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Restive Indian state lifts internet blackout

Internet was restored in India’s conflict-torn northeastern state of Manipur on Dec. 9, weeks after a blackout was ordered to contain deadly ethnic violence and clashes between protesters and police. Ethnic clashes broke out in Manipur last year between the predominantly Hindu Meitei majority and the mainly Christian Kuki community, killing more than 250 people. […]

NLFRP to help victims of anti-conversion laws, atrocities

More than 100 priests, brothers and nuns who practice law have resolved to reach out to those affected by anti-conversion laws and anti-minority atrocities. The National Lawyers Forum of Religious and Priests (NLFRP) that held its Dece-mber 6-8 convention at Eluru in Andhra Pradesh has also formed three high-power committees to deal with such cases. […]

Indian Catholics strive to protect Portuguese heritage church

Catholics have sought the resto-ration and protection of a 16th-century Portuguese-era church in a western Indian state after it was reportedly struck down in the new development plan by the local urban body. The Our Lady of Mercy Church was built by Portuguese Jesuits in 1562 at Thane in Maharashtra. “When we went through the […]

Thousands flock to Christmas music festival in India

Thousands of people cutting across religious affiliations have taken part in an annual Christmas music festival in India’s commercial capital Mumbai. Catholic parishes and members of the Methodist Church and the Church of North India participated in the Prabhu Yeshu Janmotsav (Lord Jesus’s Birthday) festival on the evening of Dec. 8. “In its 59th year, […]

Archbishop of Tokyo: An aging society like Japan’s will not be able to survive

Archbishop Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi of Tokyo, who will be installed as a cardinal on Dec. 7, spoke to the Vatican new agency Fides about the present and future state of the country. The archbishop said that “an aging society like Japan’s will not be able to survive,” pointing to the dangers of the country’s demographic […]

Bishops reaffirm solidarity with Filipino migrants on death row

Bishop Ruperto Santos of Antipolo, the vice-chairman of the Philippine Bishops’ Commi-ssion on Migrants and Itinerant People, said that the Church is in solidarity with Filipino convicts abroad, Radio Veritas Asia (RVA) reported on Saturday. “We continue to advocate for your rights and seek justice on your behalf,” Bishop Santos said in a message broadcast […]

More violence in Dhaka: Catholic school closed and Hindu leader arrested

St Gregory’s High School & Co-llege, a historic Catholic educational establishment in Dhaka founded in 1882. Located in the old city, it has closed its doors indefinitely after it was damaged from recent violence involving thousands of students, with at least a hundred injured, plus wi-despread destruction of its facilities. At the same time, a […]

Korean, Japanese Catholics honour 17th-century martyrs

Catholics from South Korea and Japan have jointly marked the 400th anniversary of the martyrdom of two Catholics who were martyred for their faith in Japan. Catholics from the Archdiocese of Daegu in Korea and the Archdiocese of Nagasaki in Japan joined the ceremony to honour Blessed Kaiyo and martyr Diego Koichi, at the St. […]