With the bishops and priests of Rome, the pontiff presided for the first time at the Mass with the blessing of the sacred oils. He reflected upon the "Christian mission," the "very same as Jesus',” characterised by detachment, encounter, and trial. Leo urged priests to feel like "guests," like the "great missionaries” who use “unobtrusive approaches” to reach out to others. He also remembered Saint Oscar Arnulfo Romero, assassinated in 1980 while celebrating the Eucharist.
Bishop Palinuro tells AsiaNews about the Holy Week celebrations, just a few months after the Pope’s visit. The repercussions of the Gulf War are hitting the most vulnerable: the poor, migrants and refugees. Ankara “has not responded” to Tehran’s “provocations” and remains a “moderating presence” in regional conflicts. Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic journey continues to “yield positive results”.
The ‘Yesterday’ observatory monitored 50 such incidents in a single month. These are fragmented initiatives, most often linked to unpaid wages. They are also fuelled by the obstacles placed in the way of the petition system, with local officials paying teams of men to discourage the submission of complaints to the relevant office in Beijing, which would cast them in a bad light. A reality that the Party prefers to hide and ignore.
Today’s headlines: a 7.4-magnitude earthquake in Indonesia, with at least one fatality. Hong Kong has reopened its history museum after rewriting the narratives regarding its relations with mainland China.. The Archbishop of Manila at the Chrism Mass: 18% of Filipino priests suffer from psychological distress. Indian Parliament votes for Amaravati as the capital of Andhra Pradesh. Seoul nominates ginseng culture for UNESCO World Heritage status.
The fact that it coincided with the end of Ramadan provided an opportunity this year to reflect on the national festival as a “bridge between different eras”, linking back to the origins of the Iranian-Turanian civilisation. In the face of hostility from Salafi preachers who regard it as a pagan ritual, Dushanbe recalls that the Arab caliphs themselves rediscovered the value of local traditions.
New Beijing-mediated talks took place today in Xinjiang to halt fighting along the Pakistan-Afghan border. Meanwhile, Islamabad is positioning itself as a mediator in the war between the United States, Israel, and Iran, after presenting a tentative ceasefire initiative, with Chinese backing.
