Asian

Cardinal Jaime Sin Museum set to open in central Philippines

The Cardinal Jaime Sin Museum will open on September 1, 2024, as announced by the local government of New Washington and the Diocese of Kalibo in the central Philippines. This museum, the first ecclesiastical museum in Western Visayas, will showcase the life and legacy of Cardinal Sin, who played a key role during the 1986 […]

China officially recognizes formerly ‘underground’ bishop, Vatican says

The Vatican announced on August 27 its “satisfaction” that China has officially recognized Bishop Melchior Shi Hongzhen as bishop of Tianjin. “This provision is a positive fruit of the dialogue established over the years between the Holy See and the Chinese government,” reads a Holy See statement released Aug. 27. According to Reuters, 95-year-old Shi […]

Jesuit priest urges global action as Rohingya crisis deepens in Bangladesh

Seven years after over 700,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar to escape violence, escalating tensions and dwindling aid in overcrowded camps threaten their survival. In an AsiaNews report, Father Jerry Gomes, a Jesuit priest and head of Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) programs in Bangladesh,warned that Bangladesh cannot continue to bear the burden alone, urging the international community […]

Singaporean nuns bring hope to conflict-ridden Myanmar

In 2021, a military junta seized power in Myanmar, plunging the country into a state of civil conflict, substantially worsening what was already a difficult humanitarian situation. For several decades, the Canossian Daughters of Charity, a religious congregation with a strong presence in Singapore, have been at work in the country, aiming to build a […]

Pope Francis to open youth education hub in Indonesia during Apostolic Journey

Pope Francis will inaugurate the first regional headquarters of Scholas Occurrentes in Southeast Asia during his visit to Indonesia from Sept. 3 to 6. The global educational project, which started in 2001 under his leadership as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, focuses on engaging youth in education, art, and sports. On September 4, Pope Francis will visit the […]

Seoul paves the way for World Youth Day 2027 with launch event

In celebration of the next World Youth Day (WYD), the Catholic Church in South Korea hosted a grand launch event at the Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul on July 28. The occasion, which drew more than 1,000 young attendees, consisted of various events intended to reflect the theme “Hope Ignites in Seoul. Success for WYD Seoul […]

Pakistan: young Christian widow beaten in the countryside by Muslims after accusing her of blasphemy

A young Christian mother of two in Pakistan ran for her life after being accused of blasphemy before being cornered in a field and beaten by a mob. Saima Farhad Gill, a widow, living in a village, near Gojra, in the Punjab, was saved by police and placed in custody after being charged under Pakistan’s […]

Attacks on two churches foiled a month before the Pope’s visit

A little more than a month before Pope Francis’s visit to Indonesia, two Catholic churches were in the crosshair of Islamic extremists. Densus-88 Polri, the counter-terrorism unit of Indonesia’s national police, foiled suicide attacks against the two places of worship in Malang, East Java. This sends a warning signal ahead of the pontiff’s apostolic journey […]

Salesians elect Maltese priest Fabio Attard as Don Bosco’s 11th successor

Pope Francis does not accept Cardinal Koch’s resignation: could continue at least until anniversary of Council of Nicea