Asian

Church official warns lawmakers over Duterte’s death penalty bid

A senior church official has called on Philippine legislators to work for the welfare of the people and not blindly follow what President Rodrigo Duterte wants, which is to bring back the death penalty. Rodolfo Diamante, executive secretary of the Episcopal Commission on Prison Pastoral Care, urged members of Congress “not to pass measures just […]

Cardinal presents medal to nun for lifetime’s teaching in Pakistan

An Irish nun who has worked tirelessly to educate youngsters in Pakistan has been honoured in Britain. At the St Mary’s University graduation ceremony at West-minster Cathedral on July 17, Cardinal Vincent Nichols presented the Benedict Medal, the university’s highest honour, to Sister Berchmans Conway in recognition of a lifetime’s teaching and promoting interfaith relations. […]

US religious freedom envoy insists Vatican-China deal should be made public

Ambassador at Large for Religious Freedom Sam Brown-back said that the Vatican’s agreement with China on the appointment of bishops ought to be made public so that it can be evaluated. “It certainly seems to me that it’s in everybody’s interest for the agreement to be made public so that people can appraise it and […]

Pakistani Christian refugee looks to Canada for help after death threats

A plea has been issued for Canada to rescue a Pakistani Christian refugee who is in hiding after a viral video calling on jihadi fighters to kill him swept through Bangkok’s refugee community. The appeal was made to Canada’s ambassador in Bangkok, Donica Pottie, after Australia rejected an emergency asylum appeal from Faraz Pervaiz, a prominent defender […]

Amid tensions in China, Vatican tells clergy to follow their conscience

The Vatican has told bishops and priests in China that they must follow their own consciences in deciding whether to register with the government, and it urged Catholics in the country not to judge them for the choices they make. The problem, the Vatican said, is that registration almost always requires the bishop or priest […]

Meeting with Mother Teresa leads to Bhutan’s Jesuit

When deliberating over whether or not to become a priest, Kinley Tshering – an extremely rare Catholic convert in his native Bhutan – asked God for a sign. The sign came on an ensuing airplane flight when he discovered he was sitting next to Mother Teresa (now St Teresa of Calcutta). He soon joined the […]

Sri Lankan appointed secretary of Vatican’s dialogue body

Pope Francis has appointed a Sri Lankan as the secretary of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (PCID). Monsignor Indunil Janakaratne Kodithuwakku Kankanamalage, currently the under-secretary of the council, is a priest of the Diocese of Badulla, Sri Lanka. Monsignor Indunil was born in 1966 of a Buddhist mother who converted on marrying a […]

Thai police seize 51 Pakistani Christian asylum seekers

Thai authorities in Bangkok have arrested 51 Pakistani Christian asylum seekers in an incident that has reignited fears among the city’s Christian refugees of another immigration crack-down on illegal immigrants. According to eyewitnesses, immigration authorities arriving in two police vans pulled up outside a low-rent apartment building in Bearing Soi 7 in eastern Bangkok where […]

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

Goans oppose tourism project near 16th century basilica