Cover story

Christians in Global South are Soft Targets

245 Million Christians Living In the Top 50 Countries Suffer High Levels of Persecution Myron J. Pereira S.J. The Pew Research Centre found that in 2016 Christians were targeted in 144 countries, a rise from 125 in 2015. The charity ‘Open Doors’ also revealed in its World Watch List that “approximately 245 million Christians living in […]

How people around the world view religion’s role in their countries

Recent studies document younger adults being less religious than older generations and the global religious profile changing as the population grows. Across 27 countries surveyed, more think religion plays a less important role than a more important role compared with 20 years ago, but there is substantial regional variation on this question. About two-in-ten say […]

White Paper, Red Blood Every third day there’s an act of violence against Christians in India

Fr Myron J. Pereira SJ Some 13 years ago, in 2007, John Dayal, then secretary of the AICU, brought out a detailed report, a “white paper” on violence perpetrated against Christians in India. He began his report with these ominous words: “India, by Constitution a secular, democratic republic, continues to be not a very safe […]

Sri Lanka Catholic churches closed, Card. Criticizes Government

All of Sri Lanka’s Catholic Churches have been ordered to stay closed and suspend services until security improves after deadly Easter bombings, a senior priest said on April 25. “On the advice of the security forces we are keeping all churches closed,” the priest said. “There will be no public mass said until further notice.” […]

Church Needs Pope Francis But He Has Many Enemies

Interviewed on March 7 by Fr Kallapurackal Sunny in Papal Seminary, Pune There are now more than 17000 Jesuits in 112 nations in the ministry of the Way of Jesus. Your first priority is “To show the way to God through discernment and the Spiritual Exercises.” What does it mean in a multi-religious and multi-cultural […]

Nun: Colosseum Via Crucis reflections to show Christ is ‘still suffering today’

Pope Francis has asked Bonetti, a long-time activist in the fight against human trafficking, to write the meditations for his celebration of the Good Friday, Way of the Cross, prayer service at Rome’s Colosseum on April 19, 2019. For Sister Eugenia Bonetti, recently tapped by Pope Francis to write the reflections for Friday’s Way of […]

New Vatican constitution will resist centralization in Rome, drafter says

It took 29 meetings, but the Pope’s “C-9” council of cardinal advisers, which is now functionally more akin to a “C-6,” has a new constitution for the Vatican in the form of a draft presentable to all the bishops’ conferences around the world, the heads of the various departments of the Holy See, theologians and […]

Mary Magdalene Challenges Our Certainties

Fr George Pattery, SJ, Provincial of South Asia and President of the Jesuit Conference of South Asia What does Good Friday mean to you? ‘My God, my God, why did you forsake me’ is the cry from the cross, what does it tell the Christians? Good Friday means the full flowering of the human person, […]

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

Goans oppose tourism project near 16th century basilica