We speak to the former president of the young Catholics of India. The uncertainty of daily life, the impossibility of going out, concerns ahead of Holy Week. Online Masses a good development, but "we need to rediscover the dimension of personal prayer".
Health kits distributed to 5 thousand poor people, food to other 5 thousand families of seasonal workers, slum residents, Dalits. The toll of people infected by Covid-19 has risen to 703 and the deaths to 16. Surgical masks packed in the diocese of Miao and donated to doctors. A second priest arrested and released for celebrating a funeral.
The siege is still underway in the Shorbazar neighborhood. Sikhs are a small religious minority of just 300 families in Afghanistan. The Taliban deny all responsibility. The stalemate in leadership undermining prospects for peace. US State Department cuts aid.
In Dhaka’s slums are hole to more than 650,000. In Bhutan the king addressed the nation. All the countries in the area close their borders. The Catholic Church has suspended Masses, Lent activities. In Afghanistan, people continue to die from the war.
Gian Battista Zanchi leads a Lenten program in 52 villages. Confessions, visits and catechesis every day. The community that has asked to become Christian followed a three-year spiritual path. The missionaries’ gift of selfless service surprises those who are not accustomed to gratuity.
The number of COVID-19 cases has reached 169, with three deaths. Bishops urge people to “avoid panic and blind violence". A patient commits suicide by jumping from the seventh floor of a hospital. Two students were attacked because for allegedly testing positive. Priests and believers are to follow certain guidelines during the Easter Triduum.
The “mission first of all sparks a process of transfiguration in us. If not, it would be just a job,” said Fr Giorgio Marengo. Mongolia has closed its borders and suspended schools. All pastoral activities are on hold. Masses, rosaries, youth education, and Lent catechesis are conducted via social media. The parish of Arvaiheer is conducting a survey to see how to improve its services.
The number of confirmed cases in the country has risen to 116 with two deaths. Caritas issued a health advisory for its staff, partners and beneficiaries. Its Lent campaign has been adapted to fight the pandemic. The Archdiocese of Goa and 15 Protestant churches in Mizoram impose strict hygienic rules.
The vicar general of the Archdiocese of Delhi explains the significance of the period that leads to the resurrection of Christ. Conversion is a lifelong process. One must change one's life to resemble Jesus. The recent sectarian violence in the capital is like Christ’s crucifixion when he “continues to suffer in the suffering of his children.”
The fear of contagion spreads after WHO officially declared the outbreak a pandemic. Spring is the most crowded season. The fee for the climb is US$11,000. In 2019 at least 885 climbers reached the top.
The parish hosts 300 orphans and children from very poor families. They eat meat only on Sundays. During the period preceding the resurrection of Christ, people pray, fast and confess. Works of charity and acts of forgiveness accomplish God's mercy.
People arriving from eight countries affected by the virus must be quarantined. Covid-19 is a now classified as a pandemic. No union-wide measures have been taken. Schools are closed in Kerala but exams will go ahead in Maharashtra. At least 2,000 people under observation in southern cities. Economic growth expected to drop to 5.3 per cent.
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