Dario Salvi

In the letter to the faithful, the Cardinal recalls the Pope's visit in March, an opportunity to "be brothers". Christians and Muslims must be "at the service of each other" like "members of teh same family". Despite the restrictions due to the pandemic, the faithful will be able to find"a source of hope and strength" in the celebration.

People carry out acts of love and mutual help during the pandemic. In Nghê An province, some party officials offer gifts to the poorest families. For a Buddhist, works of charity reveal the spirit of the Vietnamese. Children help with the decorations.

70 masses are scheduled in the Abu Dhabi compound from December 24 to 26. Complex procedures and health restrictions, such as the ban on choir singing, but the celebrations will be attended. For the future? The challenge of the post-pandemic social pastoral care of the new coronavirus. The "courageous" Pope Francis travelling to Iraq to relaunch dialogue with Islam.

Judges find her guilty of "membership" and "propaganda" in favour of a terrorist group (the PKK). In 2018, she served a similar sentence of one year in prison. In June, the Parliament voted her out of office. Among the "evidence" presented, her being co-president of the Congress for a Democratic Society (DTK).

Referring the case to parliament would destroy the investigation into the incident. For the cardinal, the danger of “politicisation” among the various groups is high. Two former ministers have rejected the summon to appear before the court in charge of the inquest. For the Maronite primate, people “want to know who killed their children”.

In a few days, over 800 infections were registered in the nation’s most important fish market, most of which asymptomatic. Eyes on migrant workers from Myanmar. The province of Samut Sakhon, where the cluster emerged, is in lockdown and night curfew until January 3. Further restrictions are expected if the numbers increase.

Archbishop Julian Leow suspends services in person, boosts online access. “[C]ontact listing and pre-registration for Mass may become exceedingly difficult if not impossible,” he says. “I am also grateful for online Masses and that we are kept safe from the pandemic,” says a parishioner.

The Iranian supreme leader supports the attempt by the president and the government to reconnect with the future Biden administration. The opportunity to restore the nuclear deal of 2015 disavowed by Trump. The goal is the cancellation of the sanctions that are destroying the economy of the Islamic Republic.

The Mekong Dam Monitor project seeks to safeguard the integrity of the most important waterway in Southeast Asia. For the United States, Beijing poses an “existential” threat to the region as it does to the South China Sea. US expert calls on ASEAN countries to adopt a “common position”.

For Archbishop Abou Khazen, “Sanctions kill more than bombs”. Embargo and Caesar Act have an even greater impact than the novel coronavirus. Families are increasingly poor, and wages are devalued as inflation increases. The season will have few lights and decorations, but “great participation”. The Pope's visit to Iraq is a source of courage.

Yesterday the Iraqi Parliament approved the bill which sanctions the birth of Jesus as a "holiday for everyone", with "annual frequency". An "official" request to this effect was made in October in a meeting with President Salih. Bishop Yaldo: "One of the first fruits of the Pope's visit to Iraq".

From armed conflict to an "even tougher" economic war, which caused "a further lack of resources and raw materials". Covid-19 makes life even more difficult than before, but the faithful are always "numerous at Mass". The Pope in Iraq is a sign of the "Churches’ communion with those who suffer".