Yangon: On the first day of the octave (18 to 25 January) for Christian Unity, Myanmar Cardinal Charles Maung Bo has sent out a message of peace for war-torn people of his nation, 18 January 2021. Placing prayer for peace in war torn areas in the pandemic times ravaged byContinue Reading
Bagdad: Churches across Iraq have begun reciting a prayer in preparation for the Pope Francis upcoming visit to the Islamic nation. The Pope is scheduled to visit Iraq March 5-8. The Iraqi Catholic on January 17 recited the prayer written by Chaldean Patriarch Louis Raphael Sako. Millions died in theContinue Reading
Rome: In the past week, nine Catholic bishops have died worldwide after testing positive for COVID-19. Between Jan. 8 and Jan. 15, bishops across three continents died as a result of the coronavirus. The deceased bishops ranged in age from 53 years old to 91. Five of the bishops diedContinue Reading
Vatican City: Pope Francis sent a telegram Jan 15 with his condolences for Indonesia, after a strong earthquake killed at least 67 people on the island of Sulawesi. Hundreds of people were also injured in the 6.2-magnitude quake, according to Jan Gelfand, head of the International Federation of Red CrossContinue Reading
Évora: A convent of Conceptionist Sisters in the Archdiocese of Évora, Portugal is experiencing a major COVID-19 outbreak, and the local bishop is asking for prayers for the sisters and the elderly they serve. According to a January 14 statement from the archdiocese, 14 of the 16 religious sisters haveContinue Reading
Rome: The diocese of Rome will host a memorial Mass on Jan 15 for Servant of God Shahbaz Bhatti, a Catholic politician in Pakistan assassinated by an Islamic terrorist group 10 years ago. Bhatti served as Pakistan’s Federal Minister of Minorities Affairs from 2008 to 2011. He advocated for fourContinue Reading
Fewer people left the Catholic Church in Austria in 2020 than in the previous year, according to official figures released on Wednesday. New statistics, published on Jan. 13, showed that 58,535 people formally left the Church in 2020, compared to 67,794 in 2019 — a drop of 13.7%. All AustrianContinue Reading
Vatican City: Pope Francis and Pope emeritus Benedict XVI have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, the Vatican confirmed on Jan. 14. Responding to questions from reporters on Jan. 14, Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, said: “I can confirm that as part of theContinue Reading
Tel Aviv: On January 10, a Franciscan church reopened its doors for its first Mass in 54 years. A small group of 50 guests attended the service at St. John the Baptist Chapel. The church is located on the banks of the Jordan River, near Qasr Al-Yahud, the baptismal siteContinue Reading
Seoul: The government authorities in Seoul received major criticism from the internet after dispensing what social media users perceived as “patriarchal and misogynistic” advice on childbirth to women. The article was published in the Seoul Pregnancy and Childbirth Information Centre. The pregnancy guidelines were first posted in 2019, but theyContinue Reading