In the Philippines, more than six million people joined the Alay Lakad, the nighttime pilgrimage in Antipolo, while in Quezon province, a group of farmers interrelated the stories of the Passion with their own struggle to defend their lands. In Arunachal Pradesh, young people are celebrating the Easter Triduum by praying for religious harmony in India. The World Council of Churches in South Korea called for conversion and shared a prayer dedicated to the painful division between North and South.
During Holy Week, Korea’s bishops announced a major step in the cause of Father Thomas Choi Yang-up (1821-1861), a companion in the seminary of the martyred Saint Andrew Kim. For 12 years, he was the first priest to minister in Korea, visiting local Christians during a period of persecution. He died of typhus at the age of 40 after travelling thousands of kilometres and translating the catechism into Korean language. The local Church rejoices as it gets ready to host World Youth Day in 2027.
The Statement of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea on the Partial Amendment to the Maternal and Child Health Act, currently under discussion in the country, aims to fill a legal vacuum created by the 2019 Supreme Court ruling decriminalising abortion. The South Korean Church calls for mandatory counselling and a period of reflection before terminating a pregnancy and for the strengthening of men's shared responsibility in childcare.
The latest official demographic data show opposite trends in the two East Asian countries. Despite government measures and some tentative signs regarding fertility rates, Japan is failing to reverse the trend. South Korea is experiencing a rise in births among women over 30, but the country is still the most affected by the demographic winter.
At the Milano Cortina Games, three medals bear the mark of Venerable Hosan, abbot of the Bongseon Temple. All South Korean athletes in this discipline competed at the Dalma Open Championship, a tournament launched in 2002 by the Jogye Order. Born to support a marginal sport, it is now the country's leading snowboarding training venue. Like young people on snowboards, “In Buddhism, too, we seek ultimate liberation,” the monk said.
In some counties, local residents are organising campaigns to apply to host new nuclear reactors in an attempt to cope with economic and demographic decline. In return, municipalities receive subsidies and funds for infrastructure development. However, some associations fear that the concentration of power plants will increase the risk of accidents.
