East Asia

"Only the love of Jesus can transform our life, heal our deepest hurts and set us free from the vicious circles of disappointment, anger and constant complaint.” “His disarming love reminds us that our time is not to be spent in feeling sorry for ourselves, but in comforting the tears of the suffering. God came among us in poverty and need, to tell us that in serving the poor, we will show our love for Him”.

In a letter to Cardinal Béchara Raï and the Lebanese people, Francis also recalls the duty of the country’s politicians to seek public interest. “May you make the most of present events in order to rediscover your identity, which is to bring to the whole world the sweet fragrance of mutual respect, coexistence and pluralism."

In the lead up to the celebrations state media have run boycott campaigns, the authorities have tightened controls and closures of places of worship. This year there is also Covid: churches must follow strict prevention measures, while shopping centers, railway stations, schools and airports are exempt. A method to inculcate towards Christians and slow down the growth of their numbers.

As a result of anti-coronavirus measures, this year the faithful will not be able to gather in the Regina Martyrum church, where Pope Francis lived for a certain period. Before the lockdown, up to 500 attended Mass on holy days. For Buenos Aires’s Chinese Catholics, confession and repentance are important. Praying together gives them the impression of being in China.

The media mogul put up US$ 1.3 million bail. He is now under house arrest pending his trial, and cannot use social media, give interviews, make public statements. or meet foreign political and diplomatic officials. Hong Kong’s Department of Justice immediately appealed the bail decision. The pro-democracy tycoon faces life in prison for colluding with foreign forces. Card Joseph Zen was among those present at the bail hearing.

“It is important that it should not be reduced to a merely sentimental or consumerist festival,” said Pope Francis, “If the pandemic has forced us to be more distant, Jesus, in the crib, shows us the way of tenderness to be close to each other, to be human. Let us follow this path.”

John Paul II described the judge as a “martyr of justice and, indirectly, of the Christian faith " on 9 May 1993 during his visit to Sicily, after meeting the judge's parents. In November 2019 Pope Francis said he was “an example not only for the magistrates, but [also] for all those who work in the field of law.”

Noted military expert James R. Holmes says the outbreak of a conflict between the US and China is more likely than ever. Economic and demographic problems could push the Chinese to attempt operations against Taiwan and in the South China Sea. Beijing aims for a short war; the US will try to prolong it, as it did with Japan in World War II.

Another episcopal ordination after the renewal of the Sino-Vatican Agreement. But the bishop had already been designated by the Holy See for some time. The rite was "very sober and low-key".

The measure is contained in the draft budget for 2021. China responds: Washington is violating our sovereignty; the "reincarnation" of the Dalai Lama must take place in compliance with our laws. Ban on China opening new consulates in the US until it allows Washington to establish a diplomatic mission in Tibet.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith released a statement approved by the Pope, saying that the fundamental reason for considering the use of these vaccines morally lawful is that the type of cooperation in evil by those who use the resulting vaccines is remote. It is also a “moral imperative” to make sure “that vaccines, which are effective and safe from a medical point of view, as well as ethically acceptable, are also accessible to the poorest countries”.

For military analyst Collin Koh, greater naval presence in the Western Pacific increases the danger of “accidental” clashes, but the countries involved will not go so far as to fight a “hot” war. Any military confrontation would plunge China into potential “socioeconomic chaos”. The Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea remains the major flashpoints.