Receiving in audience a delegation led by the new Major Archbishop Raphael Thattil, the pontiff publicly expressed his assent to a request made for years by the Churches of the East, especially for their faithful in the Persian Gulf. A new harsh warning on the divisions around the liturgy in Kerala: "Discussing celebratory details while disrespecting unity is incompatible with the Christian faith.

Refugees, the banking and political crisis have exacerbated the population's social malaise. An association founded in 1986 thanks to the intuition of a widow and a priest responds to the growing needs. Today it supports over 600 families in the northern part of the capital. Nohad Azzi: 'Only faith continues to keep Lebanon on its feet'.

In Tbilisi, the leaders of the ruling Georgian Dream party call the demonstrators 'radicals' and even 'Satanists'. The patriarchate openly supports the government, which is committed to fighting 'the imposition of foreign, unusual and dangerous ideologies on the country's population. But the archbishop of Dmanisi, Zenon Iaradžuli, has asked not to approve the law, which could also harm some Church-related NGOs.

He made the appeal during the Regina Caeli in the name of the Risen One "who frees us”. For the Solemnity of the Ascension, which is being celebrated today in Italy, the faithful may ask if the desire for eternal life “alive in me?” Francis spoke about the “wisdom of the heart” on World Day of Social Communications and expressed gratitude to all mothers on their feast day.

For ten years, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea has held two visits annually to listen to people in places that are important for the life of the Church and society. On the mudflats near the longest dyke in world, built 20 years ago, the bishops saw first-hand the dyke’s environmental impact on local communities, which was front-page news following last year’s Scouts Jamboree debacle.

Hundreds of aid groups and NGOs are calling for help. So far, only US$ 435 million have been raised out of US$ 2.7 billion needed to meet basic needs. The EU is providing €125 million, but, in addition to “life-saving assistance”, what is really needed is a “political solution”.