Category: News

Indian Christians accused of converting children freed

Eight Christians accused of kidnapping 60 children for the purpose of converting them to Christianity have been acquitted in India. The six men and two women were alleged to have attempted an illegal religious conversion of tribal children were freed in Madhya Pradesh on February 18. The adults were on their way to Nagpur with…

East Africa Bishops rally to fight locust plague

Catholic bishops in East Africa have called for increased action to combat the region’s worst desert locust infestation in 70 years. Like scenes from the Book of Exodus, swarms of locusts are ravaging grazing lands and endangering the economies of seven countries heavily dependent on agriculture for food security. Bishop Giorgio Bertin, who heads the Church…

Vatican Round Up

First
 meeting 
between 
China 
and 
Vatican
 for 
70 years A first meeting between The Holy See and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) since 1951 took place in Germany on February 14. Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States, met with PRC State Councillor and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wang Yi,…

Irish Monk showcases his painting of Mary in Canada

An Irish Benedictine monk is showcasing his huge oil-on-canvas painting of Mary at an exhibition in Canada during the month of February. Emmaus O’Herlihy’s painting of Mary, called Red Magnificat, pictures her as both indigenous and almost young enough to be called a child. His painting is in Toronto’s Regis College as part of an exhibition called…

In Brief

Catholic Bishop in China overcomes coronavirus A retired priest in China has made a remarkable recovery from the coronavirus just days after being diagnosed with the epidemic. Bishop Joseph Zhu Baoyu of Nanyang, who is 98 years old, fell ill with pneumonia from Covid-19 on February 3. On February 12 he tested negative, but two…