A prominent Pakistani Christian political leader has written a letter to Punjab authorities seeking permission to construct a church and baptism pool for minority inmates in Lahore central prison. In his letter, Massiha Millat Party chairman Aslam Pervaiz Sahotra asked the minority affairs minister to give his attention to the number of non-Muslim prisoners at…
Category: World Report
Asia Bibi ‘forgives’ those who wanted her killed
A Pakistani Catholic who was on death row for eight years and tortured after she was falsely accused of blasphemy before being released last year has said she’s “forgiven everyone”. Ms Bibi’s case was followed closely by charities who fight against Christian persecution around the world, who have consistently condemned Pakistan’s severe blasphemy laws. Regarding…
Pope warns Legionaries: reform is not over
Renewal is a continuous journey requiring humility, patience and prayer to discern God’s will, Pope Francis told members of Regnum Christi and the Legionaries of Christ. The communities’ “journey of renewal is not over because a change in mentality in individuals and in an institution requires a lot of time for assimilation and, therefore, continuous…
Ethiopian Catholic delegation refused entry at Eritrea airport
A Catholic delegation has hit out at being stopped at an airport in Eritrea and forced to return to Ethiopia. “We condemn the gesture” said the Catholic Secretariat of Ethiopia on February 28, who claimed they were “illegally detained without reason”. “We also express our solidarity with the Catholic Church in Eritrea, which lives in…
Argentina President proposes new bill to legalise abortion
The President of Argentina has said he will send a bill to legalise abortion to Congress within the next week. Alberto Fernandez, who was sworn in as the country’s president in December, has previously described abortion as “a matter of public health”. At present, abortion in Argentina is only allowed in cases of rape or…
Vatican Roundup
Put down phone, pick up Bible – Pope’s Lent advice Pope Francis has told Catholics to use the season of Lent to spend less time watching television or being on their phones, and to spend more time reading the Bible. The Pope reflected on the “desert” of Lent during his weekly general audience and how…
Pope accepts resignation of Buffalo bishop over sex abuse
Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Bishop Edward Grosz, auxiliary bishop of Buffalo, who has been accused of mishandling a sex abuse allegation. Grosz, who turned 75 on February 16, offered his resignation at the age required by canon law. The Vatican’s announcement on March 2 accepting Grosz’s resignation did not indicate whether it…
Toyko diocese suspends Mass as coronavirus hits Japan
The Tokyo archdiocese has suspended all public Mass until March 14 as a precaution to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Archbishop Isao Kikuchi issued the directive on February 25 for two weeks from the day after Ash Wednesday. The directive is in response to Japan’s government policy on measures to protect against the outbreak…
Middle East bishops call for an Arab World Youth Day
Bishops in the Middle East have called for a regional youth gathering similar to World Youth Day to be established for young Catholics in Arab countries. The proposed ‘World Day of Youth of the Arab Regions’ would take place in Jordan as the first host country with the goal of encouraging “mass participation”, according to…
S. Korea cancels all religious services until March 5
An archdiocese in South Korea has suspended all Masses for two weeks and cancelled the Ash Wednesday liturgy in order to stop the spread of the coronavirus at religious gatherings. Archbishop Thaddeus Cho Hwan-kil of Daegu has banned all Church meetings until March 5 after new cases were reported from Christian congregations in parishes and…