Chiara Zappa

Almost a third of the missionaries present in the small Catholic community that will welcome Pope Francis in a few days are originally from South Korea. From the educational service of the nuns of Saint Paul de Chartres to the fidei donum priests of the diocese of Daejeon which, following the decision of its former ordinary bishop Lazzaro You Heung-sik has been sending fifth year summer seminarians to Mongolia for years. The life given by Fr. Kim Stephano Seong Hyeon in memory of Fr. Peter Sanjajav, the second indigenous priest.

A fidei donum from the Diocese of Daejeon, he died suddenly today at the age of 55 after serving Mongolia’s small Catholic community for the past 20 years. Cardinal Marengo appointed him as the apostolic prefecture’s vicar general. He lived for some years in the steppes among nomadic shepherds. A few days ago he talked to AsiaNews about the challenges of his mission today among the young people of the capital.

On Monday 25 July Tunisians will vote in a referendum on the new charter, which would centralise all powers in the hands of President Saïed. Islam is not defined as the national religion, but it is said that the country 'belongs to the Islamic nation (Ummah)' and that the State must work to achieve 'the five goals of pure Islam'. Opposition and civil society protest but the electorate, weakened by the economic crisis, may support the head of state.

After years of isolation due to war and pandemic, the community founded by Father Dall'Oglio is again welcoming pilgrims and visitors. For Abbot Br Jihad Youssef, the monastery is “a spiritual oasis of peace and friendship” in a still harsh context.

For the head of the Afghan Missio sui iuris, "the world is forgetting the country, which is in a desperate condition". While the Jesuits aim to restart their activities, the only church - located in the capital - has not been touched. Italian cooperation operates from Pakistan, "we need to reopen in Kabul".

On the anniversary of the end of the 1971 liberation war, Dhaka is still coming to terms with the serious contradictions that characterized the separation from Pakistan. "But many members of the new generation want to turn the page and create a pluralist and truly democratic system," says the well-known 24-year-old activist who founded Muktiforum in Dhaka

"The social time bomb fueled by the economic crisis, in a country that already welcomes 5 million migrants, risks exploding with the new wave of arrivals," say Roberto and Gabriella Ugolini, who have worked for decades on the border with Iran, where the government is putting up a wall against those fleeing the Taliban.

Constant anguish under raids by fundamentalists amid failed attempts to escape. Anxiety for those who have remained, made even more lacerating by yesterday's bloody attacks. The testimony of a religious woman who arrived in Italy on one of the last evacuation flights: "The girls send me messages in tears. If it is possible I will return to Afghanistan.

Along with five nuns and Father Giovanni Scalese, the head of the missio sui iuris in Afghanistan, the kids landed yesterday in Rome. Italy’s airlift also brought out 15 associates of the Pro Bambini di Kabul charity and their families, whose lives were at risk. As for the others left behind, “we do not know how to help” them, said the association’s president Father Matteo Sanavio.

As international forces withdraw from the country, two nuns who run a centre for children with disabilities speak out: "Violence is on the rise and people are living in poverty. We are worried about the future, but we will step up our commitment". The role of women and young people.

The monastic community founded by the Roman Jesuit, who died in Raqqa in 2013, elected fra 'Jihad Youssef as the new abbot. His account to AsiaNews: "The Syrian people are tired of war, divided and abandoned by the international community, which is actually overwhelming them with the embargo. They suffer from the absence of a vision for a future free from multiple resentments".