East Asia

Sunday Gospel: The baptism of Jesus and our baptism (VIDEO)

The decision was taken despite the fact that religious activities have had “zero infections”. Strict measures and continuous controls have led many priests to close their churches at Christmas. On social media, Catholics are accused of spreading the virus, a charged rejected by the Patriotic Catholic Association. The authorities put a stop to “illegal activities” by underground communities.

Nothing was known about his fate since his arrest in August 2019. Convicted of “provoking trouble” and defaming the Chinese Communist Party, he was given an 18-month sentence. He will be released on 11 February. He is known for his interviews with Ai Weiwei and support for dissidents Liu Xiaobo and Xu Zhiyong. China leads the world in jailing journalists.

China and other hostile powers see the incident as a sign of the decline of US democracy. Hong Kong's pro-democracy activists are not the equivalent of Trump supporters. Dictatorships come out strengthened. About 70 per cent of Americans slams the Capitol attack.

Foreign faithful and missionaries are singled out as the source of the new Covid-19 epidemic in Hebei. In reality, the accused villages have no Christians and the Church's religious activities have been blocked since Christmas Eve. Like Nero, looking for a scapegoat. The result: churches closed down in the name of prevention.

All released on bail. Police wanted to charge them with aiming to win vote and block government activity. Executive Councillor: Organization of a primary is not a crime. Democratic Front divided: Some call for resistance; others plan to flee.

The capital of the province Shijiazhuang, with 11 million inhabitants, has been put in lockdown: kindergartens, schools, universities closed; it is forbidden to travel outside; some neighbourhoods cannot even move around the city. Catholics, their gatherings and hospitality to foreign missionaries are being blamed for hundreds of new cases of infections. Travel during the Chinese New Year is not recommended. In addition to Hebei, there are cases in Chengdu (Sichuan), Dalian (Liaoning), Hehe (Heilongjiang), Beijing.

The North Korean leader spoke at a rare Workers' Party congress. His silence on the country’s nuclear arsenal is seen as a wait-and-see approach towards Joe Biden. He admits guilt for the catastrophic state of the economy. Cities are running out of food.

The Chinese present in the US capital urged to take precautions. Four Trump supporters died in clashes with police. The support of many countries for the US authorities. China speaks of "double standards", recalling Washington’s support for a raid on the Hong Kong parliament by pro-democracy protesters.

He was 99 years old, but for the Chinese - who also count 9 months of gestation - he died at 100. He spent 14 years in Shaanxi forced labour camps. Secretly ordained bishop in 1987, he came out of hiding in 1992. In 1997 he met Pope John Paul II. A sweet and dedicated figure, loved by both official and underground Catholics.

The Beijing government has not yet given permission for experts from the international team to arrive in China. Some scientists, already on their way, have had to return. The rare criticism of China by the WHO after a period in which it was accused of being Beijing’s "puppet". The Chinese Foreign Ministry: We want to make the visit smoother and continue cooperation.

At the Angelus, Pope Francis extended his wishes to the Orthodox who celebrate Christmas tomorrow. “Christ’s light shine[s] in every place and at every moment [. . .] through the proclamation of the Gospel,” Francis said. “The star is Christ, but we too can and must also be the star for our brothers and sisters,” he added. The pontiff also expressed hope for peace in Central Africa.