During Sunday Mass (February 23) at the Manila Cathedral for the 2025 Walk for Life, Cardinal Jose Advincula of the Archdiocese of Manila emphasized the sacredness of life and the responsibility that comes with it. “Let us continue marching and proclaiming that life is beautiful, that it is an undeserved gift, and that it is also a task and a responsibility to uphold and protect,” he said in his homily.
The archbishop of Manila, the capital of the Philippines, spoke out against various threats to human dignity, including abortion, the commodification of sex, and what he described as the “manipulation of human procreation.” He strongly condemned euthanasia, referring to it as “mercy killing” and calling it “morally indefensible.” Furthermore, he reiterated that extrajudicial killings are “evil” and go against the dignity of human life.
This year’s Walk for Life, an annual event promoting the sanctity of human life and the family, gathered over 3,500 participants. The faithful walked a two-kilometre route from Rizal Park to the Manila Cathedral at dawn on Sunday, publicly affirming their commitment to defending life, especially the unborn. Organized by the Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas, or Philippines’ Council of the Laity, the event was held in partnership with the Episcopal Commission on Family and Life (ECFL) of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference and the Manila Archdiocesan Office for the Promotion of the New Evangelization.
Bishop Jesse Mercado of the Diocese of Parañaque, who serves as ECFL chairman, highlighted the importance of collective action in upholding life and family values. “Our presence here is a clear message to the world that life is sacred, family is a gift, and unity is our strength,” Mercado said. He further expressed hope that the united voices of the faithful would inspire a culture that respects every human life from conception to natural death. “Hope that our collective voice will continue to shape a culture that values every human person from conception to natural death,” the bishop added.

In a momentous and spiritually uplifting event, the Sylhet Diocese in Bangladesh celebrated the inauguration and blessing of the newly built Divine Mercy Cathedral on February 22. After years of anticipation, the Christian community in Bangladesh joyfully gathered to witness the grand opening of the sacred place of worship. The theme of the event, “A Meeting of Faith, Unity, and Blessings,” resonated throughout the ceremony as thousands of faithful, clergy, and distinguished guests participated in the historic occasion.
Archbishop Kevin S. Randall, the Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See to Bangladesh, graced the event as the chief guest, alongside Bishop Shorot Francis Gomes of Sylhet Diocese. The event commenced with a solemn Holy Mass, during which Bishop Gomes led the blessing of the cathedral. As prayers and hymns echoed through the newly built church, the faithful gathered in deep reverence and gratitude. Archbishop Randall explained the significance of the cathedral and said, “This cathedral is not just a structure; it stands as a testament to the unity, faith, and service of the Christian community. It calls upon us to keep our hearts open to the Lord.”

The Archdiocese of Seoul in South Korea has reached “the era of 1,000 priests” upon ordaining 26 new priests for the local Church on Feb. 7. Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick, who presided over the ceremony, called on the new priests to carry out their ministry “with true love and constant joy.”
“Priests are called to serve the people of God as collaborators of the bishop and united with the bishop through their priestly ministry,” the archbishop recalled in his homily. He added: “Remember that you have been chosen and appointed from among men to carry out the work of God.” He also urged them to “always take as an example the Good Shepherd who came not to be served but to serve, and to seek and save the lost sheep.” The Archdiocese of Seoul reached the milestone 194 years after its creation.
With these 26 ordinations, the number of priests in the most important archdiocese of the Asian country, which will host the next World Youth Day in 2027, rose from 974 (including a cardinal, an archbishop, three bishops, and four monsignors) to exactly 1,000.
In total, the Korean Church has 5,721 priests, according to the latest figures from the episcopate. In its history, the local Church has ordained more than 7,000 priests, St. Andrew Kim Taegon being the first person to receive holy orders in 1845. At the Feb. 7 ceremony, the second deaf Korean priest (and the fourth in all of Asia) was also ordained. In a statement to the Archdiocese of Seoul, Father Kim Dong-jun said he wants to “serve deaf culture in the manner of Jesus Christ, with sensitivity and warmth toward the weak.”

A Catholic bishop in the Philippines has urged youth in the Catholic-majority nation to conti-nue advocating for social change while seeking out truth, drawing lessons from the People Power Revolution. Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan made his remarks in a message sent to Radio Veritas Philippines ahead of the 39th anniversary of the 1986 popular protest, Radio Veritas Asia reported on Feb. 21.
“In February 1986, we, your grandparents, stood for four days at the Epifanio delos Santos Avenue [EDSA] in Quezon City, between Camp Aguinaldo and Camp Crame,” Villegas said. “We offered food and prayed the rosary to the soldiers who had been deployed to disperse us. We sang Bayan Ko [‘Our Fatherland,’ a protest song] and slept on the streets,” Villegas added. The pre-late noted that on Feb. 25, 1986, following a peaceful protest, the “dictator and thief” Ferdinand Marcos Sr. fled to Hawaii in exile. “We ousted the dictator without violence and bloodshed,” Villegas emphasized.
An estimated 2 million Fili-pinos participated in the non-violent People Power Revolution from Feb. 22-25, 1986, which ended Marcos’ 20-year-long dictatorship and restored demo-cracy in the nation. Villegas underlined the significance of standing up for what is right and refusing to ignore the wrongdoings of leaders or those in power.
“Abp Socrates loves you. I will not lie to you. I will not mis-lead you. I was there. I saw the corruption, torture, killings, and illegal arrests. That is what ha-ppened,” Villegas said. Villegas pointed out that the revolution was the response of God-loving Filipi-nos to “evil men and evil deeds.”

More than 5,000 mourners gathered in the village of Pyin Oo Lwin, defying the dangers and prevailing violence, to honour the late father Donald Martin Ye Naing Win, the Catholic priest who brutally murdered on February 14 in his parish of Our Lady of Lourdes in the Archdiocese of Mandalay.
Priests, religious figures, and the faithful assembled at the Catholic Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, where Archbishop Marco Tin Win presided over the funeral Mass, offering condolences and prayers for the slain priest’s family. The moving ceremony included the reading of messages from the Apostolic Nunciature in Yangon and the Bishops’ Conference of Myanmar, which expressed their deep solidarity with the grieving community.
According to sources from Fides News Agency, the overwhelming turnout at the funeral reflected the high regard in which Father Donald was held among the local people.
During his homily, Archbishop Tin Win condemned the cycle of violence gripping the nation, saying, “Violence only brings death and destruction; it is always a defeat.”
He called upon “all armed groups and actors involved in the conflict to lay down their weapons and take a path of peace and reconciliation.”
Father Donald, who was the first parish priest of Our Lady of Lourdes Church, was known for his dedication to the community, particularly in organizing educational initiatives for children and young people. Due to the ongoing civil war, many schools in the region remain closed, leaving religious leaders and catechists to provide informal education.

The Institute of Formation Fondacio Asia (IFFAsia) has gathered stakeholders for a dialogue aimed at nurturing partnerships and collaboration “to shape a stronger future” for youth formation in the region. “Today we come together, not as individuals, but as a community deeply committed to the formation of young people in Asia, walking alongside them as they navigate life, faith, and purpose,” said IFFAsia Director Florence Alexius during the opening program.
Some 57 representatives from various Church institutions and civil society groups across 10 Asian countries are participating in the dialogue, which runs from February 9 to 11 in Tagaytay City, Philippines. Ms. Alexius said the dialogue hopes to explore ways “to be a Synodal Church to the young people in their ordinary part of life” and how institutions and organizations “be helpful in enabling and engaging the present generation for the local Church and communities in Asia.” 
“This was our guiding objective when designing this program. We truly hope that everyone here sees themselves as collaborators in this journey,” she added. The dialogue process is guided by the principles of Syno-dality–the Christian way of ‘walking toge-ther’–which emphasizes listening, discern-ment, and participation.
IFFAsia is a discipleship and mission school for young adults and laypeople in Asia. Founded by laity from Malaysia and the Philippines within the Catholic lay association Fondacio, it addresses the need for formation programs equipping young laypersons for social and pastoral work.

A newly-designated Catholic cathedral in Myanmar was bomb-ed by the military regime last week amid an ongoing conflict in the region. The Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Mindat was severely damaged by airstrikes by the Myanmar military regime in Chin, Myanmar’s only Christian-majority state.
Though the damage took place on Feb. 6, news of the bombing has only recently come to light. The church’s roof and stained-glass windows were destroyed, rendering the church unusable, according to Fides, the informa-tion service of the Pontifical Mission Societies. No injuries were reported and the area had recently been evacuated.
Less than two weeks before the bombing, on Jan. 25, Pope Francis designated the church a cathedral for the newly-formed Diocese of Mindat. In the days leading up to the attack, local Catholics were planning upcoming liturgical celebrations, including the consecration of the newly-appointed bishop, Father Augus-tine Thang Zawm Hung, Fides reported.
The newly-formed Diocese of Mindat has a total population of almost 360,000, with more than 14,000 Catholics and 23 parishes, according to the Holy See. A local priest, identified as Father Paulinus, told Fides that the faithful are determined to rebuild. “We are very sad that our church has been hit by the bombs. It is a wound in our heart. But we will not let ourselves be defeated. We will rebuild it,” the local priest said. “We are certain that the Lord will ‘bombard’ us with his grace and blessing: This will bring peace and prosperity to our people.”

Yet another attack against a priest in Singapore. The second episode in a few months after the one last November, which is beginning to ring more than a few alarm bells in an area where there are strict controls and, at least until now, no serious episodes of violence against Catholics have been recorded. This time it was Fr Cary Chan of the Archdiocese of Singapore who was attacked by a man inside the Church of the Holy Spirit on Upper Thomson Road on 10th February 2025. The assailant, a 22-year-old young man from the city-state of Chinese origin and with special needs, punched the priest in the head, causing minor injuries to his face.
Interviewed by the local media, Fr Chan gave his testimony about the attack: ‘He gave me a hard blow to the head. I feel a bit shaken; I did not expect such a strong blow from him’. Taken by surprise, the priest had no way to defend himself. According to Fr Chan, the attacker is a regular churchgoer and is partially blind, which is why he may not have recognised the priest. Meanwhile, the police say in a note that they have arrested a 22-year-old man involved in the attack on the Upper Thomson Road church. The police emphasise that the young man will be sent to the Institute of Mental Health for further and more thorough assessment.

Late South Korean Cardinal Stephan Kim Sou-hwan, a candidate for sainthood, has been praised as a model of self-sacrifice and love, and for his lasting influence on Christians and people of other faiths during a special symposium on his life and contributions. “As we convene for this symposium, we are called to reflect upon the life and virtues of Cardinal Kim, striving to emulate his extra-ordinary example,” said Auxiliary Bishop Job Yobi Koo of Seoul Archdiocese on Feb. 7. Yobi made his remarks at “The Symposium on the Beatification Process of Servant of God Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan: A Celebration of Life, Virtue, and Legacy” held in the capital Seoul. He reflected on Kim’s life devoted to the service of others and his philosophy which was “one of selfless dedication,” Seoul archdiocese said in a statement. Yobi also serves as chair of the committee spearheading Cardinal Kim’s (1922-2009) beatification. He is currently venerated as a “Servant of God.” The Seoul archdiocesan Committee for Promotion of Beatification and Canonization and the Research Foundation for Korean Church History organized the symposium which was attended by laity and priests from various locations.

A Chinese artist’s paintings of inmates living inside one of Rome’s most well-known prisons will be projected on the prison building’s exterior and displayed in a new exhibit space near the Vatican as part of 2025 Jubilee initiatives.
The 64-year-old Yan Pei-Ming is a contemporary artist who has been living in France since 1981. He is known for his “epic-sized” portraits of figures such as Chairman Mao, St. Pope John Paul II, Bruce Lee, and Barack Obama. Pei-Ming’s latest portrait series, 27 prisoners living inside Regina Coeli Prison, will be displayed on the side of the prison building. The works, created at the request of the Vatican’s education and culture dicastery, will be the inaugural exhibit of a new art space on Via della Conciliazione, the main street leading to St. Peter’s Basilica.   
The Vatican will highlight the work of contemporary artists during the 2025 Jubilee Year and beyond with the new exhibit space, called “Conciliazione 5,” to be inaugurated Feb. 15, during the Jubilee of Artists and the World of Culture. The Vatican has planned a slew of events for the Feb. 15-18 Jubilee of Artists, including the opening of the contemporary art space, Sunday Mass with Pope Francis, and the first-ever visit by a pope to the film studios of Cinecittà. The Vatican expects more than 10,000 people from across the wider art and cultural environments – hailing from over 100 countries and five continents – to participate in events over the four days.