Satisfaction has been expressed with the news that on December 06 the episcopal dignity of Bishop Emeritus Joseph Zhang Weizhu of the Apostolic Prefecture of Xinxiang (Henan, mainland China) has received civil recognition.”

According to a statement issued by Matteo Bruni, Director of the Holy See Press Office, on December 06, “This measure is the result of dialogue between the Holy See and the Chinese authorities and represents a new and important step in the communal journey of ecclesiastical circumscription.”

On Friday, 5 December, the episcopal ordination of Bishop Francis Li Jianlin of Xinxiang took place. He had been appointed Bishop of the Apostolic Prefecture of Xinxiang (Henan Province, China) by Pope Leo XIV on 11 August.

The Pope approved his candidacy “within the framework of the Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China” and accepted the resignation from pastoral governance submitted by Bishop Joseph Zhang Weizhu.

Over 90,000 people held a second nationwide protest over a corruption scandal involving infrastructure projects worth an estimated $2 billion on Nov. 30. According to the Philippine National Police (PNP), 119 rallies were organized by the Catholic Church, civil society movements, and others and were attended by bishops, priests, nuns, seminarians, catechists, and students as well as the laity and politicians. More than 16,000 people protested at the EDSA People Power Monument in Manila. About 17,000 police officers were deployed to maintain security, according to official sources.

Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, outgoing president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, led Mass at the EDSA People Power Monument — a shrine commemorating the 1986 People Power Revolution that peacefully toppled the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. The site, located along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue in Metro Manila, also witnessed mass protests that ousted President Joseph Estrada in 2001.

“We returned to EDSA because this place holds the memory of peaceful courage. Here, our people once stood unarmed yet unafraid, choosing moral clarity over fear,” David said. “Today, as our country confronts wounds inflicted by greed and impunity, we come again — not to tear down, but to call our leaders and ourselves back to the path of truth. The democracy restored by the EDSA People Power Revolution may be flawed, unfinished, and fragile, yet it is the only soil where genuine change can take root. And so, we gather to protect it — not through force, but through fidelity,” he added.

Marcos Sr. was the father of current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who has acknowledged public distrust and anger about corruption. The country lost 118.5 billion pesos ($2 billion) from 2023 to 2025 due to corruption in flood control projects, according to the Department of Finance.

David, who also serves as bishop of Kalookan, a diocese in Metro Manila, was impressed by “the sight of countless communities mirroring this gathering across the archipelago. Parishes, civic groups, families, and young people stood under their own skies, offering their own prayers and witness.” According to him, the protest was “as though the whole nation exhaled in unison — a collective longing to heal what has been broken, a gentle but firm refusal to surrender our future to the darkness of corruption. There was no hatred in the air, only resolve. No violence, only vigilance. No despair, only the quiet bravery of those who still believe.” The cardinal said the country remains committed to truth, to justice, to the poor, and to each other. “EDSA is not a relic. It is a living vow. And today, once again, we renewed it,” he added.

Through the Office of Papal Charities, Pope Leo XIV has offered support to several South and Southeast Asian countries facing severe hardship after devastating cyclones caused widespread loss of life and extensive material damage.

Nearly 1,800 people have died, and more than a thousand remain missing across the region after the late-November monsoon rains, intensified by a series of tropical cyclones, triggered floods, landslides, and mudslides, hampering rescue efforts. Entire villages remain isolated after bridges and roads were swept away by water and debris.

In response to the emergency, the Pope has sent assistance, through the Papal Almoner, to countries most affected, including Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand. During the Angelus on Sunday, 7 December, Pope Leo XIV had already expressed his closeness to the populations severely tested by these natural disasters. He assured his prayers and urged the international community to show solidarity with those facing grave hardship in these regions.

Asian bishops, communication leaders, and media professionals have opened the Bishops’ Meet–2025 in Hong Kong with a call to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) responsibly, grounding technological advances in human dignity, ethical discernment, and the mission of the Church. The three-day gathering (10–12 December), organised by the Office of Social Communications of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC-OSC), is taking place at St. Francis University and brings together more than 30 participants from across the continent.

Celebrating the Opening Mass, Cardinal Stephen Chow, SJ, Bishop of Hong Kong, invited Asian communicators to regard AI as a “gift from God” whose use must remain oriented toward the good of humanity and the care of creation. “I think AI is not from the devil. AI comes from God, who helps us,” he said during his homily. “I pray that this meeting will help us, liberate us, and inspire us to work with AI to achieve the blessings God intends for us.”

The Cardinal encouraged participants to approach technological developments with hope, careful discernment, and ethical clarity. Catholic media, he said, must uphold moral credibility even amid rapid change.

“Otherwise, how can we call ourselves Catholic media?” he asked. “When we put our hope in the Lord, we must first honour Him, not funding agents or ideologies. We need to discern God’s will for our mission in this shifting context.” Cardinal Chow underscored that fidelity to conscience remains essential: “Whenever I spoke from my conscience, even when attacked, I still experienced peace.” Speaking from both personal and communal conscience shaped through synodal processes, he said, brings freedom and authenticity. Quoting Jesus’ words, “My yoke is easy,” the Cardinal concluded that communicators, too, will find lightness “when we speak with our hearts, guided by the Spirit.”

Addressing the assembly on 10 December, Dr Paolo Ruffini, Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, offered a wide-ranging reflection on the promise and risks of AI for the Church and society. He cautioned against deepfakes, unverifiable sources, algorithmic filtering, and the opaque logic by which digital platforms shape information flows. These dynamics, he said, can enclose users in “filter bubbles” driven by commercial or ideological interests rather than truth. Ruffini noted that dominant AI models often prioritise speed and attention over depth and accuracy, endangering freedom of thought and distorting public discourse.

Echoing messages from Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV, he stressed the importance of education and media literacy as safeguards for human freedom. Critical thinking, discernment, and an ability to evaluate information, he said, are essential to prevent “the human heart itself” from becoming artificial. “Artificial intelligence must never replace us,” he said, adding that the Church must help believers remain fully human in a digital era that can shape thought, memory, and behaviour. Quoting Romano Guardini, he called for a renewed attitude proportionate to the power of technology—one rooted in conscience, responsibility, and truth.

Pope Leo XIV appealed for an immediate end to the renewed hostilities on the Thai-Cambodian border, where recent clashes have caused casualties – including civilians – and forced thousands to flee their homes. Addressing the faithful gathered for the General Audience on December 10, the Pope expressed his “deep sorrow” at the reports emerging from the region.

“I am deeply saddened by the news of the renewed conflict along the border between Thailand and Cambodia. There have been casualties, including among civilians, and thousands of people have been forced to leave their homes. I express my closeness in prayer to these dear peoples.” 

The violence marks the latest flare-up in a decades-long border dispute, in which contested sections of territory – particularly areas surrounding culturally significant temple sites – have periodically triggered exchanges of fire between the two nations. While past efforts at arbitration and regional diplomacy have sought to stabilise the frontier, ceasefires have often proved fragile, leaving local communities repeatedly caught in the crossfire. Speaking at the end of the General Audience, the Holy Father lamented the recurrence of these tensions and asked the parties “to cease fire immediately and resume dialogue”.

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.