South East Asia

The event that will end tomorrow. It was born in preparation for the extraordinary missionary month of October 2019, commissioned by Pope Francis. The pontiff sends a message to the participants: "Baptism as a leaven in society, to carry forward the message of Jesus".

After four years, the PIME missionary has returned to the Southeast Asian nation. It is going through a critical moment: in recent years, economic growth has projected it towards modernity. But the Catholics have not changed. "There is a communion of life between priests and laity, who together establish and trace the path to be traveled".

In the audience with the young people of the Euromoot, Pope Francis emphasizes that the starting point in life is "not having, but giving: Give, that is, start putting your life into play". Everyone has a unique and important contribution to make to the world: the example of Mother Teresa. "Creation has no borders ... we are in the world to meet others, to create communion". The commitment to "a renewed Europe; not protector of spaces, but generator of encounter".

A missionary with PIME for 15 years, he will soon leave for the West African country. His vocation developed as he searched for “something greater” and saw it realised in the mission of two Italian priests in Mumbai, Fr Antonio Grugni and Fr Carlo Torriani. He is moved by love for Africa and the richness of the faith of the Church in India.

Java island has recently been fertile ground for priestly vocations. Since May, Indonesian Catholics have celebrated some 45 consecrations. In August another 13 young men will become priests.

The Duterte administration is set to investigate scores of churchmen and opposition figures who, according to police conspired to overthrow the government. Four prelates, three priests and a religious stand out. For the Bishops' Conference, the charges are “beyond belief". In Dagupan City, 3,000 Catholics take to the streets to defend the local archbishop.

At least one million refugees live in camps on the border between Myanmar and Bangladesh in unsustainable conditions. The Archbishop of Yangon admires the people and government of Bangladesh for their compassion and their participation in “the pilgrimage of peace".

Beginning this year, the award is given to those who distinguish themselves in the world for their commitment to proclaiming the Gospel, dialogue and human promotion. It celebrates the memory of the missionary killed in Turkey in 2006. The PIME priest, in the Philippines for the past 40 years, is involved in Islamic-Christian dialogue with the Silsilah movement.

Minh Mẫn, 34, was arrested in 2011 and convicted for trying to overthrow “the people’s administration” and "undermining the unity policy”. The young woman photographed protests and posted the photos online. Her mother and brother also ended up in handcuffs. In prison, the young woman was subjected to heavy physical labour and abuse, and was often placed in isolation.

In recent times, the OSF community of Semarang has struggled to foster historical memory among young Catholics. The provincial superior decided to solve the problem through a two-day study group. Two elderly women religious also took part in the initiative.

The ceremony was attended by about 700 guests including nine Malay rulers, government ministers and foreign dignitaries. Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy, in which the sovereign performs a largely ceremonial function. The king is elected in rotation: the throne passes from hand to hand every five years.

"We wanted,” said Cardinal Filoni,” to respond to the invitation of John Paul II who, at the beginning of the new millennium, said that Asia was going to be the vast continent to be evangelised.” “Macau,” he added, “has historically represented the ‘door’ or bridge for the mission of the Church in the East.”