

The Jan. 10 inauguration of a vast church on the very spot where Jesus Christ was baptized by St. John the Baptist in the Jordan River was an event of significant symbolic importance, both spiritually and diplomatically. It also reflected the Hashemite kingdom’s determination to establish itself as an essential stop-off point for pilgrims to […]

Pope Francis’ 2024 travels: historic visits to Southeast Asia, Oceania, Belgium, and Corsica

Despite health challenges that led to a cancelled trip to Dubai for COP28, Pope Francis maintained an ambitious travel schedule in 2024 that saw him draw large crowds in Asia and make his first-ever visit to Corsica as well as visiting Belgium and Luxembourg. The now-88-year-old pontiff’s longest apostolic journey was the 12-day tour of […]

Priestly vocations are up in Burkina Faso despite Islamic terrorism

Despite constant terrorist attacks suffered by Catholics in Burkina Faso from Islamic fundamentalists, vocations to the priesthood have increased in recent years, especially in dioceses located in “danger zones.” Nearly 40% of seminarians come from these localities, which are the most affected by terrorism and violence. According to the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church […]

German bishops join mourning after Christmas market attack

The president of the German Bishops’ Conference and the Bishop of Magdeburg expressed their shock and offered prayers after a car attack at a Christmas market in eastern Germany on Friday, December 20 left five people dead and more than 200 injured. Bishop Georg Bätzing of Limburg, the conference presi-dent, said the “attack in Magde-burg […]