Asian

Indonesia to replace ‘Isa Almasih’ with ‘Yesus Kristus’

The Indonesian government announced a change in the use of terms referring to Jesus Christ in official documents responding to longstanding demands of Christians not to use Islamic terms. In an announcement on Sept. 12, the Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, Muhadjir Effendy, said that the government had decided to officially replace the term Isa Almasih with Yesus […]

Christians face violence over cow slaughter in Nepal

Christian groups in Nepal have appealed for peace and religious harmony in the Hindu-majority country, following a spate of attacks against their people in the past two weeks. The growing “incidents of attacks and abuse, particularly targeting Christian minorities, is worrisome,” said Father Silas Bogati, vicar general of the Vicariate Apostolic of Nepal, which covers […]

Japan’s lost happiness amid population decline

It’s just one of those news items that the Japanese rarely pay attention to. But it’s much more alarming than it sounds. JR Tokai – the Central Japan Railway Company – is planning to increase the number of vending machines on platforms of stations where the “Shinkansen” or bullet train stops so that customers can […]

Colombo, 85% of primary school children have serious gaps in literacy and math

85% of third grade children in Sri Lanka do not reach the minimum literacy and numeracy skills. The country ranks last in South Asia in terms of education spending”. Unicef has denounced him, citing a national survey con-ducted by the Ministry of Edu-cation. According to Unicef, the learning crisis has hit the most vulnerable children […]

Mongolia and the missionary face of the Korean Church

Bayanhushuu is a poor district on the outskirts of Ulan Bator where an expanse of dilapidated houses stands alongside thousands of ger, the traditional Mongolian tents: cheap residences for those who migrate from the surrounding steppes in search of a life less hard, but in the capital it is difficult to find opportunities for emancipation. […]

In wake of latest attacks, Pakistan Christians denounce ‘second-class status’

After angry mobs of Muslims attacked a series of Christian homes and churches in Pakistan on August 16, the country’s Catholic bishops have called for justice and urged greater respect for minorities, saying a full investigation is necessary. In a statement following the incident, Archbishop Benny Travas of Karachi voiced “shock and disbelief,” saying the […]

Pakistan drops controversial minority rights bill

The Pakistan government has dropped a bill meant to protect the interests of its religious minorities on Aug. 9 amid civil society organizations calling for a stronger law to protect basic human rights. The National Assembly, Pakistan’s lower house, passed the draft law — the National Commission for Minorities Bill, 2023 — on Aug. 7. […]

A rare visit to an ‘underground’ church in China

As we know China has both official state-sanctioned churches (Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association) and unofficial underground churches that maintain their allegiance to the Vatican. Even though it is hard to estimate the total number of Catholics in China, figures always tend to range between 10 to 12 million. To address the historical division between them, […]

Eviction-facing Indian Catholics to fight Muslim charity’s claims

Goans oppose tourism project near 16th century basilica