Pope: Our hearts pained by terrorist acts in Burkina Faso, Spain and Finland

Proposed mediation by South Korean President Moon Jae-in is backed by China and partly by the US. North Korean and South Korean foreign ministers have their first handshake since Moon took over. The UN resolution supports diplomacy in an attempt to ward off war. Moon and Trump talk by phone.

The space, the position, silence, questioning the Spirit, contemplation. The simple and concrete steps of how to meditate on the Gospel. Serving the spiritual formation of Chinese Catholics, and those worldwide.

 Today AsiaNews begins publishing a book that explains the way, techniques, contents of Gospel meditation, in the wake of the spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola. A service to the Church in China in its urgent need for spiritual formation for bishops, priests, religious, laity.

The initiative was launched with great clamor in February 2017. It aimed to help the Japanese work less, to consume more, to have children. But small businesses can not afford to give the staff extra free time. Workers choose to save. According to experts, more incisive policies needed to support maternity.

As the General Audience resumes after the summer break, Pope Francis recalls the symbolism of ancient churches structured from west to east: the west is "where the light dies”; The East is "the place where darkness is defeated by the first light of the dawn and calls upon us the Christ, the Sun raised from above on the horizon of the world". Christians "are oriented men and women”: they do not believe in the darkness, but in the light of day." "The Church's Life is a Contamination of Light". Pilgrims from Iraq, Syria and Japan present.

Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, which Pope Francis recently set up, issues its first statement. Tourism represents 10 per cent GDP and 7 per cent of total exports. One person in 11 is employed in the sector. Sustainable tourism must protect the environment, the cultural heritage of peoples, the dignity of workers, and the disadvantaged. The Dicastery and the UN are on the same wavelength.

 The announcement given today in the Vatican and Hong Kong. Tomorrow the new bishop will hold a press conference. Kneeling in front of Cardinals Tong and Zen: "Two Great Trees". He is optimistic for China-Holy See dialogue, but it is "difficult to obtain immediate results". Commitment to safeguarding Hong Kong's freedom.

Participants come from India, Myanmar, Vietnam, Singapore, Mongolia, Philippines, Hong Kong, and Cambodia. Indonesians have come from some of the remotest regencies to attend the event. For Bishop Pius Riana Prapdi, the young are the heart of the Church.

Over 150 young people from Malaysia, Cambodia and other Indonesian dioceses arrived in the island of Bali for the Asian Youth Day. Acclimatizing in witness of faith in an Islamic and multicultural majority.

Pope Francis has Hail Mary recited at the Angelus “to support the victims of trafficking and convert the hearts of traffickers.” The world seems to be getting used to this "aberrant plague", which is “ugly, cruel, criminal!" The pontiff mentioned the parables of the treasure and precious pearl. The quest "is the essential condition for finding". The discovery of the treasure and the pearl entails "sacrifice, detachment and renunciation”. The joy of the farmer and merchant in the parable "is the joy of each of us when we discover the closeness and consoling presence of Jesus in our lives."

Asian Youth Day opens tomorrow with 3,000 young people from all over Asia. The final ceremony will see 20,000 young people from all of Indonesia's provinces. At the start, young people will stay with families in 11 dioceses. AYD activities will follow. The event sparks memory of John Paul II, who urged young people to be missionaries in daily life together with their peers.

Dr Hocine Drouiche calls on Muslims to "take their share of responsibility" in terrorist attacks. France’s Islamic leaders tried to disrupt the Muslim March against Terror. Most Islamic leaders in France and Europe come from political Islam or work for foreign countries who use political Islam for their policies.

The archbishop of Rouen led the Mass in the church where the priest was murdered. Emmanuel Macron thanks the Church of France for her "power of forgiveness". Saint-Etienne-du Rouvray has become a place of pilgrimage for Christians and Muslims.

The great statesman talks about his friendship with the great dissident, who was left to die of cancer by the authorities. Liu’s peaceful and non-violent proposals in the 2008 manifesto are almost all already in the Chinese constitution; yet Liu was convicted for "subverting state power". Bao proposes the nationalisation of the army and federalism.

Today, the trial began with an administrative hearing. Although he was not required to be present, the Cardinal came to court.