05/24/2013VATICAN Pope: May the Lord bless and Our Lady watch over the noble Chinese people Marking the feast of Mary Help of Christians, Day of Prayer for China, Francis speaks of the ”grace” to “bear and overcome external and internal oppression with patience and love. "Praying for your enemies, for those who make us suffer" is not easy. "But we are" defeated Christians "if we do not forgive our enemies and if we do not pray for them. Vatican
City (AsiaNews) - A song to Our Lady in Chinese concluded Mass celebrated today
by Pope Francis in the Casa Santa Marta, who, at the end of the prayer of the
faithful also invited prayers "for the noble Chinese people that the Lord
bless and Our...
05/24/2013NEPAL - CHINA China's rising transportation costs block trade with Nepal by Kalpit Parajuli Price hikes by Chinese companies cause Nepali traders to halt movement of goods on the road from Khasa to Tatopani. They refuse to pay more.
05/24/2013PIME - GUINEA BISSAU I, PIME priest, whipped by the devil in the land of mission by Piero Gheddo
On his blog, Father Gheddo talks about the experience of Fr Dionisio Ferraro, a native of Vicenza (Italy) and a missionary in Guinea Bissau. As the latter worked on a book dealing with faith, he was whipped by the devil one night to the point of drawing blood, causing deep wounds to the body. In Africa, the presence of Satan "is no surprise to anyone"; he is also present in Italy, but very "little is said about him."
05/24/2013VATICAN Pope: governments should seek incisive initiatives and new approaches to protect the dignity of refugees In his meeting with members the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, Francis spoke about human trafficking, which includes children. "It is a despicable activity, a disgrace to societies that claim to be civilised! Pimps and clients at every level ought to seriously examine their conscience before themselves and before God." As well as welcoming them, the Church "should give voice to those who cannot shout their pain and oppression."
05/24/2013CHINA Bishop Ma Daqin and Chinese Catholics pray for the unity of the Church in China by Jian Mei Placed under house arrest, the auxiliary bishop of Shanghai interacts with the faithful through the social network Weibo and his blog. Across the country, Catholics organize charitable activities and prayer vigils.
05/24/2013SYRIA Assad "maybe" open to dialogue. In Aleppo young Christians offer their lives for the poor The President will participate in "principle" at peace conference in Geneva on June 10, proposed by Russia and the United States. So far, the opposition has not responded. The Syrian National Coalition increasingly divided between diplomacy and armed struggle. Bishop Audo, the Chaldean bishop speaks of the silent work of the Church of Aleppo. The faith of the young and their selfless help to the poor and displaced people are the real hope for the reconstruction of Syria.
05/24/2013MYANMAR Rakhine: Chinese-style family planning to contain Rohingya Muslims The members of the minority cannot have "more than two children," a rule designed to stop its "rapid population growth" in accordance with central government recommendations, state spokesman says. Activists complain that under the pretext of opposition to polygamy, a campaign of "ethnic cleansing" is underway.
05/24/2013INDIA Marian devotion overcomes religious barriers in India by Nirmala Carvalho People of all religions flock to Mary, so much so that 80% of the pilgrims to Marian shrines are non-Catholics, including Muslims. On the occasion of the feast of Mary Help of Christians, AsiaNews speaks with an expert in the scriptures, Fr. Errold Fernandes, to understand this phenomenon of interfaith harmony.
05/24/2013VATICAN-CHINA Archbishop Savio Hon: The World Day of Prayer for China together with Pope Francis by Bernardo Cervellera The Secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples comments on the words of Pope Francis, his first in explicit reference to China for the Day of Prayer launched by Benedict XVI in 2008. The intercession of Our Lady of Sheshan to strengthen the unity of the Chinese Church with the universal Church and the Pope, the successor of Peter.
05/24/2013VIETNAM Vinh, four Catholic activists sentence reduced on appeal, but peaceful protest continues Sentence confirmed for four other defendants. They are part of a group of 14 people in prison on charges of "subversion" against the state. Pro human rights NGOs speak of "scandalous" judgment. The judges state that "any request for pluralism is against the law."
05/23/2013VATICAN Pope: bishops should not be career-oriented, interested in money or compromises with the spirit of the world Celebrating the Liturgy of the Word with Italian Bishops, Francis outlines how the pastors of souls ought to be. They must be men capable of "listening to the silent stories of those who suffer, and help those who are afraid of not making it." We must also lift, reassure and inspire hope by leading our "life in accordance with God's plan, and fully commit ourselves to the Lord Jesus. From this, comes the discernment that recognises and takes on the thoughts, expectations, and needs of the people of our times."
05/23/2013VATICAN - CHINA Chinese priests and young people to attend Mass with Pope Francis
The celebration is set for tomorrow morning at the Domus Sanctae Marthae. The Pope invited Chinese priests, men and women religious, as well as young people to celebrate World Day of Prayer for the Church in China and the feast of Our Lady of Sheshan.
05/23/2013INDONESIA Mt Rokatendo's 2,000 Catholic refugees still in a critical situation by Mathias Hariyadi Lava flow forced islanders to abandon their homes in February. A medical team that visited them complains that they live in a situation of neglect and distress. The Central government and local authorities have failed to help the refugees. For a Jakarta doctor, eating twice a day is "a luxury" for them.
05/23/2013SRI LANKA - INDIA Sri Lanka to build new homes for war refugees with Indian support by Melani Manel Perera With the help of the Indian High Commission, the Sri Lankan government continues its three-year plan to re-house IDPs. The Indian High Commissioner and Sri Lanka's Economic Development Minister launch the project, "an unprecedented humanitarian action," in the east of the island.
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