For the past two decades, Abdul Rehman has been telling stories of St Thomas the Apostle’s visit to the Sirkaparchaeological site in Punjab province.

“Christian pilgrims, pastors, priests, foreign tourists and students of history are among the top visitors,” said the 47-year-old tour guide. “These also include many Muslims who claim to have had their prayers answered. However none of them will proclaim this publicly.”

According to tradition, St Thomas passed through Taxila on his way to India and preached at the court of King Gondophares. An early third-century Syriac work known as the Acts of Thomas, discovered in 1822 in Syria, says the king gave some money to the saint and ordered him to build a royal palace.

Pope Francis has appointed Bishop Virgilio do Carmo da Silva of Dili as Timor-Leste’s first archbishop, 17 years after the country gained independence.

The announcement was made on Sept. 11 by Archbishop Joseph Salvador Marino, apostolic nuncio to Malaysia and Timor-Leste, during a Mass to commemorate the visit by Pope St John Paul II to Dili 30 years ago.

Timor-Leste has three dioces-es — Dili, Baucau and Maliana — with a total population of 1.3 million, of whom 97 percent are Catholics.

“I am proud to inform you that Pope Francis has elevated the status of Dili to an archdiocese,” Archbishop Marino said. “The Pope also has chosen Bishop Virgilio do Carmo da Silva as its first archbishop.”

Archbishop Marino said the new archdiocese and archbishop status symbolize the Holy See’s trust in the Timor-Leste Church.

Archbishop da Silva thanked Pope Francis for his trust in the local Church. “Let us use this initiative to unite and consolidate Catholics in Timor-Leste to grow more in faith,” he said.

A Japanese team has launched a massive operation in the wilderness of Nagaland to trace for the mortal remains of Japanese soldiers, who died during the World War-II.

According to a Deccan Herald report, the team of Japan Association for Recovery & Repatriation of War Casualties (JARRWC) has launched this ambitious 10 days search operation.

The report also stated that led by Kazuhiko Furumoto held a meeting with the officials of Nagaland government in Kohima on Sept.11 and requested support and security to the mission.

Meanwhile, a statement issued by the Nagaland government on Sept 12 stated that the team will first visit villages like Jotsoma, Kigwema and Rusoma in Kohima district.

There is specific information about presence of mortal remains of Japanese war martyrs at these places.

The statement further read: “They will first try to collect information by interviewing informants who could provide vital clues on the location of the remains of the Japanese war martyrs. Besides that, field investigation of burial sites will be done based on the information collected in research activities so as to confirm the burial condition of the remains under the ground by excavating the soil surface at the site where the excavated site will be reburied.”

They will later visit Yikhum village under Wokha district, Chakhabama in Kohima district and Jessami under Phek district.

Communist authorities in mainland China are exerting a clampdown on Christian activities in the country, spreading fear among some church members about their long-term futures.

Dioceses in China have been receiving constant warnings about a prohibition on summer camps and many local churches have been pressured into giving up all related activities. Some church members worry about the impact this will have on church development.

Some dioceses or parishes have routinely organized camps for students every summer vacation, aiming at cultivating their faith. In recent years, however, the authorities have addressed the issue of religious belief among young people, not only banning minors from entering churches but also forbidding churches from even staging summer camps. Two dioceses had organized summer camps in northern China this year but only one was successfully held, while the other had to be cancelled. A member of this diocese, who we can only name as John, told ucanews.com that the first camp was successfully held because church staff invited church members privately. When the diocese openly promoted the second one, however, the government banned it. John said there was no problem if parishes organized camps privately and only publicized them after the event. “It’s alright if the camp is held privately but once it goes public, it isn’t allowed. It must take place in secret,” he said. Another church member told ucanews.com that a diocese also in China’s north planned to organize a summer class at a big parish, but they moved it to a small parish in a rural village for fear of the authorities finding out about it.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has signed a law declaring September 8 of every year, the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Catholic Church, a “national special working holiday.”

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is one of the oldest Marian solemnities and one of the principal feasts of the liturgical devotion to the Blessed Mother.

A working holiday means that there will be classes in schools, while offices and other establishments will be open.

It is the second Marian feast to be declared a holiday in the Philippines. In 2017, Duterte declared December 8 a special non-working holiday to mark the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. He paid homage to Mary and described her as “selfless” when she accepted the invitation to be Jesus Christ’s mother “so that the plan of salvation be realized.”

The president, who has been a vocal critic of Catholic leaders, called Mary “the epitome of faith and source of inspiration” for many Christians, especially during challenging times.

India declined to speak at an informal session of the UN Security Council on safety of minorities in conflict when it was invited to take its turn on Aug. 29th. India was listed as a speaker at the informal consultation, but when Poland’s Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz, who was chairing the session, asked India to speak, the member of the Indian Mission who was present passed up the invitation.

According to the roster of speakers, India was to have followed Pakistan. The Pakistani delegate defended his treatment of minorities that had been criticised by Samuel Brownback, the US Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, Tariq Ahmad, a British Minister of State who is Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion, and Canada’s Permanent Representative Marc Andre Blanchard, as well as a Naveed Walter, the President of Human Rights Focus Pakistan, an NGO.

Unlike China and Russia, which in their responses hit back harshly against their Western critics, Pakistan’s rebuttal was mild given that the criticism came from the US and Britain.

Cardinal Charles Maung Bo of Yangon said the hopes that came with democracy have not been realized and, instead, the country is wounded and bleeding.

In a 7,000-plus word statement, released on the feast of the Assumption, on August 15, the cardinal expressed deep concerns about the challenges faced by Myanmar’s people, reported ucanews.com.

“Seven years ago, we saw what we thought was the beginning of a new dawn,” Bo said.

“As political prisoners were released, cease-fires were signed, space for civil society and the media relaxed, and a dialogue between political leaders led to the first credible elections in a quarter of a century and the election of a democratic, civilian-led government in 2015,” the cardinal said.

“But in recent years, very dark clouds have appeared again, overshadowing the flickers of light that had begun to emerge. Continuing conflict, continuing abuses, and the spread of religious and racial hatred threaten the hopes, freedoms, and dignity of people throughout the country.” “Myanmar is a wounded nation, a bleeding nation. It still suffers from old wounds, yet new wounds have been inflicted upon us,” the cardinal said.

The first ordination of a bishop since the 2018 China-Vatican provisional agreement has taken place in Jining Diocese, Inner Mongolia. Fr Anthony Yao Shun, 54, of Jining Diocese was ordained at the Our Lady of Rosary Cathedral in the city of Jining on Aug. 26.

The ceremony was held by Bishop Paul Meng Qinglu of Hohhot, a vice-chairman of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA), and concelebrated with Bishop Matthias Du Jiang of Bameng in the same region, Bishop Paul Meng Ningyou of Taiyuan in Shanxi province and Bishop Joseph Li Jing of Ningxia in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

An approval letter by the Bishops’ Conference of the Catholic Church in China (BCCCC) was read out during the ceremony, declaring that Bishop Yao had been elected “according to the tradition of bishop election by the Holy Church and the regulation of the BCCCC.”

“After verification   and a valid election, we give an official approval now. This candidate was approved by the Pope,” it continued.

According to the local source, the ceremony was overseen by minimum government security and ran smoothly. More than 120 priests concelebrated with 50 nuns together and more than 1,000 Catholic attended the Mass.

A diocesan priest, who identifies himself as Joseph, noted that their diocese had focused on evangelization and connection with local Catholics.

“God uses bishops as a visible sign to lead us and manage the Church. I think Bishop Yao has plans for how to develop the diocese development,” Father Joseph told ucanews.com.

More than 1,000 Catholics prayed during a candlelight vigil for Hong Kong to solve its political crisis in a peaceful, nonviolent manner. Organizers of the Aug. 8 vigil said they hoped the faithful can remain solely a prayer movement so that tensions ease in the weeks long series of mass demonstrations by Hong Kong citizens opposing a controversial extradition law.

A crowd estimated at 1,200 demanded a full withdrawal of the extradition amendment proposed by chief executive Carrie Lam; the establishment of an independent committee to investigate the conflict between protesters and police; and accountability by the Hong Kong Legislative Council and chief executive.

They gathered in front of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and marched through the central business district to the Court of Final Appeal of the Hong Kong, singing hymns and holding electronic candles.

The vigil was organized by the Justice and Peace Commission of Hong Kong Diocese, Hong Kong Federation of Catholic Students, Diocesan Youth Commission and St Benedict Parish’s social concerns group.

Hong Kong Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chishing addressed the gathering, saying the situation called for the Catholic Church to speak with peace and reason. “In the past two months, we have really experienced the limit of humanity and we should pray,” he said.

“Violence will only create more violence. Hatred will only produce more hatred. Injustice will never achieve justice. History will prove that only peace and reason can establish a long-term peace,” he said.

The bishop pointed out that the root cause of the demonstrations lay with the Hong Kong government, which, he said, had no excuse for its actions.