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
London: The UK government on Jan 12 defended India’s position on religious rights and praised its “diversity” and “rich tapestry of religious minorities alongside its sizable Hindu majority” during a Westminster Hall debate on ‘Persecution of Muslims, Christians and minority groups in India’. The Indian High Commission in London issuedContinue Reading
More than 340 million Christians suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith, one in eight worldwide, according to World Watch List 2021, Open Doors’ yearly report on the persecution of Christians. Open Doors found that the coronavirus and the measures taken to contain it have actually worsenedContinue Reading
By Barbara Crossette on Jan 11, 2021 New York: António Guterres, a former Portuguese prime minister who has been United Nations secretary-general since January 2017, is seeking a second five-year term in office, beginning January 1, 2022. UN officials confirmed on January 11 that Guterres told the five permanent membersContinue Reading
