The Latin patriarch received his cardinal's biretta from Pope Francis. The presence of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch was a sign of progress in ecumenism. Christians in the Holy Land face the problems and challenges of the West (the family) and the East (the exodus). The patriarch expressed proximity to Card Sako and stressed Jerusalem’s role as a bridge with Asia’s Churches and faiths.
In a message to Viet Nam’s bishops, priests and faithful, the pontiff explains the meaning of the recent step forward in diplomatic relations with Hanoi with the opening of a permanent representation of the Holy See in the country, “seeking together the best way forward for the good of the Vietnamese people and the Church.” The pope urges Vietnamese Catholics to be "good Christians and good citizens", noting that religious freedom is a way “to foster dialogue and engender hope for the country”.
The initiative linked to the "Rencontres méditerranéennes" and involves the rectors of 12 sanctuaries of countries overlooking the Mediterranean. The places of worship, explains the rector of Harissa, also attract "many Muslim pilgrims, including from Iran". In Lebanon and in the region, "conflicting geopolitical alliances" and a "corrupt political class" weigh heavily. Bishop of Algiers: the great "fracture" is above all "economic".
The initiative linked to the "Rencontres méditerranéennes" and involves the rectors of 12 sanctuaries of countries overlooking the Mediterranean. The places of worship, explains the rector of Harissa, also attract "many Muslim pilgrims, including from Iran". In Lebanon and in the region, "conflicting geopolitical alliances" and a "corrupt political class" weigh heavily. Bishop of Algiers: the great "fracture" is above all "economic".
A local association, Lok Vehar, organised the activity to raise awareness among residents about the effects on minors of last August’s attacks on Christian homes and churches. The drawings were seen in parallel to those made by students who did not experience the violence. The initiative shows the importance of fighting discrimination from an early age.
At the approach of the synod, Francis talked online for an hour and a half with 12 university students from India, Pakistan, Nepal, and the Indian diaspora in the Persian Gulf. He urged them to fight for their ideas, but always” extending a hand to others”. For him, “education must be free, a right” for everyone.
The Hindu nationalist who heads the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights this time targeted a well-known evangelical preacher, Ajay Lall, accusing him conversions and even "human trafficking" at an educational establishment he runs. This is similar to the campaign against Bishop Gerald Almeida of Jabalpur, in the same state which goes to the polls in state elections in a few weeks.
Masheel Rasheed was also sexually abused by her abductors. The father had tried to report the incident to the police, but received no support. Now he and his daughter live in hiding because they fear reprisals from Muslim extremists.
Some 500 people, mostly members of the country’s religious minorities, will stop eating to protest the failure of the ruling Awami League to protect minority rights, which is driving many out of the country. For Nirmol Rozario, a Catholic, the hunger strike is a way “to defend our existence”.
Extraordinary repair and maintenance work needed. Undefined timeframes, some experts even speak of 50 years for completion. The closure hypothesis a 'political issue'. The denial by the Minister of Tourism that it will be regularly opened as a mosque (and open to tourists).
Chinese diplomats have tried to block a conference held yesterday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Beijing claims it is shutting down internment camps when in fact it is simply moving inmates to regular prisons.
Two Vietnamese activists are on their way to the United States thanks to a deal negotiated before Biden's visit; another couple is already in Germany. A private agreement promises improvements to freedom of worship and NGO activities. Yet 374 activists are at risk of arrest or closely monitored, while 190 are in jail, laments advocacy groups Project 88.
The cardinal relects on the the tumultuous weeks since the withdrawal of the presidential decree under pressure from self-styled leaders (in the pay of Tehran). A "more subtle" threat hangs over the community, but with the same logic as Isis: drive out Christians. The bitterness at the Pope's meeting (at the end of a general audience) with Rayan the Chaldean, who has been proclaimin in Iraq that Sako is no longer the patriarch. Forced to give up his presence at the meeting of the Mediterranean bishops in Marseilles because of the complaints in the courts, part of this campaign against him.
All family members were injured praying at home and were taken to hospital by police. Some 30 people stormed the house and are now on the run. According to the initial investigation, the head of the family was accused of singing and praying too loudly and engaging in religious propaganda.
Rev Joseph Shahbazian was given a 10-year sentence, reduced to two in May. In prison he developed health problems, which might explain his early release. For a Christian activist, this is good news amid a surge of arrests. A year after Mahsa Amini’s death, her father too was detained. The authorities are trying hard to ban her memory.
Fr. Anil Francis, 40, was found hanged from a tree. In a note, the diocese of Sagar - while not speculating on the motive and offering full cooperation in the investigation - said that he had been denounced for a post on social networks against violence in Manipur. He was the director of a Catholic school in an Indian state at the centre of intimidation against Christians by Hindu fundamentalists for months.
A recent survey by the Pew Research Center shows a major regional cleavage. In Indonesia and Malaysia, support for an active role of religion in politics is growing, Singapore favours religious pluralism, including the right to change religion.
Despite the outrage over events in Jaranwala, Pakistan’s blasphemy legislation continues to be abused. A Christian couple is arrested on suspicion that their children might have desecrated the Qur’an. Amidst high tensions, Shaukat and Kiran Masih are jailed. Meanwhile, in Tandlianwala, another city in Faisalabad district, Christians have been forced to flee their homes at night under threat from Islamist extremists.
Ordained in 2020, Fr Yang Xiaoming, a young priest in the diocese of Wenzhou (Zhejiang) was given an administrative sentence for standing his ground on a matter of conscience. As a result, he is not allowed to perform his ministry. In China, the authorities claim the right to decide who is a priest in open violation of religious freedom.
Police questioned people present at the Ishwar Dham, a prayer centre run by Fr Vineet Pereira after radical Hindus filed a complaint. The house is “open to all,” the priest said, especially “the poor and marginalised” without breaking any law. Meanwhile, India's Supreme Court dismissed a petition by Hindu nationalists on conversions.
Card Sako speaks out from his temporary headquarters in Erbil after the falling out with Iraq’s president. The Christian community feels threatened in its “very existence”. A “new horizon” is needed through the synodal path. The cardinal will be in Marseille for Mass with Pope Francis.
Eliezer Sidhu, head of a Presbyterian church, was first forced to recite Quranic verses. After the attack he was rushed to the hospital, from where he explained that those responsible for the attack are the same ones who have been smearing the walls of churches with Islamic writing for weeks. Human rights defenders say this is one of the worst times ever for Christians in Pakistan.
The story unfolded in the village of Dhok Syedan coming close to what happened in mid-August in Jaranwala, where 26 churches and over 200 houses were destroyed, when a convert to Islam tried to extort a Christian family. Strong "latent fears" and a widespread feeling of vulnerability prevail among Christians.
China’s leader visited the region over the weekend extolling its "hard-won social stability”. He called on local officials to “more deeply promote the Sinicisation of Islam”. Meanwhile, people continue to be arrested for their faith or reading the Qurʾān. A delegation from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) praised China’s policies during a visit to the region. Tomorrow the pope will fly over it on his way to Mongolia.
The 33-year-old member of the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate, a congregation linked to PIME, is set to leave shortly for the mission in Italy. In the farewell Mass, Fr Giacominelli highlighted the joy of working in education, which many Italian Sisters experienced in his parish of Bonpara. Her testimony is an example for other girls and young women who want to follow the same path.
After a long illness, the prelate emeritus of Dohuk in Kurdistan passed away yesterday in hospital. His physique was marked by an assassination attempt to which he had fallen victim in 2003, but that had not shaken his vocation for encounter and confrontation. A Muslim family affectionately called him "my uncle bishop." From international school to Isis refugee, a life spent serving the Kurdish community.
The vicar of the Latin patriarchate for Israel looks back on his first 16 months as bishop and delves into the tension around the Carmelite monastery. Peace and confessional balance endangered by a sect linked to Hasidism. The escalation degenerated into physical clashes between the parties, the police arrested a Christian leaving the provocateurs unpunished. The visit of President Herzog.
Bishops, priests, nuns and over a hundred faithful participated in a seminar entitled "Journeying Together. Unity foundational value of the Church. Layman calls deepening knowledge of Fabc's mission a "new and enriching experience." Archbishop of Dhaka: family where unity is most evident.
The "Sri Lanka Brief" report testifies to the escalation of attacks against the minority 40 years since Black July 1983. It counts at least 14 incidents between July 9 and Aug. 22 this year. The construction of new Buddhist temples to erase the legacy of Hindu culture in the northeast of the island. Vale police complaints.
The attack with swords, sticks and batons took place on Sunday 20 August, during the prayer service. Protagonists of the raid are over 40 people, belonging to radical Hinduvta movements. Sacred objects and a copy of the Bible desecrated. At the time of the complaint, another 300 people linked to radical factions have carried out a new assault.
