Ecclesia in Asia

Hundreds of people attended the ordination of Fr Limon Biswas, a PIME missionary like Fr Antonio Marietti, who was the first to speak about Jesus in 1856 in Jessore, a village in the present-day Diocese of Khulna. Now he himself will leave as a missionary for Papua New Guinea. “I hope he will spread the Gospel with dedication and love,” said Bishop Boiragi.

An international symposium in Hong Kong marks the centennial of the consecration of six Chinese bishops in Rome in 1926, a milestone in the inculturation of Chinese Catholicism and the subsequent experience of native cardinals.

A few days before the big event in Tor Vergata, the Archdiocese's Justice and Peace Commission held its Youth Day. Kashif Anthony: ‘I want to see their conditions improve and help them work to contribute to the betterment of society and our country.’

The Vietnamese Catholic Church celebrated the 400th anniversary of the birth of its first martyr, who was killed at the age of 19, with a live-streamed event involving communities across the country and the diaspora, which was also attended by the Pope.

The bishop visited a community that has grown nearly eightfold thanks to a wave of young families who arrived following the events of 2020. God is with them as they have “a fresh start.” The challenge now is to find a Cantonese-speaking pastor.

In first ever, a training course organised in collaboration with a company in the sector explored not so much the ethical implications but the opportunities for the practical use of these tools in pastoral care. Participants said: ‘It can become an essential aid in improving preaching and pastoral care.’

The Plenary Assembly in Bohol elects the archbishop of Lipa to succeed Card David who has concluded his second term. The meeting is discussing how to continue the synodal journey in the Philippines. Noemi Saludo, a laywoman who contributed to the restoration of a hundred churches, is honoured.

The new coadjutor apostolic vicar of the Cambodian capital, appointed yesterday by Pope Leo, tells AsiaNews about the challenges facing the tiny local Church reborn after the persecution of the Khmer Rouge, who fifty years ago also killed Msgr. Samar, the only local bishop before him. The legacy of the martyrs, inculturation, encounter with Buddhists, but also individualism brought about by the spread of digital devices are among the pastoral priorities.

With the recognition by the Vatican medical commission that a miracle occurred through his intercession, a "direct, complete and permanent" healing, the Greek Catholic priest, Fr Beshara Abou-Mrad (1853-1930), could soon be proclaimed blessed, this according to the Salvatorian Archimandrite Mtanios Haddad.

Launched in 1975 as a Lenten gesture, over the years it has become an ongoing form of support for the activities of the 85 social action centres of the Philippine Church. And to mark the anniversary, Caritas has launched a campaign to engage one million Filipinos in a monthly donation. Bishop of Kidapawan Msgr Bagaforo: "Seed of hope and compassion".

Pastoral workers who carry out their ministry in prisons met recently in Bangkok for their national meeting. Prisoners are among the most marginalized groups in society. For Bishop Wuthilert Haelom of Chiang Rai, the “prison ministry is not just a social service – it is a living expression of God’s mercy.”

Fe Mantuhac Barino, a Catholic laywoman linked to the Charismatic Renewal, is behind a programme created in 2016 (when Duterte was president) that offers drug addicts and their families a way to take back their lives. Over the years, more than a thousand people have participated,” she said, adding that “Only God can make these changes.”