East Asia

The Catholic communities throughout Asia are close to the pontiff, hospitalised at the Gemelli Polyclinic. He has been diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia, which has required a change in treatment. In the Philippines, the Rappler website has invited readers to share their prayers for Francis in a chat room.

Japan is one of the destinations for the relokanty who left Russia after the invasion of Ukraine, also due to the presence of a group of compatriots particularly committed to the opposition to Putin and to the demonstrations in favour of peace.

The prestigious award, considered the ‘Nobel of religions’, was awarded this year to an international NGO founded in 2009 and active in dozens of Muslim-majority countries for the promotion of women's rights. ‘It strengthens peaceful coexistence by creating a basis for interfaith dialogue’. The award will be presented in Tokyo on 14 May.

The Chinese president met today with the heads of leading digital companies. State TV showed Xi greeting Alibaba’s co-founder, the business giant forced to keep a low profile since 2020. The move comes as China’s economy struggles. “It is time for private enterprises and private entrepreneurs to show their talents,” Xi told his audience.

The authorities have imposed a 200,000 yuan fine on the prelate and threaten to demolish his "illegal” building for refusing to join official bodies and celebrating Mass with 200 worshippers. At Christmas he wrote to the faithful of the diocese inviting them to live the Jubilee of Hope in communion with the universal Church.

The Seoul authorities denounce the ‘inhuman’ destruction of a place with a strong symbolic value. A gesture that continues the policy of shelving any prospect of reunification between North and South. Over the years, the facility on Mount Kumgang had hosted reunions between relatives separated by the conflict for decades: the last meeting was in 2018.

Breaking all records at the Chinese box office, the animated film has enthused online communities, including the “Industrial Party”, which praises technological progress as a means to achieve China's cultural supremacy. With innovative special effects and a strong nod to tradition, the film is part of a new wave of entertainment products that seek to push China's creative industry on the international stage.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers want to protect the children of undocumented foreigners who might be victims of trafficking and abuse. According to an audit, at least 4,000 children born between 2015 and 2022 are in this situation.

The story of Mei Li, who was contemplating suicide: ‘The thing that attracts me most about God is hope’. The story of the little girl who tells her parents tshe is going to the mall but instead takes part in activities in a church and chooses Joan of Arc as her baptismal name. The desire for unity with the whole world. In the Holy Year of the Chinese Catholic communities, the hope that offers a way out from the social, political and existential void that generates only infinite pressures.

While not renouncing tradition, Generation Z is making significant changes in the way they celebrate the holiday these days. From ‘reverse trips’ to invite their parents to the cities where they work to new digital consumption.

According to a report by HRW, China has imposed stricter travel restrictions on members of the Muslim minority, who can travel only to a limited number of countries. Contact and interaction with activists abroad is prohibited. To obtain an exit visa, it is necessary to provide a “guarantor” or family members are held “hostage” to ensure one’s return.

Best known for kung fu, the monks are the custodians of Zen Buddhism in China. The meeting with the pontiff comes a few days after their temple in Henan held a world conference on meditation and its contribution to peace and the development of relations between peoples.