Church in Asia

The national convention and Annual General Body meeting of Catholic Communicators forum, SIGNIS India, held at Gyana Deep Bhavan, diocesan Pastoral Centre, Jaipur from 23- 24 November 2022, elected new office bearers.

Northeast Indian Christian leaders denounced the alarmist news that is being spread among people in connection with the issue of ‘forced conversion’, as false and expressed great anxiety about some of the painful developments in our society these days.

Addressing a national conference of major seminary rectors, Cardinal Oswald Gracias said that seminary training must be more synodal.

The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Jakarta, located right across from Jakarta’s largest mosque, the Istiqlal mosque symbolizes fraternity and religious diversity that inspires visitors to Central Jakarta and promotes interreligious dialogue in the Muslim-majority country.

Bishop Stephen Chow Sau Yan, SJ, of Hong Kong Diocese, stressed the formation of laity, young people and clergy for a synodal Church in the coming years, in his advent message for 2022.

Myitkyina Diocese in Myanmar is to establish a new parish in the far and remote Zang Yaw village on January 15, 2023. Zang Yaw village is located more than 300 miles from Myitkyina city and is one of the most distant places. Transportation is tough two days by car and two days on foot along the road to arrive at the village.

Two Indonesian Parishes jointly organized a spiritual conference for youth with a focus on "Creating Creative, Innovative, and Critical Catholic Youth in the Society 5.0 Era."

The Mary Ward Social Centre in Kolkata, India, observed Child rights week, starting on November 14 with the goal of promoting the inclusion and equality of specially-abled children among other children.

Archbishop Victor Henry Thakur of Raipur, Chhattisgarh praises Catholic women’s contribution to church and society.  

An Irish priest, Father Desmond Morrison, a Columban Missionary in the Philippines, died on November 23, aged 97.

Bangladesh is a multireligious country and here, people of different faiths have been living in peace and harmony for decades.

Bishop Antonius Subianto Benjamin, OSC, urged Indonesian Catholics to help build Christ's mission by showing the true face of the Indonesian Church, which is 100% Indonesian and 100% Catholic, as one of the efforts to realize a truly synodal congregation, where fellowship, participation, and mission spirit are built together.

The newly appointed bishop of Kengtung Diocese expressed his firm resolution to serve with enthusiasm in the new field of mission till the end. He was serving as the auxiliary of Yangon Archdiocese and was speaking at the farewell Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral, Yangon on November 19.

The Catholic Church in Mizoram celebrated the Platinum jubilee of the official presence of Priests in Mizoram, at the first Church of Christ the King, now the cathedral. The chief guest Cardinal Gracias, said “let Christ be the real king of every home, king of Aizawl and King of Mizoram."

The Khasia Catholics in Bangladesh regard Christ as their King and feel obligated to live by the rules and examples set by Christ the King in their day-to-day life.

"Everyone is welcome as we pray and stand in solidarity for Christians around the world being persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ," said Msgr. Gerardo Santos, ACN Philippines’ chief operating officer.

Vishwa Jyoti Communications, Varanasi, along with other cultural activists for peace and harmony from Mumbai, Kolkata, Allahabad, Bhagalpur and Ranchi, organized a cultural program named "Virasat ke Bol,” meaning “Vibes of Legacy of Fraternity,” in various cities and villages of Bihar, central India from 18 to 21 November 2022.

A meeting of the diocesan directors of the Commission for Ecumenism and Dialogue in the Telugu region was held at Bishop’s House, Vijayawada on November 16 -17, 2022 for promoting effectively the unity of Christians and for dialogue with people of other religious traditions.

"All the activities of the festivity will resume except the traditional procession, or the traslacion," Father Valdez said.

"The Indonesian Catholic Journalists Association met with Pope Francis to spread the message of world peace, as required by the Preamble to the Indonesian Constitution and the Abu Dhabi Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together."