INDONESIA – Muslim youth injures priest in church during Mass in copycat attack In what appears to be a copycat attack inspired by the fatal stabbing of Fr Murat in France last month, an Indonesian Muslim youth wielding an axe attacked a priest during a Sunday service in a church in Medan, northern Sumatra. In the early hours...
UK – “Churches must prepare for IS attacks “counter-terrorism experts warn Following attacks by Islamic extremists on Catholic priests in Indonesia and France in recent weeks, counter terrorism experts fear Islamic State supporters will target churches in the UK and other European countries. The attacks prompted counter terrorism experts to rewrite advice for religious institutions...
CHINA –“We will make the Cross flourish throughout China” Since late 2013, more than 1,200 crosses have been removed from the churches in Zhejiang Province, China. But the government’s campaign to remove Christian symbols using the excuse of “illegal constructions” has not succeeded in preventing crosses being displayed in the country. A Catholic priest...
EGYPT – Bishop warns of exponential rise in attacks on Christians Bishop Angaelos, head of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom, issued a warning about the exponential rise in attacks on Christians in Egypt: “It is regrettable that the time has come yet again to speak of heightened, targeted attacks against Coptic Christians...
Holy See urges UN to protect children in war zones A recent UN report confirming a worrying increasing in violence against children in conflict zones prompted the Holy See to urge the United Nations and local governments to protect the innocent children from the effects of violent conflict worldwide. The report indicated that tens...
Pope Francis visits refuge for former prostitutes Pope Francis has visited a special community for women freed from prostitution and violent abuse as his latest ‘Mercy Friday’ initiative during the Jubilee. During his visit to the “Pope John XXIII Community” in Rome, the Pope met the 20 women who are being cared for there,...
SYRIA – A cry for help from Carmelite Sisters in Aleppo “The situation is a complicated and we are hearing many contradictory stories. The only truth we do know is that the people here are suffering and dying.” The words are those of Sister Anne-Françoise, a French religious of the Enclosed and Apostolic Discalced Carmelite...
THAILAND – Pope inspires parish to plant 800 trees Catholic parishioners of Mount Carmel Church in Paphanawan, in the far northeastern region of Thailand, have come up with an idea to combat the environmental threats around them, including water shortage. Inspired by Pope Francis’ encyclical on caring for creation, they decided to plant hundreds of...
“The EU is more concerned about migrants than the country” – message from Mgr George Bugeja “We are all people of the same God we believe in. In the name of this God we can live in peace like brothers.” This is the message coming from Tripoli sent by Monsignor George Bugeja, OFM, Coadjutor...
Pope Francis prays for victims of recent massacre in Congo Pope Francis marked the feast of the Assumption of Mary by praying for the dozens of people massacred last weekend in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and decrying the “shameful silence” which surround these attacks. At least 36 civilians were killed late Saturday during...
