Card. Parolin's intense program for Russian trip

The result of a 17th century schism and excommunication, the Old Believers consider themselves the ‘true’ Russian Orthodox Church. Presently, it has communities abroad, including Uganda and Pakistan. On several occasions, the Russian president showed goodwill and openness towards them.

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.

In the Angelus the ascension of the disciples to Mount Tabor to contemplate the transfigured Jesus, is compared by Pope Francis with the "time of rest and detachment from daily occupations", useful for "reviving the forces of the body and the spirit, deepening the spiritual path" . He reminds that in the summer there are those who "cannot take holidays because they are prevented by age, health or work reasons, economic constraints or other problems."

Economic changes due to sanctions strengthen opposition. Sanctions have become the theme of the Aleksej Naval'nyj campaign. Vedomosti newspaper: In the struggle against "the outer enemy" Russia has been able to punish itself. Grigory Javlinskij: Putin's foreign policy a total fiasco.

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.

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.

In two months, 2.5 million pilgrims visited the relic, with queues taking up to 12 hours, in rain, wind and high temperatures. Patriarch Kirill thanks Pope Francis: the rib of Saint Nicholas more effective than diplomacy. Stalin exploited the Orthodox Church for its "cult of personality". The "slaughter" of gulags and "shared memory".

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.