Asian

Beijing Betrays ‘Patriotic’ Church

The communist – approved Catholic Church in China is facing persecution despite official status. Officially registered churches are harassed regardless of belonging to the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association (CPCA), a control arm of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). This comes from a recent report by Bitter Winter, a magazine on human rights and religious liberty […]

The Missionaries of Charity see the poor as benefactors, thanks to them they can serve Jesus

The Sisters of Mother Teresa came to Hong Kong in 1983. At present, they have two religious communities with 14 missionaries who run two centres on Kowloon Peninsula, an area with rundown sections and many homeless people. The nuns’ main work is to provide hot meals to the poor (a few hundred) and shelter to […]

Mindong, Fr Liu Maochun kidnapped for 17 days to force him to join the ‘independent Church’

Fr Liu Maochun, 46, a priest of the diocese of Mindong (Fujian), has been in the hands of the Religious Affairs Bureau for 17 days. Fr Liu is not reco-gnized as a priest because he be-longs to the underground Church and refuses to sign up for membership in the independent Church (which is subject to […]

Sri Lankan religious leaders oppose cannabis cultivation

Sri Lankan religious leaders say they are saddened by the efforts of some groups to promote cannabis cultivation at a time when the government is taking strong measures to eradicate drugs from the country. Ven. Ittapana Dhammalankara Thera, chief prelate of Kotte Sri Kalayani Samagri Dharma Maha Sangha of Siyam Maha Nikaya, said the government […]

An unforgettable missionary who transformed Bangladesh

American Holy Cross missionary priest Richard William Timm (1923-2020) was a giant among men with a big heart burning with selfless love for humanity. More than six decades of service in Bangladesh (1952-2016) speak volumes for him, and his death on Sept. 11 in the US brought to an end a golden era of extraordinary […]

Covid-19 infects 30 Indonesian seminarians

At least 30 seminarians at a minor seminary in Indonesia’s West Kalimantan province have been infected with the coronavirus. Some are currently being treated at a local hospital, while others are self-quarantining.

Fear keeps Pak judges from acquitting innocent Christians

Judges in smaller courts in Pakistan are too afraid to let Christians go free in blasphemy cases because of the threat from extremists, a human rights activist says. The country prosecutes anyone who is seen to be insulting Islam – with the death sentence often handed out. In light of another Christian falling foul of […]

As Vatican ponders China deal, expert says it’s brought ‘little fruit’

As the Vatican sits poised to renew its historic agreement with China on the appointment of bishops later this month, one of the Catholic Church’s leading experts on Chinese affairs has argued that while the desire for dialogue is understandable, there is still nothing to show for the deal two years later. “I understand the […]

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

Goans oppose tourism project near 16th century basilica