Asian

Philippine Bishop: Duterte’s drug war is ‘illegal, immoral and anti-poor’

A Catholic bishop in the Philippines said his government’s controversial war on drugs is really a war against the country’s poor. “There is no war against illegal drugs, because the supply is not being stopped. If they are really after illegal drugs, they would go after the big people, the manufacturers, the smugglers, the suppliers. […]

FOR CARD SAKO, THE POPE’S VISIT TO THE UAE BRINGS A MESSAGE AGAINST HATRED, VIOLENCE AND PERSECUTION

Anti-Christian persecution in the Middle East is a major concern, said Pope Francis in Angelus before leaving for the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where he remained, something Chaldean Patriarch Card Louis Raphael Sako stressed as he spoke about the first papal visit to a Gulf State. With persecution in Iraq, Syria and Yemen in his […]

CASTE-AWAY: DALITS SEEK ESCAPE THROUGH CONVERSION IN NEPAL

The Christian community in Nepal has not been spared the wrath of society’s caste based inequality, even though bottom-rung Dalits are increasingly turning to Christianity as a means to escape their fate. Religious conversions are illegal in Nepal but the numbers suggest many consider it a risk worth taking as the “untouchables” are among the […]

WORLD GOVERNMENT SUMMIT 2019 IN DUBAI: SHAPING THE FUTURE OF THE WORLD

Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed said: “The Pope’s visit was a call for peace. Throughout history we see, people who make war are two types of people, politicians and religious leaders. That is why wanted to take a step towards achieving peace. Summit gathers 4,000 high-profile officials from 140 countries, heads of state “We must be […]

3,000 CATHOLICS REMEMBER SOUTH KOREA’S FIRST CARDINAL

About 3,000 people gathered in Myeongdong Cathedral to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the death of South Korea’s first cardinal and most respected spiritual leader. A memorial Mass for Cardinal Stephen Kim Souhwan was celebrated by Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-jung, bishops and priests. A memorial ceremony included speeches by Archbishop Alfred Xuereb, apostolic nuncio to […]

ASIAN BISHOPS VISIT COX’S BAZAR, ASK FOR A SOLUTION TO ROHINGYA REFUGEE PROBLEM

A delegation from the Office of Human Development (OHD) of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) visited Cox’s Bazar, the largest refugee area in the world with at least 750,000 Rohingya. The visit took place between 11 and 17 February, ending with the delegation issuing an official statement urging the international community to find […]

Msgr Machado with Pope Francis in Abu Dhabi: The Church must go everywhere

Msgr Felix Machado is the archbishop of Vasai and president of the Office for Ecumenism and Interfaith Affairs of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences. For him, “It is not just where Catholics are that the Church must go.” The papal visit is not a waste of time. He was in Abu Dhabi from 3 […]

ASIA BIBI: PAKISTANI AUTHORITIES BARRING HER FROM LEAVING, FRIEND SAYS

Pakistani authorities have moved Asia Bibi, a Christian woman recently acquitted of blasphemy charges, to a new “secure area” and are barring her from leaving the country, a close friend and rights campaigner has claimed. Bibi, who spent eight years on death row, was transferred from a location near the capital to a house in […]

Indian bishops slam terror attack on tourists in India’s Kashmir

No action taken against police who assaulted Catholic priests in India