Culture

Bishop Ri Iong-Hoon, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea, spoke to AsiaNews from Rome, where he is taking part in a gathering convened by Pope Leo XIV, about the challenges facing families in his country. In his view, “the Church should not simply tell young people to marry and have children. We must first listen to their hopes, fears,” while the family and children should be seen “as a subject of evangelization.”

Pope Leo XIV approved the prelate’s election following the resignation of 92-year-old Cardinal Re. The 69-year-old Philippine cardinal will serve a five-year term, renewable once. A briefing was held at the Vatican today regarding the initial proceedings marking the 10th anniversary of Amoris Laetitia. A Philippine couple was grateful for the presence of others and the opportunity to learn from different cultures. For Father Costa, these meetings are “rooted in shared prayer.”

In today’s session of the Vatican meeting marking the tenth anniversary of Amoris Laetitia, the Indian cardinal and FABC president described the transformations the continent is facing amid economic instability and religious polarisation. For the prelate, “we ask not what families are missing, but what God is already doing in their midst.”

The pontiff opened the meeting with the presidents of bishops' conferences from around the world to reflect on the ten years since the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia. Among the topics he raised was the disconnect between young people and the Church's view on sexuality. As with the synods, two bishops from the People's Republic of China are also in attendance.

The Sri Lankan government marked World Habitat Day observed yesterday by announcing 30,000 new homes by 31 December. Yet, some people in the Western Province have been waiting for generations for a real solution amid countless promises.

Prime Minister Wong has announced a package of measures to tackle the demographic crisis. The aim is to ease the burden on parents, with ‘child credits’ and longer periods of parental leave. This marks a U-turn following previous policies and changing family priorities.

Created in 2001 to help children and women victims of abuse and violence, the Salvatorian Pastoral Care for Children works directly in parishes. Over the years, it has helped more than 5,000 children and trained more than 3,000 youths. For Sister Ruth Baguinon, by protecting rights, fullness of life is restored.

Soaring prices are increasingly creating problems for low-income families. According to a report by the NGO Kidsdoor, two out of three families receiving assistance cut portions during the summer break when school meals are not available. And despite the stifling temperatures, they limit their use of air conditioning as well.

In the first half of 2026, 8,105 new cases were filed regarding divorce, marriage annulment, and child support, bringing the total pending cases to 16,000. The increase reflects reforms for minorities, marriages of choice, and tensions related to the use of social media like TikTok. The Church insists on support and counselling before legal action.

Despite the negative trend, most couples report a happy union. New government data show that divorce rates are also declining. The numbers reflect demographic trends in Asia. Christian churches seek to prepare couples for marriage as a lifelong process.

Lawmakers in Tashkent have approved a bill replacing the current letters o', g', ch and sh to standardise the spelling of Uzbek words in international digital systems, thereby preventing problems with electronic payment systems, machine translation and online dictionaries.

Serebrennikov and Bogomolov were the most acclaimed figures in Russian theatre, celebrated far beyond the country’s borders. But since the start of the war, the former has left Russia and is now working in Europe, whilst the latter has remained in Moscow, urging the intelligentsia to “set aside their contempt for their own people” and to “work, live and believe”.