Fides News - English

AFRICA/NIGERIA - Two nuns kidnapped in south-east Nigeria released

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 13:22:29 +0100

Abuja - "I am happy to announce that our dear sisters Vincentia Maria Nwankwo and Grace Mariette Okoli, kidnapped on the evening of January 7, 2025, have been unconditionally released and in good health". With these words, the Congregation of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Onitsha announced the release of the two sisters kidnapped on January 7 in the state of Anambra, in south-east Nigeria . "We thank God and everyone for the prayers and support in these difficult and uncertain days", concludes the statement.

ASIA/BANGLADESH - Auxiliary Bishop of Dhaka: "The rise in prices is weighing on people"

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 13:19:07 +0100

Dhaka - "The sharp rise in prices, especially for food and everyday goods, is weighing on people," said the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Dhaka, Subroto Boniface Gomes, in an interview with Fides. "The rise in prices of vegetables is causing considerable difficulties for low and middle income families," he stressed. "The faithful complain that shopping in the capital's markets, even for meat, fish and eggs, has become an arduous task.
How can families make a living? This is a priority that the government must address today." In this regard, Bishop Subroto Gomes hopes for "effective measures from the Yunus government." According to observers, the rains and floods that have hit several agricultural and vegetable-growing regions in the last two months have contributed to the rise in prices of products that form the basis of the diet of large parts of the population, especially the poor. According to the bishop, "this is one of the urgent issues facing us in the new year, while the country is in the midst of a political transition." Student protests that took place in Bangladesh between July and August 2024 led to the resignation and flight of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who found refuge in India while an "interim government" was formed that will lead the country for about two years before new elections are scheduled. Relations between the Catholic Church and the new government of Mohammad Yunus, said the bishop, are good and there is trust, "but we have asked that, at the level of representation of cultures and religions, some Christian representatives, regardless of denomination, be included in the government and in the commissions set up for reforms." The executive branch, meanwhile, has set up six committees to examine reforms in as many areas: electoral system, police, justice, anti-corruption, public administration and constitution. "It is important that our views are taken into account on so many aspects of the country's future," says Bishop Subroto Gomes. The Bishop also reports that the Jubilee Year was opened on January 8 in the various dioceses of Bangladesh and that "the Bangladeshi faithful dream of a pilgrimage to Rome." However, it is very difficult for Bangladeshi citizens to obtain entry visas to Italy and the European Union, and this also applies to the local Church. The Catholic youth movement 'Jesus Youth' is trying to organize a pilgrimage for young people on the occasion of the Holy Year and we hope it will be successful," he concludes.

ASIA/CHINA - Bishop Joseph Shen Bin administers the sacrament of baptism to 54 new Catholics at the beginning of the Jubilee Year

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 12:59:14 +0100

Shanghai - The Jubilee Year 2025 begins in the Diocese of Shanghai with the reception of 54 newly baptized people who received the sacrament of baptism on Sunday 12 January, the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, by Bishop Joseph Shen Bin.
More than 1,500 faithful, as well as catechumens from the diocesan Catechism Course, took part in the solemn Mass in the Cathedral of Saint Ignatius of Loyola. In his homily, Bishop Joseph Shen Bin recalled the centrality of baptism in the journey of Christian life and called on all Catholics to participate actively in the Jubilee Year together with the newly baptized. The Bishop encouraged everyone to pray for peace in the world and to work for the unemployed, the poor, orphans, the sick and the elderly, especially in view of the upcoming Chinese New Year. The bishop asked the newly baptized Catholics to "follow the example of the Apostle Paul by accepting the word of God with all your heart and spreading the Gospel by becoming like a burning and shining lamp, enlightening others with your faith."
The Chinese Catholic communities, meanwhile, are multiplying the liturgies for administering new baptisms throughout the year and are no longer limiting themselves to the traditional occasion of the Easter Vigil. Baptisms are administered on Christmas, Pentecost, Sundays of the liturgical year and, of course, on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. The multiplication of baptismal liturgies is seen as an objective measure for recognizing the fruits of the proclamation of the Gospel. "We have no right to turn anyone away from the call of the Lord," said the parish priest of the cathedral of the diocese of Tianjin, Father Zhang Liang, 20 years ago. On the gate of the cathedral in Xikai is the inscription "Come and See." The parish committee strives to create a welcoming atmosphere for everyone, including tourists and interested parties, starting with the opening of the church all day long. Catechism classes and in-depth information about the faith are offered by competent Catholic volunteers. The diocese of Shanghai now has over 160,000 Catholics, 111 churches and chapels divided into five deaneries. About 170 priests provide pastoral services in parishes or Catholic institutions and promote catechesis groups, marriage preparation courses and sacred music lessons.

AFRICA/BENIN - Bishops express condolences for soldiers killed in recent jihadist assault

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 12:28:15 +0100

Cotonou - Condolences for the soldiers killed in the jihadist assault on January 8, an appeal to young people to avoid joining the ranks of cybercrime, and a wish for peaceful elections. These are the relevant themes contained in the final communiqué of the second ordinary plenary session of the Episcopal Conference of Benin for the pastoral year 2024-2025, held from January 7 to 10 in Cotonou.
"We express our deep compassion to the entire nation and to the bereaved families for the loss of their sons from the defence and security forces, fallen at the front in the line of duty," said the bishops in offering condolences for the soldiers killed in the jihadist assault on January 8. The attack took place near the so-called triple border between Benin, Niger and Burkina Faso. A jihadist formation from the latter country attacked the border post, killing at least 28 Beninese soldiers. The attack was claimed by the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims , affiliated with Al Qaeda.
The presence of jihadist groups in neighbouring countries, particularly in Niger and Burkina Faso, has forced the Beninese government to deploy at least 3,000 soldiers in the north of the country to prevent armed incursions. Local security forces are supported by the US military, as demonstrated by the incident on 10 January involving a helicopter from a private US company commissioned by the Pentagon to provide medical evacuation services to local soldiers. As for young people, the Bishops are concerned about the growth of cybercrime in the country, which seduces a large number of young people with “the promise of easy profits”. According to the Bishops, the unbridled pursuit of easy profits, often at the expense of public safety and social integrity, compromises the future of young people and shakes the ethical foundations of the nation. Faced with the ineffectiveness of awareness campaigns carried out so far, the Episcopal Conference urges young people to reject fraudulent practices and to adopt a lifestyle based on honesty and constant work. Finally, in their statement, the bishops hope that the general elections to be held in April 2026 will be peaceful, but express their concern “about the persistence of political tensions that could undermine social peace and national cohesion”. In a context in which understanding between the various political forces remains fragile, the bishops call on political actors to prioritize dialogue, mutual respect and the best interests of the nation in their positions and actions.

AFRICA/EGYPT - Human wealth, hospitality, faith rooted in the life of the people of the village of Kom Ghareeb, told by a missionary

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 12:17:36 +0100

Cairo - "This year I have had the joy and grace to celebrate Christmas twice. On December 25, I celebrated the birth of Jesus like all Catholics in the parish of Shubra, in Cairo. Then, on January 7, I celebrated Christmas with my Catholic brothers of the Coptic rite in the village of Kom Ghareeb , where I have been for a week."

This is what Anselmo Fabiano, a missionary of the Society of African Missions , who has been in the SMA house in the Shoubra district since last September, tells Fides.

"Immediately after New Year, I left Cairo for the south, in Upper Egypt," Anselmo continues. "I was welcomed in a fraternal way in the Coptic parish by the parish priest Abuna Iusif. It was quite a leap: from the great and endless city of Cairo to this small village of farmers and cattle breeders. From the great cathedral of Shubra, with a dozen Christians, to this small church which, on Christmas Eve, was packed with Christians inside and outside."

"From the first moment I experienced an extraordinary welcome, starting with the parish priest, then the children and young people who welcome me every time they see me, look for me and accompany me to show me what their lives are like. Not to mention all the families who have opened the doors of their houses to greet me and welcome me warmly. Here, life and the environment are very different, we are surrounded by green fields of onions, wheat, cucumbers, tomatoes. In the morning, the roosters and donkeys act as a natural alarm clock. The sound of the hooves of horses and oxen accompanies my days. The reality is certainly much poorer: I meet barefoot children on the dusty road, in ragged and worn clothes, their work in the fields is hard and exhausting, the houses are very poor and simple. But I have also been able to touch an extraordinary human wealth, made up of a generous welcome, sometimes disarming, and a strong faith, rooted in the life of the people.

“I cherish in my heart the memory of my first Coptic Mass on Christmas Day,” concludes the missionary. “The smell of bread, wine and incense, so many gestures and rites so different from ours, but full of meaning. I cannot forget the little altar boys around the altar who moved skillfully through the various rites, singing, reciting and praying with joy and enthusiasm. Despite the complicated language, I immediately felt at home, welcomed as a brother in faith. I managed to learn the Lord's Prayer thanks to the help of a small group of children: the little ones are my teachers and my catechists, who open the door to their way of celebrating and living the faith."

VATICAN/ANGELUS - Baptism of the Lord, the Pope: "The face and voice of God are manifested in Jesus’ humanity"

Sun, 12 Jan 2025 10:44:39 +0100

Vatican City - "The face and voice of God are manifested in Jesus’ humanity". Pope Francis returned to St. Peter's Square for the Sunday prayer of the Angelus, on the occasion of the feast of the Baptism of the Lord which, according to the liturgical calendar currently in force in the Catholic Church, marks the end of the Christmas season. This feast commemorates the moment when Christ went to receive the baptism of penance preached and administered by John the Baptist in the Jordan.

What happened on the banks of the Jordan two thousand years ago, the Pontiff stressed, "makes us think of many things, including our own Baptism". Jesus joins His people, who are going to receive baptism for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus goes to be baptized by John, “with a bare soul and bare feet”,", added the Bishop of Rome, citing a liturgical hymn characteristic of today's feast.

And when Jesus receives baptism, "the Spirit manifests Himself and the Epiphany of God occurs; He reveals His face in the Son and makes His voice heard". And it is precisely on the first element that the Pope briefly dwelt. "In revealing Himself to be the Father through the Son, God establishes a special space for entering into dialogue and communion with humanity. It is the face of the beloved Son".

Hence the invitation to reflect: "Are we capable of recognizing His face in Jesus and in our brothers and sisters? And are we accustomed to listening to His voice? Then, the Supreme Pontiff once again asked everyone to "remember the date of your baptism. This is very important! And let us celebrate this date as if it were a new birthday: that of our birth in the Spirit of God."

After the blessing, the thoughts of the Supreme Pontiff went to "the inhabitants of the County of Los Angeles, California, where devastating fires have been raging in recent days. I pray for you all", were the words of the Pope, who then recalled the celebration in the Sistine Chapel that he presided over before the Angelus, during which he baptized 21 newborns, children of employees of the Holy See and the Swiss Guard.
"Let us pray for them, for their families. And I would like to ask the Lord, for all young couples, that they have the joy of welcoming the gift of children and bringing them to Baptism", said the Bishop of Rome, who finally drew attention to the figure of Father Giovanni Merlini, priest of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood who was beatified this morning in the Basilica of Saint John Lateran: "Devoted to the missions of his people, he was a prudent advisor to many souls, and a messenger of peace. Let us also invoke his intercession as we pray for peace in Ukraine, in the Middle East and all over the world."

VATICAN - Pope Francis inaugurates the Jubilee Audiences: in the pilgrimage of Christian hope it is always possible to “start anew”

Sat, 11 Jan 2025 21:23:38 +0100

Vatican City - In the pilgrimage of Christian life a new beginning is always possible. It is always possible to start anew. This was repeated by the Fathers of the Church, such as Saint Irenaeus of Lyon. Pope Francis repeated this today, January 11, as he inaugurated the "Saturday Jubilee audiences", similar in structure to the Wednesday General Audiences, which will mark the coming months and allow the Bishop of Rome to "ideally welcome and embrace all those who are coming from all over the world in search of a new beginning. Indeed, the Jubilee is a new beginning, the possibility for everyone to start anew from God". In a playful manner, Pope Francis, taking his cue from the various passages of his reflection, invited the multitude gathered in the Paul VI Hall several times during the Audience to chant the word ‘Start again!’ all together.

The common thread of the special cycle of Jubilee Audiences will be that of Hope, the key word of the Holy Year 2025.

Hope - explained the Pope, repeating what the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches - is "a theological virtue", that is, "a strength that comes from God. Hope, therefore, is not a habit or a character trait – that you either have or you don’t – but a strength to be asked for. That is why we make ourselves pilgrims: we come to ask for a gift, to start again on life’s journey".

Taking inspiration from the feast of the Baptism of Jesus, which is celebrated tomorrow, Pope Francis recalled the figure of "that great prophet of hope who was John the Baptist". Many people recalled the Pope - "flocked to him, longing for a new beginning, longing to start over". Jesus himself - continued the Successor of Peter, quoting the words reported in the Gospel of Luke - said that "among those born of women, no one is greater than John". But he also added that "the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he". "Here is the surprise", commented the Pope: "welcoming the Kingdom of God leads us to a new order of greatness".

Like John the Baptist, who in prison, before being beheaded on Herod's orders, was "full of questions", "we too", the Pope continued, "bring many questions on our pilgrimage, because there are many “Herods” who still oppose the Kingdom of God. Jesus, however, shows us the new path, the path of the Beatitudes, which are the surprising law of the Gospel". And we can always start again "from this originality of God, which shone in Jesus and which now binds us to serve, to love fraternally, to acknowledge ourselves as small. And to see the least, to listen to them and to be their voice. Here - concluded the Pontiff - is the new beginning, our Jubilee. And so we must…" And the multitude, at the urging of Pope Francis, once again repeated, all together, the word "Begin again!".

VATICAN - Cardinal Battaglia appointed Member of the Dicastery for Evangelization

Sat, 11 Jan 2025 20:59:38 +0100

Vatican City - The Holy Father Francis has appointed Cardinal Domenico Battaglia, Archbishop of Naples, as Member of the Dicastery for Evangelization .

AFRICA/CAMEROON - Appointment of bishop of Yokadouma

Sat, 11 Jan 2025 20:55:34 +0100

Vatican City - The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Justin Georges Ebengue, of the clergy of Batouri, until now rector of the Notre Dame de l’Espérance Interdiocesan Major Seminary of Bertoua, as bishop of Yokadouma, Cameroon.
Msgr. Justin Georges Ebengue was born on 18 May 1970. He attended the Saint Jean-Baptiste Preparatory Seminary of Doumé, and studied philosophy and theology at the Notre Dame de l’Espérance Interdiocesan Major Seminary of Bertoua, receiving a licentiate in canon law from the Catholic University of Central African in Yaoundé.
He was ordained a priest on 18 February 2006 for the diocese of Batouri.
He has held the following offices: parish vicar, parish priest, rector of the minor seminary of Doumé, chancellor of the diocese of Doumé-Abong’ Mbang, head of diocesan pastoral care and catechesis, diocesan administrator of Batouri , rector of the Cathedral of Batouri, chaplain of the Bary Catholic College, member of the College of Consultors, the Presbyteral Council and the Council for Economic Affairs, member of the administration of the diocesan Procuratorate, vicar general of Batouri.
Since 2023 he has been rector of the Notre-Dame de l’Espérance Interdiocesan Major Seminary of Bertoua.

ASIA/THAILANDIA - Appointment of metropolitan archbishop of Bangkok

Sat, 11 Jan 2025 20:53:49 +0100

Vatican City - The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Francis Xavier Vira Arpondratana, until now bishop of Chiang Mai and apostolic administrator of Bangkok, as metropolitan archbishop of Bangkok, Thailand.

EUROPE/ITALY - Blessed Father Giovanni Merlini, the missionary who spoke to the Pope and the bandits (of the Papal State)

Sat, 11 Jan 2025 18:55:36 +0100

by Fabio Beretta

Rome - "There is someone who loves you even before you deserve it." Disobeying the orders of the papal legate, Father Giovanni Merlini did not condemn or attack anyone in his homilies. Not even the bandits who, with their misdeeds, disturbed the order and internal peace of the Papal State.
According to him, violent repression was not the right way to resolve the problems of the lands of central Italy that had seen the invasion of Napoleonic French troops. His words also pierced like a bullet the hearts of the hardened criminals who sowed terror in the countryside. Thus, some bandits, through Father Giovanni, wrote a letter to the Pope asking for forgiveness.

Exactly two centuries after writing this letter, dated 1825, Father Giovanni Merlini, missionary of the Precious Blood, is proclaimed blessed. The beatification liturgy, which will be presided over on Sunday, January 12 by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, will not take place in Spoleto, his hometown, nor in Albano, a town in the Castelli Romani where Father Merlini lived, but in the Cathedral of Rome, the Lateran, where he will be elevated to the honors of the altars. A missionary in the lands of the Papal States, he was accused several times of collusion with bandits and of disobedience to the Church he served. He was also the advisor to a Pope, Blessed Pius IX.

And his holiness lies precisely in his way of living in the world with what Father Valerio Volpi, director of the Pastoral Office for Youth and Vocations of the Italian Province of the Congregation of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, co-author of the latest biography of Father Merlini, defines in an interview with Fides as "a disconcerting inner freedom".

"In a Church that sometimes pursues pastoral success, that questions itself saying: if people don't come, we fail, the example of Father Giovanni is enlightening. He trusted that God would do the rest", adds Father Valerio, recalling the words that Blessed Merlini addressed to his spiritual daughter, Maria de Mattias, today a saint: "You worry about many things, I worry only about the will of God. Always remember that we are channels and not sources".

The source of his work "is all there". And this freedom of action led him to embark on great projects, sometimes crazy, such as telling the Pope, who had then left Rome because of the insurrection of 1848: "Your Holiness, if you want to return to Rome, extend the feast of the Precious Blood to the entire universal Church. If you do so, you will have the possibility of returning to Rome before the feast . Pius IX did not make a vow but a simple promise", recounts Father Valerio. And in fact, on June 30, on the eve of the feast of the Precious Blood, the battle that, de facto, sanctioned the end of the Roman Republic took place. On 10 August 1849, faithful to the promise made in Gaeta, Pius IX issued the bull Redempti sumus with which the feast of the Precious Blood was extended to the entire Church, fixing it on the first Sunday of July .

Father Merlini, the 'biographer' continues, acted in this way because he was convinced that it was God's will. If God wanted it that way, he would have had the means and ways to carry out his will”. This way of doing things also won over Pius IX.

"Father Merlini's reputation as a spiritual director preceded him. Like all the initiatives he took in the context of his mission to "retransmit the love of God in the lands of the Papal States, where large sections of the population live," explains Father Valerio. "They did not need to know Jesus by name. Everyone knew who he was and what he had done. What they lacked was to experience that this Jesus loved them so much that he gave his life for each one of them, even if they were bandits or poor people."

And Merlini was listened to by these people because, as Father Volpi points out, "he used dialogue." With Saint Gaspare del Bufalo, he undertook the construction of several mission houses in the territories of the Papal States. Saint Gaspare chose Father Merlini because he was very practical and because he was an architect. Many of these houses were built outside the inhabited areas to facilitate the encounter and dialogue with the bandits. Father Giovanni spoke to them and the bandits listened to him. Often, in the evening, when everyone returned to the camps after working in the countryside, he offered water to everyone, without distinction. He never used an armed escort”.

And it was precisely this way of doing things that led Pius IX to want him as an advisor. And the Pope, in order to listen to him, did not bring him to Rome: “It was the Pontiff who went to Albano to speak to Father Giovanni. It was not unusual for the Pope to arrive while he was in the chicken coop feeding the animals. Tasks that, in the congregation, certainly did not belong to a high-ranking member”, explains Father Valerio to Fides. Merlini, in fact, was elected third Moderator General of the Congregation of the Precious Blood in 1847, a position he held until his death. Under his leadership, the Congregation founded by Saint Gaspar del Bufalo took on the structural aspect that we know today.

Father Merlini, a missionary in the lands of the Pope, is also the first blessed of the Jubilee 2025, dedicated to the theme of hope. This too, concludes Father Valerio Volpi, “is a strong message. As Christians, we sometimes take ourselves a little for granted, while Father Giovanni tells us that we must not take anything for granted. Father Giovanni also helps us to experience Rome, a city with a thousand-year-old tradition of faith, through his desire to follow God’s will. He helps us to recognize that there is no situation in which we live where God cannot teach us something.”

ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - Jubilee with the inmates of the vocational training center, in the name of Saint Joseph and Mary

Sat, 11 Jan 2025 18:31:28 +0100

Suwon - The Jubilee of 2025 is also celebrated in prisons. The Detention Center for Vocational Training in the city of Hwaseong celebrated the beginning of the Jubilee in recent days with a blessing ceremony and the delivery of two statues installed inside the facility, with the intention of expressing the closeness and attention of the Catholic community, which will continue various initiatives throughout the Jubilee period. The Hwaseong center is a special detention-work institute where about 1,000 inmates receive vocational training , preparing them for economic independence and reintegration into society after their release.
As Fides learns from local sources, thanks to the collection of the faithful of the Catholic parish of Cheolsan, in the diocese of Suwon, and the contribution of an anonymous donor, the male section of the vocational center received a statue of St. Joseph in the guise of a carpenter and of the Holy Family; and, in the female section, a statue of the Virgin with the baby Jesus was brought to express the warmth and love of a mother.
Father Yoo Jeong-su, deputy director of the Pastoral Commission for Prisoners of the diocese of Suwon, explained: "In the bull proclaiming the Jubilee, the Pope encourages everyone, including government authorities, to pay special attention to those who are in prisons. We installed two statues so that prisoners can live their stay in the facility with hope, rather than discouragement or distrust." Father Yoo Jeong-su asked for attention and prayers for the inmates, saying, “How we treat the disadvantaged or marginalized is an indicator of the health of a society. It is the responsibility of the entire society to prevent crime and create conditions for those who have committed wrongdoing to recover, reintegrate, find acceptance and solidarity.”
The inmates, for the most part, realize their mistakes, express regret, and diligently pursue vocational training to become good citizens again after their release,” said Paul Jaesul Kim, director of Hwaseong Prison, who praised the Catholic Church’s initiative and remarked, “I believe the Holy Family of Nazareth will help reawaken the importance of family, and the statue of the Virgin Mary will help evoke noble maternal love.”
The director noted that the event took place without any opposition from staff or inmates of other religious faiths, thanks to the time spent for the preparation by volunteers from the local Church, who explained well the spirit and meaning of these gestures.
A number of Catholic inmates also contributed to the handicraft of the statues, grateful "to be able to apply the skills acquired in prison to a sacred work and thus participate in the Jubilee". All those present at the installation ceremony - priests and faithful, surveillance personnel, representatives of the inmates - expressed the hope that "this gesture will open a new path to healing and hope for the inmates, and will serve to sensitize Korean society to the idea of extending a helping hand to those in prison".

AMERICA/HAITI - Father Massimo Miraglio: “We too want to be pilgrims of hope”

Sat, 11 Jan 2025 18:19:50 +0100

by Antonella Prenna

Port au Prince - "The situation in Haiti has become really difficult, not only in the capital but also in the surrounding areas, where gangs dictate the law. Even in the provinces there are beginning to be great difficulties," said Father Massimo Miraglio to Fides about the current situation in which the Haitian population is preparing for the Holy Year that has just begun.
The missionary is parish priest of the parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Pourcine Pic Makaya, a remote village in the mountainous hinterland of Jeremie, 300 km from Port au Prince.

"Here in Pourcine we want to become pilgrims of hope. And we want to move forward on this difficult path.”

Father Massimo describes the enormous difficulties of a country. “Jeremy hardly receives any supplies from the capital anymore, except in extremely difficult conditions and at very high costs, which obviously affects fuel, the cost of living and a whole series of essential goods,” says the missionary. “The lack of fuel also prevents the fruits of the earth produced in the hinterland from reaching the markets of Jeremy.” He adds, “The rains of the last few weeks have made the roads and transport very, very difficult, and even in our community the difficulties are increasing day by day. The roads to the valley floor have now become almost impassable and transporting the products to Jeremy is extremely difficult and expensive. The same applies to deliveries from the capital of Jeremy to the hinterland. Unfortunately, the recent rains have also caused the failure of the bean harvest, the main source of income for the population. Despite everything, we continue to work, we move forward with hope, we try to set up small agricultural projects to support farmers, we continue with the nursery school. In 2025 we also want to move forward with the project for the location of the health clinic, which is essential in such a remote area, and the second section of the water pipeline, which will allow us to bring drinking water to some regions where it does not exist.”

““It is in this context of hope, of desire to live, of returning to a normal life and of planning for the future, that we prepare to live the Jubilee. The Holy Year has just begun,” said Father Massimo.

“Last week, early in the morning, we went down to the valley with a small delegation of believers from the parish to receive the Jubilee Cross that the bishop Pierre-André Dumas had distributed to each parish,” affirms the missionary, “It was not an easy journey on uneven and very, very slippery paths due to the incessant rain of the last few weeks. We had to walk for almost five hours before meeting a seminarian with another group who had come after Jeremy. Together we held a short time of prayer and then went in procession up the mountain towards the parish. When we arrived at the river that represents the entrance to the territory of our parish, we stopped and thanked the Lord once again in a moment of prayer for all the good that we managed to achieve in 2024. We asked the Lord to continue to inspire us and guide us in this Jubilee Year so that each of us can deepen and embody the theme of hope chosen by Pope Francis.
After the prayer, we set off again on the last, most demanding and steepest part of the path that led to the parish. In total, it was eight hours there and back. When we arrived at the gates of the village, part of the population also joined the procession. We entered the very simple building where we celebrate Mass and placed the Jubilee Cross next to the altar, which will accompany us throughout the year, inspire our actions, guide our words and, above all, be a source of hope for the implementation of good projects and all that the Lord has planned for us.”

“The Catholic community of Pourcine Pic Makaya,” concluded Father Massimo, “will live this Jubilee Year with great faith and great hope. We too want to participate from afar, from our small parish isolated in the mountains, we too feel part of this Catholic universal Church, and with the entire Catholic universal Church we want to celebrate this Jubilee Year, a Holy Year, a Year of Hope, a year in which we want to renew our commitments as Christians. A year in which we want to make a special commitment to continue building the community as a place of fraternity, solidarity and sharing."

VATICAN - Pope Francis at the “Congrès Mission”: our hope is Christ, and it does not belong to us

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 20:51:47 +0100

Vatican City - “Christ is our hope”. And “this hope – it is curious – does not belong to us,” because “hope is not a possession you can put in your pocket. No, it does not belong to us. It is a gift to share, a light to transmit. And if hope is not shared, it falls.”

With these words, Pope Francis has indicated once again the source of hope, the theological virtue that is the guiding thread of the Holy Year 2025 that has just begun. He did so by addressing the leaders of the “Congrès Mission”, a network of initiatives - congresses, workshops, conferences, meetings - which was created in France in 2015 with the aim of helping everyone discover how to proclaim the Gospel and become a missionary in the way that best suits their own person and temperament.

In his speech, Pope Francis also recalled the dynamism that unites hope, evangelical joy and missionary zeal. “Joy, dear friends,” the Pontiff said, “is inseparable from hope, and it is also inseparable from mission; a joy that is not reduced to the enthusiasm of the moment, but that is born of the encounter with Christ and directs us towards our brothers and sisters. Being pilgrims means walking together in the Church, but also having the courage to go out, to encounter others”. Going “where men and women live out their joys and their sufferings. This is how you bring hope, both in your communities and in the places where the Church at times seems tired or withdrawn.”

The Pope thanked the leaders of the Congrès Mission "for the missionary fraternity you weave patiently and faithfully across France. France, la fille aînée de l’Église. And the enemies of France say, yes, la fille aînée de l’Église, but not the most faithful… this is not true! France has many saints, many saints!"

In another “off the cuff” addition, the Bishop of Rome invited the leaders of Congrès Mission to “let themselves be shaken by the Holy Spirit,” and to read “the first chapters of the Acts of the Apostles,” where we see that “it is the Spirit who guides the Church, He stirs hearts. And hope is born here. At times, letting oneself be shaken by the Holy Spirit can mean coming out of our habitual mindsets and even accepting to “mess up”. The Holy Spirit is the Master.”

To recall the reality of the Holy Spirit as the protagonist of missionary work, Pope Francis added a personal anecdote: “I remember a Mass for children, when I was a parish priest in the neighbourhood of San Miguel, where almost two hundred children came to Mass every Sunday. One day, it was Pentecost, I said to the children: “Do you know who the Holy Spirit is?”. “Pick me, me, me…!”. “You”. “The paralytic!” [Laughter]. “No! The Paraclite! What does it mean? “Me, me, me…!”. “You”. “The one who makes a mess!”. It is true, the Holy Spirit makes a mess. The Holy Spirit urges creativity!

Pope Francis also invited us to look at the lives of the saints, “all creative, because there is the Spirit within! The Holy Spirit invites us to proclaim the Gospel not only in consolidated structures, but everywhere our brothers and sisters find themselves: proclaiming the Gospel in everyday life, in their joys, in their wounds, in their questions.” He then quoted in this regard the words of a French Blessed, Father Antoine Chevrier, founder of the Work Providence of Prado: “Love for God and neighbour is the principle, it is the lifeblood of everything, which must produce everything in us; when there is this in a soul, there is everything. Charity without exteriority is worth more than an exteriority without charity. Better disorder with love than order without love.”

The Congrès Mission network will hold its next major gathering in Bercy in November.

ASIA/LEBANON - General Aoun elected President. Father Zgheib: "positive neutrality" is now the key formula

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 20:32:20 +0100

Beirut - General Joseph Aoun, commander of the Lebanese army since 2017, has been elected President of the Republic, a position that had been vacant for more than two years. He succeeds Michel Aoun, who also has a past as a general during the years of the Lebanese civil war.
Joseph Aoun is the fourth General to occupy the post of Head of the Nation since 1990, after the end of the civil war.
The candidacy of Joseph Aoun - geopolitical analysts agree - has been supported at the international level by the United States and Saudi Arabia. Before the vote, the US envoy to Lebanon, Amos Hochstein, and the Saudi envoy, Yazid bin Mohammed bin Fahd Al-Farhan, had arrived in Beirut to meet with Lebanese political leaders.

In recent weeks, Lebanese analysts and commentators have continued to consider the World Bank senior executive Jihad Azour, who has good connections with international financial networks, as the only potential alternative to General Aoun.
The Lebanese institutional order provides that the office of President of the Republic is reserved for a Christian belonging to the Maronite Church.
The new President was elected on Thursday, January 9, by the deputies of the Beirut Parliament during a second session, with a majority of 99 votes out of 128. For his election, while a simple majority of 65 votes was sufficient, the support of the deputies of the Shiite political parties Hezbollah and Amal, who had cast at least 30 blank ballots during the first vote, was also significant. Support for the new President came above all from the Lebanese Forces of Samir Geagea, while he was not supported by the Free Patriotic Movement, the other Christian party founded by Michel Aoun, which had been part of the government majority with Hezbollah in recent years.
Joseph Aoun has enjoyed popular approval since the protests that began in October 2019 and targeted the entire Lebanese political nomenclature, in relation to which his figure was presented as "non-collusive". His military culture, according to some analysts, qualifies him to manage the delicate phase that began with the ceasefire in force since November 27, after Israeli military operations on Lebanese territory aimed at targeting Hezbollah bases and installations. Among the conditions to be met to transform the truce into an end to hostilities is the withdrawal of Hezbollah militias beyond the Litani River, 30 kilometers from the border with Israel.
Consultations for the new government begin next week. According to rumors circulating in the Lebanese media, the Shiite parties are aiming to obtain the leadership of the crucial Ministry of Economy.
"If we consider the present and the future of the country, the striking fact is that the international community has once again become involved in Lebanon. There is now the possibility of triggering processes to end the crisis, but the players on the national chessboard are still the same," underlines the Maronite priest Rouphael Zgheib, director of the Lebanese Pontifical Mission Societies and professor at the Jesuit University of Saint Joseph, in an interview with Fides. "We must hope," adds Father Zgheib, "that the evolution of international scenarios will help Lebanon to settle into a condition of "positive neutrality", as Patriarch Bechara Boutros Raï has long suggested and hoped for. The new President also spoke of "positive neutrality". It seems to me that this is now the key word."

Regarding the role of Hezbollah and the slogans of Western commentators who speak of its "dismantling" caused by the Israeli military offensives, Father Zgheib believes that it is useful to keep in mind that the Shiite party "is not just an armed group and is not something imported from outside, it has popular roots in Lebanon." And reaching an agreement on the disarmament of the Hezbollah militias is one of the difficult tasks that await the new General President.

ASIA/PAKISTAN - "Bringing hope to the poor": the Jubilee of Hope among brick kiln workers

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 14:26:14 +0100

Lahore - A place of suffering and death can become a place of life and hope. In this spirit, the Jubilee Year 2025 began for the people of Kot Radha Kishan, in the Pakistani province of Punjab, a place where clay is mined and bricks are baked by hand. Capuchin Fathers from the nearby town of Bhai Pheru, together with young Catholics, visited the brick kiln in Kot Radha Kishan, where in 2014 two Christian couples, Shama and Shazad Bibi, were lynched and burned alive because they were wrongly accused of blasphemy.
"We wanted to share hope with the needy and marginalized of society," said Father Qaiser Feroz to Fides. "This is how we wanted to start the Jubilee of Hope in Pakistan: by sharing solidarity and closeness with the very poor families of the brick kiln workers in the village of Chak 69 in Kot Radha Kishan. Right where the Christian couple was murdered, goodness is now sprouting." Capuchin Fathers and volunteers distributed food parcels as a gesture of hope and love and sought dialogue with the brick kiln workers to encourage them and pray together. The families expressed joy and gratitude. Addressing the workers, who often work in semi-slavery or "debt slavery," Father Feroz said: "Christ is our hope and yours: He is always with you, you are never alone in this struggle of everyday life." The Capuchin, parish priest in Bhai Pheru in the Kasur district, is also director of the Social Communications Commission of the Pakistani Bishops' Conference. He was accompanied by other religious, a deacon and young people from his parish who wanted to "bring hope to the poor and marginalized" at the beginning of the Holy Year.
At that place, recalls Arif, a Christian from Kot Radha Kishan, "the two spouses were targeted by a mob on false charges and neither the owner of the furnace nor the police could prevent the lynching. The owner of the furnace could not cope with the shock a few days after the incident and died. The brutal act was instigated by an imam who accused the couple of desecrating the Koran over the mosque's loudspeaker. The entire community was shocked and frightened for a long time. Now we hope that these wounds will be healed and a seed of hope will blossom again."
In Pakistan, in the Jubilee Year of 2025, Catholic communities, particularly in the province of Punjab, have made it a pastoral priority to help families caught in the web of "slave labor" widespread in the clay factories of Pakistani Punjab. The families affected often include young people, but also the elderly, women and children: all of them are trapped by the practice of "peshgi", an advance on wages that the worker receives from the employer for his own use and which becomes a debt. This debt accumulates and, due to the interest, creates a system of permanent dependency that becomes a modern, legalized form of slavery. The phenomenon is widespread in Pakistan, a country ranked sixth on the index compiled by "Global Slavery", where 2.3 million slaves were counted in the country, representing 1.13% of the total Pakistani population.
Often, Christian and Hindu families in particular, who are among the poorest sections of the Pakistani population, are victims of the system and become "debt slaves" who have to spend their entire lives at the mercy of unscrupulous employers. For example, one of these families takes a loan from an employer for medical treatment. Years of work without rights are required to repay the sum owed: the worker is unable to pay the debt, which is sometimes not even extinguished by his death, but is passed on to the next generation, creating generations of slaves.

AFRICA/DR CONGO - In North Kivu: heavy fighting between the army and the M23

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 14:12:37 +0100

Kinshasa - More than 290,000 people were forced to flee in December due to fighting in the Lubero region of North Kivu, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. This is what the latest report of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs shows. These people are in addition to those already previously displaced from various areas in North Kivu. According to OCHA, the total number of displaced people in the Congolese province is 2.7 million.
According to the report, “the humanitarian situation in the Lubero region of North Kivu continued to deteriorate in December 2024 due to ongoing armed clashes linked to the activities of the M23 rebel movement. The resumption of armed attacks by the rebel group ADF against the civilian population has exacerbated the vulnerability of the already weakened and repeatedly displaced population. In southern Lubero, ongoing fighting between the FARDC and the M23 has displaced more than 290,000 people in the north, northeast, northwest and south of the area."
The two rebel groups referred to in the report have different origins. The ADF is a Ugandan rebel group that has long established itself in North Kivu and Ituri and terrorizes the local population. In 2019, the ADF announced its affiliation with the Islamic State, underlining its Islamist orientation .
The M23 is a group supported by Rwanda with weapons and its own soldiers, according to the report of the UN group of experts on the Democratic Republic of Congo of December 27, which documents the decisive support of Rwandan troops to the Congolese armed rebel movement and the equipment of "high-tech" weapons and intelligence in the continuation of its territorial conquests in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Since the beginning of the year, fighting in the province has intensified, also in the context of the failure of the peace talks in Luanda in mid-December . In particular, it concerns the control of Masisi, the capital of the homonymous territory, which has changed hands three times in recent days between the M23 and the soldiers of the Congolese army, supported by pro-government "Wazalendo" militias. While the city is back in government hands, the rebels control the hills above the city, from which they can launch new attacks. The regular army and pro-government militiamen are now trying to regain control of the hills to secure the city.
The city of Masisi is 80 km from the capital of North Kivu, Goma, which has been surrounded by M23 forces for months.

ASIA/BAHRAIN - Churches chosen for Jubilee 2025: a shrine for pilgrims of hope

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 14:05:30 +0100

Manama - The Jubilee churches and Cathedrals of the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia are ready to welcome all those who seek inspiration, healing and a new sense of belonging: the Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia in Awali , the Co-Cathedral of the Holy Family in Kuwait City and the Shrine of Our Lady of Arabia in Ahmadi, both in Kuwait, and the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary in Doha . The shrines named by Pope Francis on May 9, 2024 in the Bull "Spes non confundit" invite all pilgrims of the Vicariate, which includes the three countries and Saudi Arabia, to a pilgrimage of faith, salvation and spiritual renewal.

"We must express our 'hope' in this difficult world and be witnesses of our faith and its rebirth. This year we are invited to be witnesses of 'Hope', to take part in the pilgrimage, to root our faith in Christ and to be united with the universal Church," said Apostolic Vicar Aldo Berardi O.SS.T. in his homily at the opening Mass of the Jubilee held at the OLA Cathedral.

Other solemn services were held in Qatar and then in Kuwait, where the Apostolic Nuncio Eugene Martin Nugent presided over the Holy Mass.

According to the oldest traditions, the Jubilee celebrations have always held a special place in the Catholic tradition, as they represent a time of mercy, reflection and pilgrimage. By naming specific churches, Pope Francis invites people to experience the deep love of God, where pilgrims can find refuge in their prayers and spirit of community, according to a statement from the head of the press office of the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia.

The naming of Jubilee churches and cathedrals is of particular importance given the complexity of modern life. The message of hope becomes a beacon in a world often darkened by despair and division. The meaning of the Holy Father's "Bull" is not limited to the walls of these Jubilee churches; it is an invitation to all to recognize the universal character of God's mercy and love. An invitation to embrace the spirit of welcoming and to cultivate a culture of mercy within our communities.

VATICAN - The Pope to ambassadors: a "Diplomacy of hope" is needed to overcome the logic of conflict

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 16:37:14 +0100

Vatican City - To be "heralds" of a "diplomacy of hope" that gives all the nations of the planet the opportunity to "overcome the logic of conflict" and "embrace" that of "encounter", thus realizing the principles of the Jubilee. This is the hope that Pope Francis addresses to the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See in the usual meeting of greetings at the beginning of the year, held in the Hall of Benediction.

To date, 184 states maintain full diplomatic relations with the Holy See. To these must be added the European Union and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. There are 90 diplomatic missions accredited to the Holy See with headquarters in Rome, including those of the European Union and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. The Offices accredited to the Holy See of the League of Arab States, the International Organization for Migration and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees are also based in Rome.

The Pontiff, who arrived in a wheelchair and was accompanied by the Cardinal Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Gallagher, and several officials from the Secretariat of State, wove his speech following the red thread of the Jubilee of Hope, recalling that the very meaning of the Jubilee is to “step back” from the “frenzied pace of daily life in order to be refreshed and nourished by what is truly essential”, that is, “to rediscover ourselves, in him, as children of God and as brothers and sisters, to pardon offences, to support the weak and the poor in our midst, to give rest and relief to the earth, to practise justice and to recover hope. This is a summons to all those who serve the common good and who exercise that lofty expression of charity – perhaps the highest form of charity – that is politics”.

Due to a cold, the Bishop of Rome handed over the reading of the long speech to Msgr. Filippo Ciampanelli, Undersecretary of the Dicastery for the Oriental Churches.

Among the opening themes of the speech was a brief summary of the Holy See's diplomatic actions: from the more than thirty Heads of State received in the Vatican by the Pontiff to the many trips made by the Pope, without forgetting the agreements with some countries, including the one of 22 October signed between the Holy See and the People's Republic of China with which it was decided to extend for a further four years the validity of the Provisional Agreement on the Appointment of Bishops, signed on 22 September 2018 and already renewed on 22 October 2020 and 22 October 2022, “a sign of the desire to continue a respectful and constructive dialogue in view of the good of the Catholic Church in the country and of all the Chinese people”.

Dialogue with all parties, including those interlocutors considered less “convenient”

Looking instead at the new year, “the world finds itself rent by numerous conflicts, large and small, more or less known, but also by the resumption of heinous acts of terror”. At the same time, the Pope recalled, “in many countries there are growing conflictual social and political tensions”. And this “is aggravated by the continuous creation and spread of fake news, which not only distorts facts but also perceptions. This phenomenon generates false images of reality, a climate of suspicion that foments hate, undermines people’s sense of security and compromises civil coexistence and the stability of entire nations. Tragic examples of this are the attacks on the Chairman of the Government of the Slovak Republic and the President-elect of the United States of America”.

A climate that the Bishop of Rome defined as “of insecurity” that “leads us to the erection of new barriers and the drawing of new borders, whereas others, such as the one that has divided the island of Cyprus for over fifty years and the one that has cut in two the Korean peninsula for over seventy, remain firmly in place, separating families and splitting up homes and cities”. And this is truly paradoxical: the word border, in fact, “does not mean a place that separates, but one that unites, , where one can meet others, get to know them and enter into dialogue with them”.

The Pope's other wish is that the Jubilee may represent for everyone, “Christians and non-Christians alike” “an opportunity also to rethink the relationships that bind us to one another, as human beings and political communities”.
Furthermore, “in the face of the increasingly concrete threat of a world war, the vocation of diplomacy is to foster dialogue with all parties, including those interlocutors considered less “convenient” or not considered legitimized to negotiate. Only in this way is it possible to break the chains of hatred and vengeance that bind and to defuse the explosive power of human selfishness, pride and arrogance, which are the root of every destructive determination to wage war”.

Politicians at the service of the common good

From these reflections, the Pope highlighted “some responsibilities that every political leader should bear in mind” in fulfilling his or her responsibilities, which ought to be directed towards pursuing the common good
in a time undermined by ‘miseries’: “More than ever before, humanity has come to know progress, development and wealth, yet perhaps never before has it found itself so lonely and lost, even at times preferring pets to children”.

And if “human beings are endowed with an innate thirst for truth”, “in our time the denial of self-evident truths seems to have gained the upper hand. Some distrust rational argumentation, believing it to be a tool in the hands of some unseen power, while others believe that they unequivocally possess a truth of their own making, and are thus exempt from discussion and dialogue with those who think differently. Others tend to invent their own “truth”, disregarding the objectivity of reality. These tendencies can be amplified by the modern communications media and by artificial intelligence; they can be misused to manipulate minds for economic, political and ideological ends”.

In this perspective, the “diplomacy of hope is consequently, above all, a diplomacy of truth. If the link between reality, truth and knowledge is missing, human beings will no longer be able to speak and understand one another, because the foundations of a common language, anchored in the reality of things and therefore universally comprehensible, are lacking”.

“The purpose of language is communication, which is only successful if words are precise and the meaning of terms is generally accepted”. As a result, “the attempt to manipulate multilateral documents – by changing the meaning of terms or unilaterally reinterpreting the content of human rights treaties – in order to advance divisive ideologies that trample on the values and beliefs of peoples is particularly worrying”.

"This represents a form of genuine ideological colonization that attempts, in accordance with carefully planned agendas, to uproot the traditions, history and religious bonds of peoples. In this regard, it is unacceptable, for example, to speak of an alleged “right to abortion” that contradicts human rights, particularly the right to life. All life must be protected, at every moment, from conception to natural death, because no child is a mistake or guilty of existing, just as no elderly or sick person may be deprived of hope and discarded”, the Bishop of Rome stressed.

To recover the “spirit of Helsinki”

For the Pope, it is more ‘urgent than ever to recover the “spirit of Helsinki” with which opposing states, considered “enemies”’, succeeded in creating a space of encounter and did not abandon dialogue as a means of resolving conflicts.

Speaking of wars, the Pontiff's thoughts went first to Ukraine, then to the Middle East: “My wish for the year 2025 is that the entire international community will work above all to end the conflict that, for almost three years now, has caused so much bloodshed in war-torn Ukraine and has taken an enormous toll of lives, including those of many civilians. Some encouraging signs have appeared on the horizon, but much work must still be done to create the conditions for a just and lasting peace and to heal the wounds inflicted by the aggression.
Similarly, I renew my appeal for a ceasefire and the release of the Israeli hostages in Gaza, where there is a very serious and shameful humanitarian situation, and I ask that the Palestinian population receive all the aid it needs. My prayerful hope is that Israelis and Palestinians can rebuild the bridges of dialogue and mutual trust, starting with the smallest, so that future generations can live side by side in the two States, in peace and security, and that Jerusalem can be the “city of encounter”, where Christians, Jews and Muslims live together in harmony and respect”.

The Bishop of Rome then turned the spotlight back on the “continued proliferation of ever more sophisticated and destructive weapons”, which fuels these wars where more and more civilians and non-war infrastructures are involved, asking the international community to ensure that international humanitarian law is always respected: “If we have forgotten what lies at the very foundation of our existence, the sacredness of life, the principles that move the world, how can we think that this right is effectively respected?”.

The “delicate forms” of persecution

As in the Christmas Urbi et Orbi, the Pope then listed all the other conflicts tearing the planet apart, starting with Africa: Sudan, Sahel, Horn of Africa, Mozambique, Democratic Republic of Congo. And then Myanmar, Haiti, Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia and Nicaragua, “where the Holy See, which is always open to respectful and constructive dialogue, follows with concern the measures taken against individuals and institutions of the Church and asks that religious freedom and other fundamental rights be adequately guaranteed to all”.

“In the end, there can be no true peace without the guarantee of religious freedom, which entails respect for the conscience of individuals and the possibility of publicly manifesting one’s faith and membership in a community. In this regard, the growing expressions of anti-Semitism, which I strongly condemn, and which affect an increasing number of Jewish communities around the world, are a source of deep concern”, the Pontiff stressed, adding: “I cannot remain silent about the numerous persecutions against various Christian communities, often perpetrated by terrorist groups especially in Africa and Asia. Nor, for that matter, about the more “discreet” forms of restriction on religious freedom that at times are found also in Europe, where legal norms and administrative practices are growing that “limit or in fact annul the rights formally recognized by the Constitution for individual believers and religious groups”. On the contrary, he reiterated, “religious freedom constitutes “an achievement of a sound political and juridical culture”, because when it is acknowledged, the dignity of the human person is respected at its root, and the ethos and institutions of peoples are strengthened”.

Christians, in fact, “desire actively to contribute to the building up of the societies in which they live. Even where they are not a majority in society, they are citizens in their own right, especially in those lands where they have lived from time immemorial”. The Pope's reference is to Syria, “which after years of war and devastation, seems to be pursuing a path of stability. I hope that the territorial integrity, the unity of the Syrian people and the necessary constitutional reforms will not be compromised by anyone, and that the international community will help Syria to be a land of peaceful coexistence where all Syrians, including the Christian community, can feel themselves to be full citizens and share in the common good of that beloved nation”.

“I think too of beloved Lebanon, and express my hope that the country, with the decisive help of its Christian community, can possess the necessary institutional stability needed to address the grave economic and social situation, to rebuild the south of the country affected by war, and fully to implement the Constitution and the Taif Agreement. May all Lebanese work to ensure that the country of the great cedars is never disfigured by division, but rather distinguished for “living together”. May Lebanon remain a country and a message of coexistence and peace”, the Bishop of Rome added, who in conclusion asked not to remain indifferent to the drama of the “many forms of slavery” of our time, starting with “the seldom acknowledged but widely practised form of slavery that involves labour” or “the horrific slavery of drug addiction, which affects young people in particular”. The “most dreadful”, however, remains “that practiced by human traffickers”. The latter issue is linked to that of migration, “still shrouded in a dark cloud of mistrust, rather than being seen as a source of empowerment”.

Finally, a new appeal, already made in the Bull of Indiction of the Jubilee and repeatedly stressed in recent days, on the remission of foreign debt and to commute the sentences of prisoners.

ASIA/CHINA - Chinese Catholic communities help the earthquake-stricken populations of Tibet, in the spirit of the “Jubilee of Hope”

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 14:32:15 +0100

Beijing - More than 120 dead, almost 200 injured, 50 thousand displaced, tens of thousands of homes destroyed or damaged. This is the preliminary toll of the 6.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Dingri county and the urban area of Shigatse, in the Chinese autonomous province of Tibet, on Tuesday 7 January at 9:05 a.m.
In the face of the natural disaster, which Pope Francis also mentioned in his address today to the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, the Chinese Catholic communities are also actively participating in the solidarity initiatives launched to support the affected population.
“During the Christmas season and on the occasion of the Holy Year that has just begun, we can take the opportunity to remember the Lord’s teaching: ‘Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me’ ,” reads the appeal from the Diocese of Beijing, which calls on everyone to “do the good works of the Jubilee Year and give generously so that people in the earthquake-affected areas can also experience the joy of the Christmas season and the warmth and strength of Christian hope in the Jubilee Year.”

All parishes in the Diocese of Beijing are invited to ask for donations for the earthquake victims and to send the funds to the diocesan collection point by January 15. The diocesan charity named after the Divine Mercy will manage the sending and distribution of the donations.

The diocese of Shanthou has also made an appeal to all Catholic communities to collect donations for the earthquake victims in Tibet, pointing to the Holy Year of Hope as a favorable opportunity to put into practice the material and spiritual works of mercy.

The information released by the local authorities coordinating the mobilization of aid by the city of Shanghai states that among the first donations received was a sum of 500,000 yuan, made available by the diocese of Shanghai to support relief efforts for those affected by the disaster.