VENEZUELA Cardinal Savino highlights Government failure as the cause of the crisis ‘A kilogram of milk powder costs more than the average monthly wage. How can Venezuelan mothers feed their children?’ “A kilogram of milk powder costs more than the average monthly wage. How can Venezuelan mothers feed their children?” asked Cardinal Jorge...
Pope tells Polish youth “Rest assured He sees you as a precious treasure for the world’ At the end of last Wednesday’s General Audience in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis addressed a group of Polish young people who were taking part on Saturday 2 June in the 22nd Meeting of Young People at Lednica....
NIGERIA Kidnapped schoolgirl who refused to convert to Islam remains in captivity Leah Sharibu has just turned 15. Normally she would have shared a special birthday meal with her family at their home in northeast Nigeria. Afterwards, they would have bowed their heads in prayer, asking God to bless Leah on her birthday. But...
MALAYSIA Bishops urge prayers for peace and reconciliation after the election The Bishops of Malaysia issued a message after the political elections saying “We exercised our democratic right of vote on May 9, 2018. Malaysia has a golden opportunity, the future lies in the hands of the people. We Catholic Bishops of Malaysia, propose...
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC “Bangui is wounded and in need of heroes” At the most difficult moments heroes arise, and I do not doubt that these heroes exist here too in the Central African Republic, willing to rise up as one and say ‘no’ to violence, ‘no’ to barbarity, ‘no’ to the destruction of their...
CAMEROON Bishops condemn ‘monstrous violence’ The Catholic bishops of Cameroon have issued an urgent plea signed by Monsignor Samuel Kleda, President of the Cameroon Bishops’ Conference, following the brutal army crackdown against an independence movement in English-speaking regions of Cameroon. The escalating humanitarian crisis that resulted is described by the bishops as a situation...
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA “Open war against the Catholic church” The guns have been silent in Bosnia and Herzegovina for 23 years. However, according to Bishop Franjo Komarica, the country is like a powder keg. Head of the diocese of Banja Luka in the northern part of the country, the 72-year-old does not believe in...
INDIA “The Church serves all, fighting discrimination on all fronts” Bishop Sarat Chandra Nayak of Berhampur was recently appointed by the Catholic Conference of Bishops of India (CBCI) as the Chairman of the Commission for Scheduled Castes (SCs)/ other Backward Castes (BCs). An important part of the Commission’s task is to shape the Church’s...
KOREA New Maltese Nuncio hopes for reconciliation and reunification The new Apostolic Nuncio to South Korea and Mongolia, 59-year old Archbishop Alfred Xuereb, is hopeful about improving relations between the two Koreas and the prospect of reconciliation. North and South Korea are technically still at war since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an...
Patriarch Sako and Archbishop Coutts among the 14 new cardinals announced by Pope Francis Pope Francis declared on Sunday that he had chosen 14 new cardinals. “I am happy to announce that on June 29, I will hold a consistory to make 14 new cardinals,” he told pilgrims and tourists in St. Peter’s Square. “The...
