Record-breaking ‘Despacito’ banned in Malaysia as "obscene"

The goal is to create a political entity for the majority Muslim region to replace the existing Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. The measure is based on the 2014 peace deal. For Mgr Orlando Quevedo, archbishop of Cotabato, autonomy is better than federalism.

The event was organised by the Pontifical Missionary Children’s Society of the Indonesian Bishops' Conference. The “sound of the tifa to proclaim biblical joy on Papuan land,” i.e. an invitation to spread the Word with joy and energy, was the meeting’s theme. For an organiser, SEKAMI Kids “are the future and hope of the Church". For Bishop Hilarion Datus Lega, "Young people have something great to offer to society: their joy."

For the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), the fighting that began on 23 May are not a religious war. The prelates condemn Maute terrorism, which contradicts “the fundamental tenets of Islam”. They reiterate the need for interfaith dialogue. The task now is to rebuild “the persons affected because of the disruptions in their lives,” said Mgr Edwin Angot de la Peña, bishop of Marawi. An autonomous province in the south is need to achieve peace, said Bishop Orlando Quevedo, archbishop of Cotabato.

The missions and love stories of four officers are the show’s main elements. An instant hit with millions of viewers, it "is military propaganda” for critics. “We are allowing them to use military camps,” said Defence Ministry Spokesman General Kongcheep Tantravanich,” and “making suggestions on the right costumes and make-up.”

The “victims are not only Christians but also, and especially, Muslims,” the movement says. “The reality is that there are external groups and centres of power who are interested to divide us.” It wants to promote “a new form of dialogue based on a love that goes beyond the limit of tolerance." It calls for a “radicalism with love to have radical changes in our society".

Fr. John Phongphan Wongarsa was ordained on July 8, during a ceremony which more than a thousand people attended. The celebrations continued the following day with traditional Thai elements. The diocese of Ubonrachathani has local nuns and priests, but Fr. Phongphan is the first missionary, a sign of a church that "produces fruits" for other churches as well.

“So many goals are illusory: they promise some respite and distraction, they guarantee peace and fun, only to leave the same solitude as before,  they are "fireworks". That is why Christ indicated where to go:"Come to me".

Letter from the Congregation for Divine Worship. Bishops must ensure that the material for the celebration is valid: wheat bread and grape wine. The exceptions for celiac and for those who do not drink wine but can drink mustum. Verification is needed because today these products are also sold in supermarkets and via the internet.

The text was approved with 122 votes in favor, one against, one abstention. But none of the nine nuclear countries -  US, Russia, China, France, Great Britain, India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel - took part in the debate or vote. Vatican support and the appreciation of UN Secretary-General Guterres.

The authorities plan to fingerprint and face-scan mobile phone owners as well as set up a social media watch centre to monitor content they deem inappropriate. This follows a press law. Source tells AsiaNews that the country is moving “towards thought control”.

The remote central province has only 24 diocesan priests and 11 Passionists. The pastoral mission of the Church is made difficult by the lack of priests. The ceremony drew thousands of Catholics. Frs Hendrik and Fransiscus talked to AsiaNews about their path of faith.

Following the request of Angela Merkel, Pope Francis writes to heads of state and government in Hamburg for the summit of the world's major economies. A "heartfelt appeal"  to address the tragic situations of South Sudan, Lake Chad, Horn of Africa and Yemen, where there are 30 million people who have no food and water to survive. " The contradiction between apparent unity in the "common economic forums" and the persistence of "armed conflicts". Take an example from the great leaders of the recent past: Schuman, De Gasperi, Adenauer, Monnet. Bear in mind the great majority of the population, even though it represents only 10% of the world economy.

AYD will take place in Yogyakarta (archdiocese of Semarang) from 30 July to 6 August. Thousands of young Catholics are expected from all over Asia. The delegates of each country will spend a couple of days in different dioceses in Indonesia. For Stephen Borja of the Episcopal Commission on Youth of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, “The AYD is a fitting chance for all to experience the inter-cultural realities of Asia”.

The 55-year-old Maung Nu killed. The attack arose from an argument over purchase of a boat. Myanmar considers Rohingya Muslims illegal immigrants from nearby Bangladesh. The worst clashes between Buddhists and Rohingya in Rakhine occurred in 2012. The Church's commitment to the dignity of people and "against all kinds of oppression."

The 55-year age gap did not prevent the love story from blossoming six months ago when the young man moved in with the woman after his parents’ divorce. The local village chief sanctioned the union. Indonesia’s child protection agency expressed some doubts.