The percentage of Brazilians who identi-fy as Catholic fell to 56.75% in 2022, a reduction of 8.4% compared with 2010, according to data from the 2022 demographic census released by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. Despite the reduction, Catholicism remains by far the largest religion in the country, followed by evangelicalism and Brazilians who identify as having no religion, whose percentage has grown by 1.4% since 2010, accounting for 9.28% of the population. Evangelicals posted growth of 5.2% during the period, comprising 26.9% of the country’s population of just over 203 million people.
The trend of increasing numbers of people without a religious affiliation was discussed by the bishops during a January meeting in Rio de Janeiro. The archbishop of Porto Alegre and president of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil, Cardinal Jaime Spengler, referred to this population as “dechurched.” Spengler said “there is an urgent need to invest in initiation into Christian life and the valorization of small communities of faith so that Catholicism can grow in Brazil.” Other religions account for 4.01% of the population. Spiritists represent 1.84%, while followers of Umbanda and Candomblé account for 1.05%.
USCCB Reports Decline in Abuse Allegations Against Catholic Clergy
Since last year, there has been a 32% decline in U.S. child abuse allegations against Catholic cler-gy, according to the 2024 annual report of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Se-cretariat of Child and Youth Protection. Overall, “902 allega-tions were reported by 855 victims-survivors of child sexual abuse by clergy,” the report said, compared with 1,308 allegations by 1,254 survivors last year.
Covering July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, the annual report is based on a survey of 195 U.S. Catholic dioceses and eparchies, drawn from data collected by the Centre for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University as well as an audit by StoneBridge Business Partners.
The annual reporting stems from the U.S. bishops’ 2002 creation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, which established a framework and protocols related to allegations of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy.
StoneBridge also pointed out several cases of noncompliance by jurisdictions and entities that are in violation of the articles established in the 2018 revision of the youth protection charter.
“Measuring charter complia-nce allows each diocese/eparchy to assess strengths and weaknesses and identify programmatic areas requiring improvement, which are critical in our mission of prote-cting our children,” the report said. The report restated the Catholic Church’s commitment “to work to ensure the safety of children and vulnerable adults by performing background checks on clergy, employees, and volun-teers, and providing training on how to identify and report abuse signs.”
“For the U.S. Church and as articulated in the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, this commitment tran-slates into a zero-tolerance policy toward abuse,” the USCCB report reads. Abuse allegations have shown a steady decline since 2020, averaging a 30% decrease annua-lly, according to data accumu-lated over the past five years.
Christians face ‘genocide’ in Nigeria, says bishop after Benue attacks
The Bishop of Makurdi Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe des-cribed the persistent attacks on Christians in his diocese as “genocide.” Speaking after the latest wave of killings by jihadist Fulani herdsmen in Benue State in late May, in which hundreds of Christians died, Bishop Anagbe said: “No nation watches her citizens slaughtered like animals and says there is nothing to be done. It’s genocide.” In May, at least 100 Christians were killed in separate attacks in Gwer West, part of the diocese, and 5,000 people were displaced. Bishop Anagbe told the ACI Africa agency on 4 June that the killings had forced the closure of 17 parishes since 27 May.
“When we talk about 17 parishes being shut, it means an entire community has been displaced and taken over. They cannot go back,” he said.
A statement from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) expressed “deep anguish of soul” at “the utterly barbaric massacre of innocent civilians in Benue State.” “These cold-blooded attacks on defenceless communities – where countless have been slaughtered, homes destroyed, and families left in anguish – are an affront to God, a stain on our shared humanity, and a terrifying reminder of the utter breakdown of security in our land,” said the statement, signed by the CBCN president Abp Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji of Owerri.
“There is no justification whatsoever for the continuous bloodletting that has become the daily reality of many in Benue State and across Nigeria. The relentless attacks on innocent and defenceless communities under the watch of civil authorities constitute a grave moral and constitutional failure. This carnage must end.”
Tehran Cardinal calls for Iran – Israel talks; “pre-emptive strikes” will not bring peace
It is with regret that we observe in these last few hours, once again, that peace is sought through preventive attacks instead of committing to dialogue around the negotiating table,’ writes Cardinal Dominique Joseph Mathieu, Archbishop of Tehran-Ispahan of the Latins, to AsiaNews.
The prelate’s comments come in the wake of Israel’s night-time attack on Iran and Tehran’s subsequent response. The Jewish state claims to have struck Iranian nuclear sites, as well as leading military and scientific figures, including the head of the Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Salami, as part of Operation Rising Lion. Tehran responded by launching a hundred drones against the Jewish state. ‘We pray,’ the cardinal continued, “that peace through dialogue based on a consensus will prevail. May the Holy Spirit guide this process,” as negotiations in Oman between the United States and Iran for a nuclear agreement appear to be faltering. This morning, in fact, Tehran announced that it will not participate in the sixth round of talks.
Cardinal Mathieu is deeply concerned at this time of great regional and global tension, because the much-feared escalation that risks dragging the entire Middle East into a devastating conflict seems to be materialising.
Speaking of ‘the cross and hope,’ the cardinal emphasised the two distinctive traits of the Christian community in Iran, which had a ‘strong bond’ with Pope Francis, whose death was ‘a profound sorrow’ and which today looks with confidence to his successor, Leo XIV. ‘Among Iranian Catholics,’ he continued, ‘there is great hope, combined with incredible anticipation.’ The current Jubilee Year is also being lived in this perspective, ‘which is why we can say that we are full of hope.’
Cardinal Mathieu recalls the importance of Pope Francis’ pontificate, including in relations with the Muslim world and the Iranian authorities, describing him as the pontiff who ‘opened many doors’ and now ‘the time has come to organise the space behind these doors’.
Tens of thousands make Marian pilgrimage in Vietnam
To celebrate the conclu-sion of the Marian month of May, over 10,000 people from the various parishes and co-mmunities in the diocese of Da Nang–spanning more than 10,000 square kilo-meters – made a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Tra Kieu. According to the Vatican’s Fides news agency, the Marian Shrine commemorates an apparition of the Virgin Mary 140 years ago. Local tradition holds that Mary appeared to console, encourage, and help her children in times of difficulty.
Pilgrims took part in the journey on the Solemnity of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary, which Archbishop Joseph Dang Duc, Coadjutor of the Archdiocese of Hue, described as “an event of love, faith, commitment, and service, an opportunity to profess one’s faith in the face of the challenges of the present time.” Abp Dang Duc described the pilgrimage to the Marian shrine of Tra Kieu as “not only an individual act, but a communal act to renew our vocation and mission, since we are all the people of God and we are all walking together in faith, in love, toward evangelization.” The Diocese of Da Nang has long been considered the cradle of Catholicism in southern Vietnam as it has roots to three Jesuit missionaries who arrived in Hoi An in 1615 to evangelize. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the diocese of Da Nang was one of the main centers of the diocese of Cochinchina in southern Vietnam as a place from where missionaries departed. Vietnam now has their first martyr, Blessed Andrew of Phu Yen, a catechist beatified by Pope St. John Paul II.
Catholic business leaders launch faith-driven executive program in Thailand
Catholic business leaders from Thailand and the Philippines gathered at the Baan Phu Waan Pastoral Training Centre on June 7–8 for the inaugural session of the Catholic Business Wisdom Enhancement Program, a new formation initiative aimed at aligning business leadership with Christian values. Organized by the Catholic Business Executives and Profe-ssionals (CBEP) in Thailand and the Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals (BCBP) in the Philippines, the program is part of a broader collaboration under UNIAPAC, the International Christian Union of Business Executives. The network represents over 45,000 executives from 38 countries and promotes faith-driven leadership across global markets. The CBEP Academy is designed as a spiritual and ethical roadmap for business, emphasi-zing discernment, responsible ste-wardship, and the understanding of work as a vocation. In the Philippines, the initiative has already reached more than 20,000 BCBP members.
“Work is not a consequence of sin, it is part of God’s plan,” said Bobby Lavina, chairman of Phinma Foundation Inc., during one of the sessions. He said work is “a noble thing and part of what it means to be human.” He challenged participants to reflect on the moral dimensions of modern business practice. ”What is the greatest challenge in your opinion to make the way business is done now reflect more the face of Christ?” he asked. Joey Avellana, president of Avellana & Associates, echoed this spiritual framing. He said God Himself “is a worker… the first worker.” “Because God created man in His own image, therefore God created man as a worker. We are God’s coworkers. We are God’s co-creators,” he added.
Disastrous flooding adds to Myanmar’s humanitarian emergency
The ongoing humanitarian emergency in Myanmar is being compounded by devastating floods in the north of the country, accor-ding to the Vatican’s Fides news agency, which is operated by the Pontifical Mission Societies. The flooding came as a result of roughly a week of intense rains that espe-cially affected Myanmar’s Saga-ing region and Kachin State, leading to further suffering for the nation’s civilian population, which has already been extremely tried by the ongoing civil conflict.
The Sagaing region had already been under severe strain following the March 28 earth-quake, which killed more than 3,700 people, displaced thousands of others, and caused immense damage to homes and infrastru-cture. Meanwhile, Reuters is reporting that Myanmar’s ruling military junta said it has extended a temporary ceasefire to June to support reconstruction and relief efforts following the quake.
Days after that natural disa-ster, in early April, the junta announced a ceasefire to support relief efforts, following similar moves by anti-junta armed groups. In addition, the opposition groups have also extended their ceasefire to the end of June. Despite the ceasefire announcement, the agency reports, military airstrikes and artillery attacks have conti-nued in some parts of the country.
A new report issued by the United Nations High Commi-ssioner for Human Rights, cited by Fides, confirms the worsening humanitarian crisis in Myanmar, especially due to military viol-ence and the collapsed economy. Set to be presented at the next session of the UN Human Rights Council in early July, the document calls the situation “increasingly catastrophic, marked by incessant atrocities that have affected all aspects of life.” Moreover, it details how the economic plight is compo-unding the nation’s emergency.
Rice fields and greenhouse gases: a plan to reduce emissions in Asia-Pacific
The Asian Development Bank (ADB), in collaboration with CGIAR and with the support of the Gates Found-ation (the private American foundation founded by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates) launched a project to boost investments in sustainable rice production.
The initiative includes an initial allocation of US$ 1.5 billion to the Asia-Pacific region, shared between Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Pakistan and the Philippines. The plan is part of a broader plan, announced in May, to mobilise US$ 40 billion by 2030.
The goal is to make the rice sector more resilient to climate shocks, thanks to more efficient cultivation methods that increase productivity while reducing environmental footprint.
Rice, a staple in the Asian diet, is now at the centre of a heated debate in many parts of the region. In the Philippines, the government has declared a state of “food security emergency” to deal with soaring prices, while in Indonesia, more and more land is being allocated to rice.
In Japan, the authorities are grappling with a major crisis that has had serious political repercussions. The drastic drop in harvest yields is one of the main causes of the emergency in the wake of excessively high temperatures recorded in the summer of 2023.
Bishops mourn victims of Air India plane crash
The Catholic bishops in India have offered condolences and expressed solidarity with the victims and the families of an Air India flight that crashed on June 12, shortly after taking off from the western city of Ahmedabad. At least 241 of the 242 people on board were killed when the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed in a residential area, just outside Ahmedabad Airport in the state’s commercial capital. “The death toll may increase” as several on the ground and nearby buildings are affected, G.S. Malik, Ahmedabad Police Commissioner, told the media. The only surviving passenger, Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old British citizen of Indian origin, is recovering in a hospital. “The entire Catholic Community of Gujarat is aghast,” Archbishop Thomas Macwan of Gandhinagar, based in the state capital, told UCA News on June 12. He said he was in his office, barely 20 kilometres away from the crash site, “when the news came in, and my heart was crying.” The prelate said he also learnt that five to six Indian Christians, including a recently married Christian couple from a village in the Ahmedabad diocese, had died in the crash. Macwan said he had known Gujarat state’s former chief minister Vijay Rupani, who tragically died in the mishap, and described him as “a good man.”
Thousands gather for declaration of India’s first Eucharist miracle
Some 10,000 Catholics gathered in a tiny village parish in southern India recently to witness the official declaration of a Eucharist miracle, billed as the first such Vatican-approved miracle in India. The May 31 event came more than 11 years after the miracle — the face of Christ appearing in the holy host during a Eucharistic celebration — occurred at Christ the King Church in Vilakkannur parish, in Thalassery archdiocese on Nov. 15, 2013. The Vatican approved the miracle two months ago, following a theological analysis and scientific evaluation, which allowed the archdiocese to install the miraculous host in the parish. The official declaration came after prolonged studies, both theological and scientific.
In March, the Dicastery of Doctrine of Faith declared that “nothing prevented the declaration of the Vilakkannur Eucharist as an extraordinary event.” The incident was first studied by a doctrinal committee of the Syro-Malabar Church, and its report was submitted in December 2013. Following further studies, the Dicastery of the Doctrine of Faith in 2018 requested that the consecrated host be sent to the Vatican through the nuncio for closer examination. In September 2023, the Vatican sought to conduct scientific studies on the host to establish that no foreign substance was present, forming the image of Jesus on it. Following the Vatican’s instructions, the host was taken to Bangalore’s Christ University for scientific studies in January 2024. A team of theologians and scientists at the university, which is run by the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate priests, conducted the studies. The studies in India and abroad “have established that the sacred image was formed by the same substance as that of the host and there is no other trace of any other material,” archdiocesan chancellor Mutta-thukunnel told local media.