Caritas Da Nang has pushed into some of the most isolated flood-hit communities in central Vietnam as successive floods and landslides continue to devastate the region.  The social action arm of the Diocese of Da Nang said its teams have been “steadfast on the road” for nearly three weeks, combining urgent relief with early recovery efforts for people trapped by rising waters and collapsing mountain slopes.

In recent days, central provinces have “continued to bend under successive floods and severe landslides,” Caritas Da Nang reported, adding that water returned to communities that had only just begun to dry out.  Beginning on November 17, water levels in the Vu Gia and Thu Bon rivers climbed again to between alert level 2 and alert level 3, causing deep and widespread flooding. Caritas teams have travelled through mud-clogged mountain routes to reach villages cut off for days. 

In A Teep village in Quang Nam province, Caritas workers found the entire residential area of 15 ethnic minority households buried under thousands of cubic metres of earth and rock. Only rooftops remained above the mud. Residents told the team that 10 homes were completely buried and five seriously damaged, but all 50 people survived after a timely evacuation.During the same mission, Caritas delivered food to 76 families in a nearby hamlet that had been isolated for two weeks with nearly all reserves depleted. 

In A Soo village, Caritas Da Nang director Father Simon and Father Joseph Pham Thanh Binh of Caritas Saigon brought food to 50 families stranded by landslides.  The organization also delivered a generator to the Tay Giang sub-parish of Dong Vinh Parish. Across multiple districts, Caritas has been distributing warm clothing, blankets, mattresses, bicycles, food, and essential supplies through its Zero-Dong Supermarket model. 

The secretary of the Bangladesh Catholic Bishops’ Conference has criticized the death sentence given to ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as unilateral and politically motivated, reaffirming the Church’s opposition to capital punishment.

Bishop Ponen Paul Kubi, CSC, of the Mymensingh Diocese, told CNA that the verdict handed down Nov. 17 by Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal was “one-sided” and that “the accused had no lawyer and that the current government used political power to give this verdict.”

“The Catholic Church has never supported the death penalty,” Kubi said. “I think that even if Sheikh Hasina committed a crime, she should be punished in a way that is remedial.”

Describing the verdict as an abuse of power, Kubi added: “If we judge in a hurry and give a verdict as we wish, we are no longer living in civilization, we have gone back to the primitive era.”

The Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal found Hasina, 78, guilty of crimes against humanity related to the deadly crackdown on student-led protests in July and August 2024. The court sentenced both Hasina and her former home minister, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, to death in absentia. Former Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun was sentenced to five years in prison after turning state witness.

The 453-page verdict, broadcast live on state television beginning around 12:30 p.m. local time Monday, found Hasina guilty on three of five charges, including ordering the use of drones, helicopters, and lethal weapons against protesters, and failing to prevent mass killings.

On the 37th anniversary of his death, Bangladesh’s Christian community honoured an American Holy Cross priest and microcredit pioneer who transformed their economic future — Father Charles Joseph Young, whose cooperative credit union has grown from 50 members and barely any money in 1955 to 46,000 members with $122.6 million in capital today.

On Nov. 14, the country’s most respected cooperative, the Christian Cooperative Credit Union Ltd., Dhaka — known as Dhaka Credit — and other cooperatives marked Young’s death anniversary with events including tributes at his grave, a Mass, and public discussions on his life and impact.

“If Dhaka Credit had not stood by me today, I would not have been a successful businesswoman and entrepreneur,” said 45-year-old Shukli Kubi, a Garo tribal mother of two.

Kubi, originally from a rural area in Mymensingh Diocese in central Bangladesh, came to Dhaka in search of a livelihood and started working in a beauty parlour for just 500 taka (the equivalent of $4 today) about 15 years ago. After gaining experience, she has now opened a parlour of her own and is considering a loan from Dhaka Credit to expand.

“I easily took a loan from Dhaka Credit to buy at least 150 decimals of land in the village and opened a beauty parlour in Dhaka, where 10 employees are now working,” she said.

Many workers in Kubi’s parlour have gone on to open their own, albeit on a smaller scale, and she is planning to expand further. “I tell people, save some money in Dhaka Credit and take a loan to buy land for yourself or start a business like me,” Kubi said.

Dhaka Credit is a cooperative run by lay Christians in Bangladesh, founded in 1955 under Young’s leadership. The organization, which started with only 50 members and a capital of 25 taka (the equivalent of about $0.20 today), now has 46,000 members and a capital of about $122.6 million. It operates the Divine Mercy Hospital Ltd., a 300-bed facility — the first hospital established by lay Christians in the country — with more than a thousand employees.

At the time of its founding, Catholics in Bangladesh were financially vulnerable and often forced to take loans from landlords at high interest rates. Young established the credit union movement to lift the Christian community out of poverty, explained Michael John Gomes, president of Dhaka Credit. Gomes noted that, due to Young’s influence, more than 250 cooperatives now exist in parishes across the country.

To keep Young’s legacy alive, Dhaka Credit established the Father Charles J. Young Foundation, which benefits people of all religions in Bangladesh. The foundation seeks to create employment for poor and educated unemployed youth via skills training, educational support, and research.

Catholic bishops urged the Philippine military to refrain from any destabilizing efforts against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. amid alleged flood control controversy involving government officials and others. On Nov. 14, former congressman Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co accused Marcos and his cousin and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez of alleged involvement in the insertion of 100 billion pesos ($1.69 billion) in the 2025 national budget.

The presidential palace denied Co’s charges and said that Co must return to the Philippines from the United States and “sign everything he said under oath with the proper judicial authorities.” Meanwhile, some former military officials, groups, and political parties have called for the resignation of Marcos.

In the aftermath of Co’s alleged revelations and calls for Marcos’ resignation from others, Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), said Co should return to the Philippines and appear before the court to clarify his allegation with evidence.

“We likewise caution against the political exploitation of these allegations, especially when released at sensitive moments that may inflame public sentiment or be used to influence political outcomes. The Filipino people deserve clarity, not conjecture; truth, not rumour; and accountability, not manipulation,” the cardinal said. He also appealed to all to trust in the institutions tasked with safeguarding democracy.

On Nov. 15, Cardinal Jose Advincula, archbishop of Manila, called on the military “to stay faithful to your oath to the flag and our country” in a statement.

“In moments of mass gatherings and public discourse, we do not let emotion prevail over reason. We must always adhere to the rule of law and resist any calls for extra-constitutional means to solve our problems. Our loyalty must be to our country and its democratic principles, not to individuals, and certainly not to other self-serving motivations,” Advincula said.

“I urge all public servants, especially military and police, to honour their oath to the flag and our country, not to any one person. Your fidelity to the constitution is vital for the stability and integrity of our republic,” he said. According to Advincula, the Philippines’ present challenges “demand not just pragmatic solutions but a profound spiritual response. I plead with everyone to examine our consciences, reform our lives, and live according to God’s will.”

Lebanese Catholics yearn for the upcoming visit of Pope Leo XIV to achieve something lost in recent years. Signs bearing the pontiff’s photo along newly rebuilt roadways express their longing: “Lebanon wants peace.”

Indeed, Pope Leo comes as pilgrim of peace, with the motto for his visit to Lebanon taken from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers.'”

Pope Leo’s choice making Lebanon his first pastoral visit after marking the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea in Turkey — underscores the importance the Vatican places on its influential Catholic community in the Middle East, Catholic leaders said of the Nov. 30-Dec. 2 papal trip.

But they added the pontiff also recognizes the need to undergird its Christian community as war, economic crisis and deadly disasters have taken a huge toll on the tiny Mediterranean country recently.

“This is a critical moment for Christians in all the Middle East; not only Lebanon,” said Michel Constantin, who is Catholic Near East Welfare Association-Pontifical Mission’s regional director for Lebanon, Syria and Egypt.

“Lebanon is still the only place in the region where Christians have a substantial presence in politics, governance, and economics. The president and army chief are Catholic, while Christians have a big say in the judicial system. Although they have lost a lot and they are still losing,” he told OSV News.

The Maronite Catholic Church is the largest and most powerful Christian denomination in Lebanon. By convention, the country’s president is always a Maronite.”While the Maronite community is prominent in Lebanon and it has contributed to the country since 1920 until now, the pope is coming to visit the Catholic family together, a visit for the whole church,” Father Jean Younes, secretary general of the Assembly of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops of Lebanon, told OSV News.

The Catholic Church in Japan, in collaboration with European religious groups, is set to establish a new pilgrimage route in southern Japan to honour the first Christian missionaries and the “hidden Christians” who preserved their faith despite centuries of persecution.

The planned route, called “The Way of the Gospel,” will serve as a spiritual journey similar to Spain’s famed Camino de Santiago, Vatican news agency Fides reported on Nov. 8.

The Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James) is a 311-kilometer pilgrimage leading to the shrine of the apostle James in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

The idea emerged after a Spanish Catholic delegation from the Archdiocese of Lucca visited Japan in September. The project is being developed with the Perugian Confraternity of Santiago de Compostela, together with the Japanese prefectures of Kagoshima, Kumamoto, and Nagasaki, their municipalities, and the dioceses of Kagoshima, Nagasaki, and Fukuoka. The confraternity promotes the pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela. Local authorities in Kumamoto and Nagasaki, as well as the mayor of Amakusa and various public and private institutions, have welcomed the initiative.

The pilgrimage route will connect Kagoshima and Nagasaki, passing through sites associated with early missionaries, including St. Francis Xavier, Luis de Almeida, and Alessandro Valignano. It aims to promote reflection on Japan’s Christian heritage and showcase the region’s cultural and natural beauty.

The route will also include UNESCO-listed “Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region,” recognized in 2018 for their global historical value. This acknowledgment has since inspired multiple cultural and faith-based initiatives in Japan and abroad. During his 2019 trip to Japan, Pope Francis paid tribute to the hidden Christians in Nagasaki, and in November 2024, he met with members of Japan’s Hidden Christians Research Association in Rome.

While some scholars suggest that Nestorian Christianity may have reached Japan as early as the 6th century, documented evidence shows that the Catholic faith was introduced by Portuguese traders in 1543. The arrival of St. Francis Xavier in 1549 further strengthened missionary activity, leading to a period of rapid growth before Christianity was banned in 1620 and missionaries expelled.

Persecution forced many believers to practice their faith in secret, earning them the nickname Kakure Kirishitan (“Hidden Christians”). The ban on Christianity was partially lifted in 1853, and full religious freedom was restored in 1873 under Western pressure, ending over two centuries of suppression.

Catholic youth from 11 Asian nations who joined an exchange in South Korea described the experience as rewarding and a meaningful opportunity to share their faith and build lasting friendships. The Daejeon Diocese hosted the second WE Connect: Pilgrims of Hope event from Nov. 1-7, drawing 73 participants. WE Connect was founded by Asian delegates who participated in the 6th Asian Youth Day and by alumni of the “Fondacio” youth leadership program. Kim Hye-ji of the Daejeon Diocese said the gathering helped participants better understand one another and grow in faith. For example, “when I shared thoughts about Korea’s martyr spirituality, I felt the Holy Spirit moving,” Kim said. “Despite our differences in language and culture, I realized we are one in Christ,” she added, expressing hope that the experience would guide her in discerning her vocation.

Young people from Thailand, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Malaysia, East Timor, and the Philippines attended the program, besides those from the host country. Bishop Emmanuel Kanon Rozario, chairman of the Office of Laity and Family of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC), spent three days interacting with the young participants. The week-long program featured workshops, cultural exchanges, and faith-sharing sessions. Participants also learned about the history of the Korean Church and visited major pilgrimage sites associated with martyrs in the dioceses of Daejeon and Suwon.

Father Park Jin-hong, director of the Daejeon diocesan youth centre, expressed hope that the young people “while reflecting on the martyrdom spirituality of the Korean Church, will discover and share the unique spirituality of their own churches.” Park said the WE Connect initiative demonstrates the potential for building a “network of spirituality” among Asian youth. The event, he said, was “a small preparation for the 2027 Seoul World Youth Day (WYD),” which South Korea will host. The global Catholic youth gathering, founded by Pope John Paul II in 1985, draws tens of thousands of participants from around the world. Pope Leo XIV is expected to attend the 2027 celebration.

Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, concluded a five-day pastoral visit with migrants and displaced Catholics under the theme “Raising Hope to Foster a Culture of Care.” From Nov. 1–5, Czerny met with internally displaced Catholics near Dhaka and visited Rohingya in Cox’s Bazar, highlighting urgent issues of migration, poverty, and social justice.

Bangladesh hosts two vulnerable communities: approximately 50,000 internally displaced Catholics in Dhaka and Narayanganj, and nearly 1.1 million Rohingya refugees and migrants in Cox’s Bazar — considered the largest refugee camp in the world. The visit sought to affirm the Church’s solidarity with these groups and encourage collaboration among Church leaders, government agencies, and humanitarian organizations.

On Nov. 2, Czerny celebrated Mass with more than 600 Catholics in Modonpur, Narayanganj, an industrial area where many migrants from rural Bangladesh live in precarious conditions. Many have fled their ancestral villages seeking better livelihoods, often working in factories under difficult circumstances. “You are poor, but you gather to worship God,” Czerny told the faithful. “As you pray, God will answer your prayers. You will be blessed.”

For Sujon Das, 28, a machine operator originally from Thakurgaon, the encounter was deeply moving. “Cardinal Czerny admired us,” Das told CNA. “I had night duty on Nov. 3, but after work I joined the Mass. Normally we cannot attend Sunday Mass because we only get Fridays off — and sometimes we work even then.” Das recalled a painful memory: “On Aug. 5, 2024, during political unrest, miscreants set fire to our church. Still, we keep our faith.” The violence occurred during widespread unrest following the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, which resulted in attacks on religious minorities across Bangladesh.

During his homily, Czerny praised those who serve migrants and refugees: “Communities that welcome migrants can be a living witness to hope — a promise of a present and future where the dignity of all as children of God is recognized.”

A top Vatican diplomat has raised the possibility of a papal visit to Sri Lanka as the two nations marked 50 years of diplomatic relations this month, a milestone reached as the island nation emerges from years of political turmoil and economic crisis.

Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican’s secretary for relations with states and international organizations, visited Sri Lanka Nov. 3–8 to commemorate the diplomatic ties established Sept. 6, 1975. During meetings with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and other key officials, Gallagher said Pope Leo XIV may consider visiting the country in recognition of its progress toward peace and stability.

The visit came at a pivotal moment for Sri Lanka, which is rebuilding after a devastating civil war that ended in 2009 and a severe economic collapse in 2022 that forced the president’s resignation. The country also saw Easter Sunday terrorist attacks in 2019 that killed 269 people at Catholic churches and hotels.

On Nov. 4, Gallagher met Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat. During the meeting, the president briefed the archbishop on the country’s progress under his administration, according to the President’s Media Division.

Dissanayake thanked the archbishop for his visit, calling it “a blessing for Sri Lanka.” The president lauded the Vatican’s contributions to Sri Lanka’s education sector and its humanitarian assistance following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

Gallagher responded that Pope Leo XIV is impressed with Sri Lanka’s progress in promoting peace and unity among religious and ethnic groups. He added that the pope may consider visiting Sri Lanka in the future, given the Vatican’s ties with the country and its progress on many fronts.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines has urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to establish a national body to investigate the thousands of killings committed during former President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody war on drugs and to promote national reconciliation. Conference president Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, in a Nov. 7 letter, asked Marcos to create a “National Truth and Reconciliation Commission.” Such a commission, he said, will “restore dignity to victims’ families who continue to seek justice and closure,” the conference’s news service reported.

The proposed commission, he said, “would not seek vengeance but truth, accountability, and compassion,” and would help the nation “move forward with honesty and moral clarity.” It could also provide victims and witnesses with a safe space, review unresolved cases, and recommend reparations, support, and institutional reforms to prevent future abuses.

“Truth-telling is not an act of reopening wounds — it is the only path by which wounds can finally heal,” David wrote. “Silence breeds resentment and fear; truth restores dignity, trust, and moral coherence to our democracy.”

Human rights groups estimate some 12,000-30,000 extrajudicial killings were carried out by police and vigilantes during Duterte’s anti-drug campaign (2016–2022). Most victims were poor urban residents accused of drug-related crimes.

Duterte was arrested by Interpol on March 11 and transferred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, where he faces crimes against humanity charges related to the drug war and his alleged leadership of the “Davao Death Squad” during his tenure as mayor. His lawyers and supporters have dismissed the arrest as politically motivated.

David said creating the commission would send “a powerful message that the country chooses courage over fear, accountability over impunity, and reconciliation over silence.” “It would reaffirm a principle that lies at the heart of our democracy and faith traditions — that every human life has dignity and worth,” he added.

The prelate heads the Diocese of Kalookan, which is described as “ground zero” of the drug war killings. He said he continues to meet widowed mothers and orphaned children traumatized by the violence. Many families, he noted, have lost not only loved ones but also trust in public institutions, their sense of safety, and their livelihoods. “They deserve closure. Our institutions deserve restoration. Our nation needs healing,” David stressed.