Daniele Frison

The episcopal ordination of the new vicar for Jordan of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem took place this morning at the Church of the Baptism of Jesus in al Maghtas. Speaking to AsiaNews, he said: “Being there for everyone is our vocation.” Trump's proposal to send the Palestinians to Jordan? “We won’t even consider it.” Instead, “we must help them rebuild.” His dream for the Holy Land is to see “the same rights for the two peoples.” This is not the case at present.

The British journalist of Afghan-Pakistani origin in a documentary recounts the work of the Italian NGO Emergency, which since 1999 has accompanied the many dramatic pages of life in the country with its assistance to the wounded and sick. “After the bombs, today the problem of domestic and family violence emerges more and more.” Filippo Bongiovanni, anesthesiologist-reanimator: “Disproportion between care needs and available resources.”

The World Watch List 2025, a list of the 50 countries with extreme levels of oppression, has been released for the period from October 2023 to September 2024. Violence is up in Central Asia, most notably in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. In Myanmar, Christians have been caught up in the “ongoing fighting”. Pakistan and India remain among the countries most at risk. The situation is improving in Indonesia.

The human rights activist told AsiaNews that the elections organised by the military junta are just propaganda. How can they supervise an election since they failed to respect the 2020 vote? He wants “concrete actions" from the international community. The military “must be held accountable” for the violence committed with impunity. He hopes to see interethnic unity in a democratic country; it is time to show “that we are not divided.”

Two days after the attack on the Allenby crossing, Jordan goes to the polls with a population deeply marked by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While the government maintains its delicate diplomatic balancing act, Caritas Jordan continues its work in support of the local and refugee communities, with a particular focus on the latest arrivals from Sudan. For Lana Snobar, “Dealing with mental health significantly improves our communities.”

Today's news: Joe Biden and Modi discussed the conflict in Ukraine after the Indian Prime Minister's historic visit; Patriarchs and heads of the Churches of the Holy Land: ‘Interminable negotiations. A way to peace must be found'; Vietnamese authorities continue to crack down on social media users who criticise the government; Journalist found dead in Turkmenistan.

In a stormy Middle East, the Hashemite kingdom stresses its stability, which rests on the 1994 peace deal with Israel. King Abdullah II told Biden that the ceasefire in Gaza is the first step towards de-escalation. He also condemned Israeli Minister Itamar Ben Gvir's incursion at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound. Protests continue in Amman after Friday prayers in the wake of Ismail Haniyeh’s killing.

In Trieste, a border city and a crossroads of peoples, the pontiff brought to a close the 50th Social Week of Italian Catholics. The pope met with delegates from across Italy, then celebrated the Angelus in Piazza Unità d’Italia. Participation in democracy “must be taught so that people can develop a critical sense towards ideological and populist temptations.”

Today's news: Indonesia closes 2 million gaming websites; Hostages freed by the Israeli army last week in Gaza include a 27-year-old Russian man who fled the war; Possible imminent visit of Putin to North Korea worries Seoul over military ties between the two countries; Intensified bombing in Myanmar, Arakan forces denounce attack on civilian population.

In St Peter's Square the weekly catechesis dedicated today to the theme ‘All Scripture is inspired by God’. The Word ‘suddenly illuminates’ when it throws light on life's situations. Recalling the wars, a new appeal: ‘Let us pray for peace’. On St. Anthony of Padua: an example to be ‘credible witnesses of the Gospel’.

Francis marked the tenth anniversary of the Invocation for Peace in the Holy Land with Shimon Peres and Abu Mazen. “[I]t takes courage to make peace, far more courage than to wage war," he said. "I encourage the international community to act urgently,” he added speaking about Tuesday’s summit between Jordan, Egypt, and the UN on the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Fresh Angelus appeal to rulers, for peace in Ukraine, Palestine, Israel and Myanmar. Dramatic humanitarian crisis in Sudan also recalled. On the Solemnity of Corpus Christi: Christians called to be "Eucharistic," to "make their lives a gift for others."