Commentaries

On Feb 20, the world will observe the ‘World Day of Social Justice’. Each year, leaders and politicians speak eloquently about the urgent need for justice, equality and dignity for all. Yet, more often than not, those who possess the power to ensure justice fail to act. Words are plentiful; political will is scarce.

If you are Catholic, one might recognize that the three Church designated vocation callings are- religious life, marriage and being single. However, within the Catholic community discourse, one needs to say that being single is not always fun. Traditionally the single life has not been viewed as a vocation because it is not a vowed life.

In the wake of the Asian Mission Congress (AMC) 2025, the Church in Asia finds itself at a decisive moment. The language of synodality is now firmly embedded in ecclesial discourse. The question is no longer whether the Church believes in synodality, but whether it knows how to live it.

Recent mockery of Catholic devotion—particularly claims that Catholics worship wood or a “burnt god,” referring to the devotion to Black Nazarene in the Philippines—does not arise from a genuine engagement with Catholic teaching, but from a misconception of it.

For many Catholics, the word “post-modernism” triggers unease. It signals moral confusion, distrust of institutions, and a culture where truth feels negotiable. Today, the Church no longer occupies the social centre she once did. Her voice now competes with influencers, algorithms, and endless streams of opinion. From one perspective, it can feel like a crisis.

In a rapidly secularizing world, few ecclesial movements have generated as much missionary zeal—and occasionally, internal friction—as the Neocatechumenal Way.

Before sunrise, a woman slips off her shoes and puts them into her bag. She presses her palm to the pavement, whispering a prayer before joining the slow, tightening crowd. Around her, bodies sway and surge. Someone offers water. Another grips a thick rope. The air is heavy with sweat, incense, and murmured petitions. For hours, she will walk barefoot—not to prove anything, she says later, but to carry what she can no longer carry alone.

It wasn't business as usual at the Vatican last week. As the Holy See Press Office filled with journalists on the evening of January 8, 2026, the atmosphere was one of candid reflection rather than formal proclamation.

Peace begins with a decision: to disarm our hearts, to trust God’s providence, and to work patiently for justice and reconciliation

I enter the coming year not with certainty, but with deeper humility. Not with grand plans, but with a quieter resolve: to listen more carefully, to speak more truthfully, to lead more gently, and to trust that God continues to work even when progress feels invisible.

Peace, in this vision, is not something imposed from above or enforced through strength. It begins in vulnerability. God enters history not as a ruler but as a child, dependent on a mother’s care.

As Mary, the Mother of God, walks with us into the New Year, may she accompany us with her protection and intercession, helping us to safeguard life always and everywhere.

Societies construct monuments for men and women who shaped their nation. Filipinos, for one, build images of José Rizal, Andrés Bonifacio, Melchora Aquino, and other heroes to honor lives marked by courage and sacrifice.

The United Nations’ International Organisation for Migration (IOM) defines a migrant as “a person who moves away from his or her place of usual residence, whether within a country or across an international border, temporarily or permanently, and for a variety of reasons.”

As the Jubilee Year 2025 draws to a close, the Church stands at a threshold. Guided by Pope Francis’ Jubilee Bull Spes non confundit, Hope Does Not Disappoint, Catholics around the world have spent the year opening Holy Doors, crossing spiritual thresholds, and rediscovering hope amid a wounded world.

St. Francis Xavier, one of the founding members of the Society of Jesus and widely honoured as the Patron Saint of Missions, is among the most dynamic missionary figures in Christian history. We celebrate his feast on December 3.

Some time back, the name John Barnett echoed through the headlines of international media—a former Boeing engineer who spoke up about compromised safety standards. He raised concerns that faulty oxygen systems and missing parts endangered lives. He was mocked, sidelined, and eventually found dead in his car. The truth was quietly buried under rivets and deadlines.

In a move laden with historical weight and spiritual symbolism, Pope Leo XIV has chosen the cradle of Christianity—West Asia—for his first Apostolic Journey.

“Go and repair the networks” means that digital missionaries are called to be in the world but not of the world.

Last week, the Vatican revealed four films that hold personal significance for the Pope, describing them as “the most important in his cinematic journey.” These include It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), The Sound of Music (1965), Ordinary People (1980), and Life Is Beautiful (1997).