Global Church News
-
Pope in Thailand, a "gift that will bear fruit" for Catholics and nation
Sep 26, 2019
35 years after John Paul II's visit, Francis will be the second pontiff to visit the country. On May 16, 2018, the meeting at the Vatican with a delegation of 50 Buddhist monks laid the foundation for the journey. PIME Priest Fr. Daniele Mazza: "The pontiff comes as a father who visits his children".
-
Parolin: Destruction of rainforests is environmental, social and ethical crisis
Sep 25, 2019
Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin on September 23 addressed a high-level meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on Multilateral Action in Favour of the Protection of Rainforests.
-
Talitha Kum: 10 years of hard work against human trafficking
Sep 25, 2019
Women religious from across the globe are in Rome to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Talitha Kum, an international network of Consecrated Life against trafficking in persons.
-
Emirati authorities officially recognise 17 churches and a Hindu temple
Sep 25, 2019
The ceremony took place over the weekend under the banner "A call to harmony". New rules guarantee equal dignity to all faiths, in compliance with local laws. For Muslim leader, the country is moving towards "unity". For the local Indian community, it is a further sign of a climate of tolerance and dialogue.
-
Fr Rapacioli: The dialogue with Islam does not mean eliminating differences
Sep 25, 2019
The PIME missionary promoted an interfaith meeting with young Bangladeshis. Inspired by the Abu Dhabi document, human brotherhood was the topic of the event. Religion is being used for “terrorist purposes". The encounter between different religious experiences does not entail denying oneself but can “help understanding and real peaceful coexistence".
-
Nigerian Bishops decry attacks on Pope Francis
Sep 24, 2019
At the end of their recent meeting, the Catholic Bishops of Nigeria have said that attacks aimed at Pope Francis are ill-advised and describe them as “the proverbial ill wind that blows no one any good, bearing in mind that there are other more legitimate avenues of expressing opinions to the Holy Father.
-
Philippines release logo for 500 years of Christianity
Sep 24, 2019
Church leaders say the 2021 observance is a reminder of how Filipinos embraced the Catholic faith.
-
Official churches and religions celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Chinese communist regime
Sep 24, 2019
For the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the state is preparing a military parade of the highest profile. Official religious groups are obliged to celebrate the anniversary with various events. New regulations make religious groups instruments of the propaganda apparatus of the Communist Party.
-
Hindu radical arrested in Orissa after 20 years on the run for the murder of Rev. Staines
Sep 24, 2019
Buddhadev Nayak, a former fugitive, has ties to Dara Singh, the main accused of the murder of the Australian missionary and his two young children. Sajan K George: "The arrest confirms the affiliations with the Hindu militant organizations".
-
Tamil women visit St Sebastian Church, pay homage to Easter bombings victims
Sep 24, 2019
The group came from Jaffna peninsula, torn by civil war for almost 30 years, to pray for the recovery of the wounded and harmony between religious communities. Sirisena accepts the bishops' request and appoints an independent commission of inquiry.
Sunday Reflection
Embracing the wisdom of the human heart
Reflecting on our Sunday Readings with Fr George Vaithynathan