Asian

China tightens grip on Hong Kong’s education system

School education, the last bastion of the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong, is falling asunder like the beads of a broken necklace. The blood-red flag with five yellow stars flutters in the air on campuses in Hong Kong as it did in mainland China following the Tiananmen Square protest in 1989. Students in Hong Kong are […]

A karate trainer’s journey of faith in Hong Kong

Eddie Lo grew up in a religionless Chinese family and never considered practicing a religion despite his schooling under Catholic priests and brothers. But the Covid-19 pandemic and Hong Kong’s democracy struggle helped him change. The 55-year-old professional karate trainer says “the seed of faith” he received at Hong Kong’s St Antony’s Primary School, run by the Salesians, […]

Man lynched by villagers over blasphemy allegation, say Pakistani police

A mob lynched a man because he had allegedly burnt pages of Muslim holy book the Quran in central Pakistan, and dozens of people have been arrested, police and officials said on February 13. Prime Minister Imran Khan ordered action against the mob and any police who acted an onlookers to the killing. “The lynching […]

China rewrites Bible with Communist principles: Christian watchdog

A US watchdog has said the Chinese government is currently rewriting the Bible to align it with Communist principles and values. Speaking to Faith Wire, spokesman for Voice of the Martyrs (VOM), Todd Nettleton said the new translation would “really support the Communist Party.” “This is a project that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) announced […]

Two Catholic priests arrested by Myanmar junta

Myanmar’s military regime has arrested two Catholic priests who were on their way to help internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Shan state. Father John Paul Lwel and Father John Bosco, who belong to the St. Therese Little Way Missionary Institute, were arrested by junta soldiers and the Pa-O National Army, an ethnic armed group, at […]

Filipino Catholics believe in ‘live-in’ before marriage: Survey

Filipino Catholics see nothing wrong with couples living together without receiving the sacrament of marriage, showed the result of an online survey done by Church-run Radio Veritas 846. “This nationwide survey reveals that 40 percent would agree that couples should get married first before living together,” results of the Veritas Truth Survey (VTS) noted. “On […]

Vatican envoy lauds Vietnamese volunteers’ care for Covid patients

The pontifical representative to Vietnam has complimented religious volunteers in a northern diocese on their joining frontline forces in taking care of Covid-19 patients. On Feb. 20, Singapore-based Archbishop Marek Zalewski, the non-resident representative of the Holy See to Vietnam, and Archbishop Joseph Nguyen Nang of Ho Chi Minh City met 400 priests and religious […]

New Zealand passes law banning conversion therapy

New Zealand’s parlia-ment on February 15 near- unanimously passed a legislation that bans practices intended to forcibly change a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, known as conversion therapy. The bill, which was introduced by the government last year, passed with 112 votes in favour and eight votes opposed. “This is a great […]

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

Goans oppose tourism project near 16th century basilica