South East Asia

By opening a nunciature in the Southeast Asian country in 1950, the Holy See made a great contribution to the development of the post-colonial world, and unity among the country’s many religious communities. For the Indonesian ambassador to the Holy See, the two parties “share a common perspective on many global issues,” as Pope Francis’s trip showed.

Established by the FABC, the commission is tasked with facilitating collaboration among Asian Churches to translate the path indicated by Pope Francis in their own context. It includes religious and lay people who took part in the Synod in Rome.

The city-state government is launching a 100-local-dollar card to facilitate access to events, exhibitions and initiatives for young and old. It is also a way to support employment in the sector, which is still struggling despite the post-Covid recovery.

Hostile and derogatory comments inflame the climate in the country during the holy month of Ramadan (and during Lent). For the police, these are events that threaten ‘national security, economic stability and racial harmony’. The characteristic rituals of the Hindu festival of Thaipusam and the Kavadi Attam dance are in the crosshairs.

The Central Committee of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences met in Bangkok to prepare the event scheduled next November in Malaysia. The symbolic image is the result of a competition in which 54 artists from all over Asia took part.

The former president was flown overnight to be arraigned before the International Criminal Court for “crimes against humanity”. His lawyers, family members and supporters tried to stop his departure. The trial risks further widening the gap between the Duterte and Marcos families ahead of May elections.

The International Criminal Court's arrest warrant has been executed against the former president, accused of crimes against humanity for his controversial war on drugs, in which up to 30,000 people are presumed to have died from extrajudicial killings. The local Church has called on the government to cooperate with international justice to end widespread impunity.

After the 2021 coup, Myanmar overtook Afghanistan with a production worth between US$ 589 million and US$ 1.57 billion. The economic crisis and war have pushed farmers and displaced people to turn to opium poppy cultivation, despite the meagre earnings. The flow of money finances both the military junta and ethnic rebel militias.

A priest's initiative in Quezon City To help people live the journey towards Easter as a ‘time of penance, conversion and grace through the sacraments’. He started last Friday in View River: ‘I bring the Church to the people’.

This morning a small part of the heart of the priest and religious was exposed to the faithful. This was followed by a solemn mass presided over by the bishop of Cubao. An occasion to celebrate the ten-year mission of the order, whose first community in the archipelago dates back to 8 March 1975. The commitment in the health sector alongside the sick, following the charisma of the founder.

Extremists target a facility built by a Catholic priest in Arcamanik claiming that it should be exclusively for social purposes, not religion. In fact, it has been used for some time for weekly services, although it is open to other activities. As the local Catholic community grows, so do its needs, which is why local Church leaders want the building to be officially designate as a place of worship.

The island of Java is the most affected, where there has been a significant impact on the production sector. Among the companies in crisis is the clothing giant PT Sritex, with about 11 thousand layoffs in various departments and the non-payment of compensation since last August. The government is promising action but the 5% growth target for the first quarter of 2025 could be missed.