Asian News

The suicide of 35-year-old Italian priest Father Matteo Balzano has left a grieving parish and a shaken Church, renewing discussion on the unseen emotional weight many priests carry in silence.

The municipal council of Sablayan in Occidental Mindoro, southwestern Philippines, recently passed a resolution commending Bishop Moises M. Cuevas, D.D., Apostolic Vicar of the Roman Catholic Vicariate of Calapan in Oriental Mindoro, for “his tireless advocacy for environmental justice and sustainable development.”

On June 28–29, Synergizing Youth Network for Change (SYNC) organized a two-day seminar titled “Exploring Economics”, aimed at training Catholic youth to critically engage with the key economic, political, and social issues shaping today’s world. The seminar was held in Poondi, in southern Tamil Nadu.

In a powerful show of community spirit, the Church in Bangladesh hosted a half-day seminar for lay leaders working with migrant communities at the Credit Union Centre in Modanpur, central Bangladesh, on July 11.

The Archdiocese of Seoul in South Korea offered a Holy Mass in honor of the 79 Korean martyrs who were beatified one hundred years ago.

A dynamic youth delegation from South Korea visited the Diocese of Rajshahi in Bangladesh with Message of Faith and Unity Ahead of WYD 2027 from July 4 to 7, as part of a global campaign to promote Seoul’s World Youth Day (WYD) 2027.

A Filipino bishop has taken steps to promote the Five First Saturdays Devotion in honor of the Blessed Mother Mary in his diocese, calling it the “forgotten story of Fatima.”

With vibrant processions and shared prayers, Catholics and Muslims in the Diocese of Labuan Bajo inaugurated the Golo Koe 2025 Religious-Cultural Festival with a Marian Statue Pilgrimage, held at St. Martin Parish in Bari, Flores, Indonesia.

Newly constructed and consecrated just about a month ago, St. Peter’s Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Kuching, Sarawak, East Malaysia, is now being hailed as a powerful symbol of religious harmony and unity.

In response to the urgent ecological challenges of our time, the Tamil Nadu Conference of Religious (TNCR), Southern India, has launched a transformative environmental initiative titled “Nature is Divine – A Grand Movement to Protect the Earth.”

In a significant moment for the Catholic Church in India, the National Shrine of St. Thomas in Chennai, southern India, was solemnly elevated to the dignity of a Minor Basilica by the Holy See on July 3.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), through a pastoral letter released during its 130th Plenary Assembly, called on Filipinos to uphold justice, peace, and accountability amid growing challenges in the country and across the world.

Jesuit Msgr. Enrique Figaredo Alvargonzález, widely known as the "Bishop of the Wheelchairs" for his work with the maimed and disabled, celebrated the 25th anniversary of his installation as Apostolic Prefect of Battambang, Cambodia, on July 3, 2025.

The Tamil version of The Face of the Faceless, a 2023 Hindi-language film that brings to life the inspiring story and martyrdom of Indian nun Blessed Rani Maria Vattalil, was launched on July 8, 2025.

The Beatae Maria Virginis Cathedral Parish in the Diocese of Bogor, Western Indonesia, organized a two-day youth camp on July 5–6, 2025, under the theme “Pilgrim of Hope, Humanitarian Service, and Guardian of Diversity.”

Divine Mercy Philippines is set to host two major congresses in 2025, one regional and one national, both designed to deepen devotion to the Divine Mercy during the Jubilee Year of Redemption.

On July 6, 2025, the faithful of St. Thomas Church, Singngat, in Manipur, northeastern India, celebrated Parish Day. The celebration was part of a three-day conference held from July 4 to 7, focusing on the renewal of Catholic faith in the region.

Jesuit Mission Australia has launched the "One Foot Raised" campaign, calling on Australians to take part in a national movement of solidarity on July 31, the feast of St Ignatius of Loyola, to raise awareness and funds for the people of Myanmar.

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake attended a civic event held to mark the golden jubilee of the priestly ordination of Cardinal Albert Malcolm Ranjith Patabendige Don, Archbishop of Colombo, at the Maduru Auditorium of the Colombo Archbishop’s House on July 7, 2025.

On July 6, 2025, about 500 faithful, including three Catholic priests and a deacon, took part in a Thanksgiving Mass to mark the inauguration of Sugadabadi, located in Kandhamal District, in the eastern Indian state of Odisha, as a new mission station.