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…

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…