Iraqi Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako says Israel’s attempted “regime change” strategy in Iran could “only worsen the situation” in the Middle East, where a US-brokered ceasefire has paused hostilities between Israel and Iran. The patriarch of the Chaldean Church in Iraq recalled Iraq’s bitter experience with the regime change and the US-led invasion during an interview with the Vatican’s Fides news service.
Regime change “is a matter for the citizens of the country” to decide, Sako said according to a June 25 Fides report. Sako said that Iraqi people, including the Christian community, suffered heavy losses in the past, and they feared that another war would only destroy the fragile peace.
“What has happened is sad. We have all experienced difficult moments of worry and fear. The world has lost its international order. Now we must regain common sense and reject the discourse of hatred, violence, and war.” “It is a pity if we destroy life and what has been built. Peace is a gift; we must welcome it and preserve it with enthusiasm, making the defense of peace an authentic life commitment,” Sako noted.
The cardinal said Israel’s military actions to weaken the Iranian regime were flawed from the beginning, recalling the experience of the Iraqis. “The sovereignty of countries must be respected, and problems should be resolved through sincere and courageous dialogue. Regime change is a matter for the citizens of a country. Imposing another regime would only worsen the situation,” he said. “Change must come from within if the citizens deem it necessary. Twenty-two years after the fall of the regime in Iraq, there is still no true citizenship, no law, no security, and no stability. Corruption and sectarianism persist,” he insisted. Despite the hardships and persecution faced by Iraqi Christians, they remain hopeful about the future, Sako said.

A little-known Sunni Muslim extremist group claimed responsibility on June 24 for a weekend suicide attack against a church in Damascus, while the Syrian government insisted they were part of the Islamic State group.
The June 22 attack killed 25 people and wounded dozens, striking terror into Syria’s Christian community and other minorities. A statement from Saraya Ansar al-Sunna said an operative “blew up the Saint Elias church in the Dwelaa neighbourhood of Damascus,” adding that it came after an unspecified “provocation.”
Syria’s Islamist authorities, who took power after ousting long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad in December, had quickly blamed the attack on the Islamic State group and announced several arrests on June 23 in a security operation against IS-affiliated cells.
IS did not claim responsibility for the attack. The Saraya Ansar al-Sunna statement, on the messaging app Telegram, said the government’s version of events was “untrue, fabricated.” The spokesman for the interior ministry, Nureddine al-Baba, said during a press conference on June 24 that the cell behind the attack “officially follows Daesh,” adding that Saraya Ansar al-Sunna was “not independent… as it follows Daesh.” Daesh is the Arabic acronym for IS.
At the funeral of some of those killed in Damascus’s Holy Cross Church, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East John X called the attack an “unacceptable incident.” Addressing Sharaa, the patriarch said, “The heinous crime that took place at Mar Elias Church is the first massacre of its kind in Syria since 1860,” referring to the mass killings of Christians in Damascus under the Ottoman Empire. “We refuse for these events to take place during the revolution and during your honourable era.”

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan, as “the only bishops from a country to have suffered atomic bombings in war,” is urging the international community to abolish nuclear weapons once and for all in 2025.
“As we mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II,” the bishops wrote in a June 20 statement, “[we] carry deeply engraved in our hearts the heavy history and pain that atomic bomb survivors and citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have suffered, and hereby declare our strong commitment to the abolition of nuclear weapons.”
Hiroshima is the site of the world’s first atomic attack on Aug. 6, 1945, while Nagasaki was bombed three days later. The bombings resulted in the estimated deaths of 140,000 people in Hiroshima and 74,000 people in Nagasaki by the end of 1945 alone.
In the years that followed, many of the survivors in Japan faced leukemia, cancers, and other terrible side effects from radiation, according to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.
In their “Declaration on the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons 2025,” the bishops of Japan pledged their commitment to “convey the reality of the atomic bombings to the world and declare the inhumanity of nuclear weapons” as well as to “stand in solidarity with domestic and international movements for the abolition of nuclear weapons and promote actions to achieve this goal.” The statement came amid rising tensions in the Middle East over Iran’s growing nuclear capabilities.
The bishops pointed out that many still suffer the aftereffects of the bombings and that the environmental destruction caused by the explosions has continued to have “an enormous negative impact on global ecosystems.”
The bishops further slammed nuclear deterrence as an “ineffective” tactic. “The concept of nuclear deterrence is not only an ineffective means of resolving conflicts, but it also plunges the world into a ‘security dilemma’ that in reality pushes the world toward the brink of nuclear war. We cannot tolerate this kind of thinking,” they wrote.

More than a thousand faithful gathered at the Myeongdong Cathedral for the annual “Day of Prayer for the Reconciliation and Unity of the Korean People,” an observance held by the Korean Church on the Sunday nearest June 25—the anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War.
In his homily, Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick of Seoul said the prolonged division between North and South Korea has fuelled hostility and estrangement. “North and South have lived divided for over 80 years, nurturing hatred and animosity amid constant tension and confrontation,” he said. “In the South, indifference is growing, with people asking, ‘Why should we concern ourselves with the North?’ But we are one Korean people,” the prelate added. The Archbishop called on Catholics to take the first step toward reconciliation, citing the example of Jesus. “To overcome conflict and division, we must be the ones to reach out first, just as Jesus told us, ‘You give them something to eat,’” he said.
Archbishop Chung pointed to a recent development in inter-Korean relations, highlighting the mutual suspension of loudspeaker broadcasts along the border. He described the move as a modest yet significant step that helped ease long-standing tensions and created space for reimagining future ties between the two Koreas. He urged the faithful to begin the work of peace by abandoning animosity. He said peace on the Korean Peninsula and a new relationship between North and South “must begin by laying down hostility and hatred.”
Later in the day, the Archdiocese held a symposium at the Myeongdong Cathedral Spirituality Centre to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Reconciliation Committee, which was established in 1995 by the late Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan.

Filipino Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David has denounced online gambling as the cause of “a new mental health crisis” in the Philippines. David, the 66-year-old bishop of the Diocese of Kalookan, attributed the problem to recycled hardware from now-outlawed Chinese gaming operators in the country.
In a Facebook post, Cardinal David shared an Inquirer newspaper editorial titled “Online Gambling and Broken Lives,” and said he was “calling attention to a new mental health crisis plaguing our country today”. The problem, said the cardinal, involved “fully legalized online gambling platforms using the recycled digital hardware of outlawed POGOs, short for Philippine offshore gaming operators, owned by licensed casino operators.”
POGOs are controversial gambling firms that were mostly owned by the Chinese and linked to human trafficking and other crimes. POGOS, which boomed during the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte, have been banned by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., but are said to have resurrected in other forms.
Taking over from POGOs, online gambling is “now victimising not foreigners, but our own people, made available 24/7 online, more lucrative than traditional casinos, promoted by paid celebrities, accessible to Filipinos of all age levels, totally unregulated,” said David.
It is “wrecking the lives of poor people who get addicted to it”. “Jesus once warned those who cause the ‘little ones’ in society to stumble: ‘It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea’ (Luke 17:2),” said Cardinal David, the president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.

It is with regret that we observe in these last few hours, once again, that peace is sought through preventive attacks instead of committing to dialogue around the negotiating table,’ writes Cardinal Dominique Joseph Mathieu, Archbishop of Tehran-Ispahan of the Latins, to AsiaNews.
The prelate’s comments come in the wake of Israel’s night-time attack on Iran and Tehran’s subsequent response. The Jewish state claims to have struck Iranian nuclear sites, as well as leading military and scientific figures, including the head of the Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Salami, as part of Operation Rising Lion. Tehran responded by launching a hundred drones against the Jewish state. ‘We pray,’ the cardinal continued, “that peace through dialogue based on a consensus will prevail. May the Holy Spirit guide this process,” as negotiations in Oman between the United States and Iran for a nuclear agreement appear to be faltering. This morning, in fact, Tehran announced that it will not participate in the sixth round of talks.
Cardinal Mathieu is deeply concerned at this time of great regional and global tension, because the much-feared escalation that risks dragging the entire Middle East into a devastating conflict seems to be materialising.
Speaking of ‘the cross and hope,’ the cardinal emphasised the two distinctive traits of the Christian community in Iran, which had a ‘strong bond’ with Pope Francis, whose death was ‘a profound sorrow’ and which today looks with confidence to his successor, Leo XIV. ‘Among Iranian Catholics,’ he continued, ‘there is great hope, combined with incredible anticipation.’ The current Jubilee Year is also being lived in this perspective, ‘which is why we can say that we are full of hope.’
Cardinal Mathieu recalls the importance of Pope Francis’ pontificate, including in relations with the Muslim world and the Iranian authorities, describing him as the pontiff who ‘opened many doors’ and now ‘the time has come to organise the space behind these doors’.

To celebrate the conclu-sion of the Marian month of May, over 10,000 people from the various parishes and co-mmunities in the diocese of Da Nang–spanning more than 10,000 square kilo-meters – made a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Tra Kieu. According to the Vatican’s Fides news agency, the Marian Shrine commemorates an apparition of the Virgin Mary 140 years ago. Local tradition holds that Mary appeared to console, encourage, and help her children in times of difficulty.
Pilgrims took part in the journey on the Solemnity of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary, which Archbishop Joseph Dang Duc, Coadjutor of the Archdiocese of Hue, described as “an event of love, faith, commitment, and service, an opportunity to profess one’s faith in the face of the challenges of the present time.” Abp Dang Duc described the pilgrimage to the Marian shrine of Tra Kieu as “not only an individual act, but a communal act to renew our vocation and mission, since we are all the people of God and we are all walking together in faith, in love, toward evangelization.” The Diocese of Da Nang has long been considered the cradle of Catholicism in southern Vietnam as it has roots to three Jesuit missionaries who arrived in Hoi An in 1615 to evangelize. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the diocese of Da Nang was one of the main centers of the diocese of Cochinchina in southern Vietnam as a place from where missionaries departed. Vietnam now has their first martyr, Blessed Andrew of Phu Yen, a catechist beatified by Pope St. John Paul II.

Catholic business leaders from Thailand and the Philippines gathered at the Baan Phu Waan Pastoral Training Centre on June 7–8 for the inaugural session of the Catholic Business Wisdom Enhancement Program, a new formation initiative aimed at aligning business leadership with Christian values. Organized by the Catholic Business Executives and Profe-ssionals (CBEP) in Thailand and the Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals (BCBP) in the Philippines, the program is part of a broader collaboration under UNIAPAC, the International Christian Union of Business Executives. The network represents over 45,000 executives from 38 countries and promotes faith-driven leadership across global markets. The CBEP Academy is designed as a spiritual and ethical roadmap for business, emphasi-zing discernment, responsible ste-wardship, and the understanding of work as a vocation. In the Philippines, the initiative has already reached more than 20,000 BCBP members.
“Work is not a consequence of sin, it is part of God’s plan,” said Bobby Lavina, chairman of Phinma Foundation Inc., during one of the sessions. He said work is “a noble thing and part of what it means to be human.” He challenged participants to reflect on the moral dimensions of modern business practice. ”What is the greatest challenge in your opinion to make the way business is done now reflect more the face of Christ?” he asked. Joey Avellana, president of Avellana & Associates, echoed this spiritual framing. He said God Himself “is a worker… the first worker.” “Because God created man in His own image, therefore God created man as a worker. We are God’s coworkers. We are God’s co-creators,” he added.

The ongoing humanitarian emergency in Myanmar is being compounded by devastating floods in the north of the country, accor-ding to the Vatican’s Fides news agency, which is operated by the Pontifical Mission Societies. The flooding came as a result of roughly a week of intense rains that espe-cially affected Myanmar’s Saga-ing region and Kachin State, leading to further suffering for the nation’s civilian population, which has already been extremely tried by the ongoing civil conflict.
The Sagaing region had already been under severe strain following the March 28 earth-quake, which killed more than 3,700 people, displaced thousands of others, and caused immense damage to homes and infrastru-cture. Meanwhile, Reuters is reporting that Myanmar’s ruling military junta said it has extended a temporary ceasefire to June to support reconstruction and relief efforts following the quake.
Days after that natural disa-ster, in early April, the junta announced a ceasefire to support relief efforts, following similar moves by anti-junta armed groups. In addition, the opposition groups have also extended their ceasefire to the end of June. Despite the ceasefire announcement, the agency reports, military airstrikes and artillery attacks have conti-nued in some parts of the country.
A new report issued by the United Nations High Commi-ssioner for Human Rights, cited by Fides, confirms the worsening humanitarian crisis in Myanmar, especially due to military viol-ence and the collapsed economy. Set to be presented at the next session of the UN Human Rights Council in early July, the document calls the situation “increasingly catastrophic, marked by incessant atrocities that have affected all aspects of life.” Moreover, it details how the economic plight is compo-unding the nation’s emergency.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB), in collaboration with CGIAR and with the support of the Gates Found-ation (the private American foundation founded by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates) launched a project to boost investments in sustainable rice production.
The initiative includes an initial allocation of US$ 1.5 billion to the Asia-Pacific region, shared between Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Pakistan and the Philippines. The plan is part of a broader plan, announced in May, to mobilise US$ 40 billion by 2030.
The goal is to make the rice sector more resilient to climate shocks, thanks to more efficient cultivation methods that increase productivity while reducing environmental footprint.
Rice, a staple in the Asian diet, is now at the centre of a heated debate in many parts of the region. In the Philippines, the government has declared a state of “food security emergency” to deal with soaring prices, while in Indonesia, more and more land is being allocated to rice.
In Japan, the authorities are grappling with a major crisis that has had serious political repercussions. The drastic drop in harvest yields is one of the main causes of the emergency in the wake of excessively high temperatures recorded in the summer of 2023.