Giorgio Bernardelli

The new structure of the Vatican dicasteries promulgated yesterday with the apostolic constitution "Praedicare evangelium" reflects Francis insistance on the primacy of evangelization and the need for the whole world to be represented in the Vatican. Two characteristics that he has already put in place in recent years with several Asian appointments. And that the limited duration of 5 years for the term of office for ordained officials will further favour this.

Hindu nationalists win the crucial Uttar Pradesh state election, but the anti-corruption Aam Aadmi Party crushes Punjab’s hitherto dominant parties. As the crisis of the Congress party gets worse, observers wonder who will he be the real challenger of the BJP in 2024.

So far, the Israeli leader has kept a low profile in the crisis, trying to preserve ties with Ukraine whilst keeping his Russia connection, especially to counter Iran. Now however, Israel will have to take sides at the UN General Assembly and domestic public opinion is pressing for a condemnation of Russia. Meanwhile, 2,500 Ukrainian Jews have already applied for immigration to Israel under the Law of Return.

On the Sunday of the Word of God , the story of Thailand-s mountain tribes who are preparing a Bible dictionary, the first step towards a complete translation of Scripture. In Asia there are still 751 languages spoken by 124 million people who do not have any Sacred Scripture in their own tongue.

The election campaign for the legislative assemblies in five Indian states has begun. All eyes are on Uttar Pradesh, which with its 200 million inhabitants is crucial for the national balance. Hindu nationalist monk Yogi Adityanath, head of the outgoing local government and Modi's would-be successor for BJP leadership, is fanning the flames of resentment against Muslims. But he has to reckon with party defections.

The Jesuit clergyman, who died in Mumbai after nine months in detention, wrote a scathing article against the Indian government’s policy of auctioning off 41 coal mines to private interests. India’s coal is front-page news in the wake of COP26 in Glasgow.

A lay woman from Singapore, she teaches pastoral leadership at the East Asian Pastoral Institute in Manila. She was called by the pope to be part of the Commission on Methodology that is accompanying the Synod’s work. Her dream is for Asia’s Church to be more missionary, less frightened, and with the laity share responsibility for the journey.

Abandoned among the rice fields during the war years and emptied of its Christians, today it has once again become a missionary frontier in the apostolic prefecture of Battambang. The PIME missionary says: "We wanted to preserve the machine-gun holes on one wall, a symbol of the suffering of our people".

The PIME missionary was shot to death on 17 October 2011 after a life defending the rights of local tribal communities whose lands continue to be threatened. The children who attended school thanks to him remember. For Fr Geremia, who continues his work, “our cry for justice” is “still keeping Fr Fausto’s memory alive” and is nurturing hope.

The adjunct secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples: "Missionaries given to the world, a living presence even where numbers are small, dialogue with the great religions: the prophecy of John Paul II on the continent of the third millennium is coming true".

The family landed today in Rome after an airlift from Kabul organised by Italy. Starting with Ali Ehsani's appeal published by AsiaNews, the Fondazione Meet Human took charge of the case of this group of “hidden believers” whose father disappeared a few days ago. The rescue “might be a drop in the ocean, but the ocean is made up of drops.”

From Rome, the exile, who wrote about his odyssey and the horrors of the Taliban, speaks about the current anguish of those who secretly live their faith in Jesus while the Islamists advance without encountering resistance. In Kabul a Christian man has gone missing. “Don't leave Afghanistan alone,” he pleads.