News

A one-day seminar for rural women was held under the theme “Empowered to Empower” at Infant Jesus Church, Bolpur, West Bengal, eastern India, on July 4, 2025.

In a momentous development for the Catholic Church in Tamil Nadu, South India, Pope Leo XIV appointed Bishop Antonysamy Savarimuthu (63) on July 5 as the seventh Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Madurai, marking a new chapter in the life of one of India’s historic Jesuit missions and vibrant archdioceses.

A delegation from the Korean Youth Commission is visiting several Catholic institutions and churches in Cambodia to encourage participation in World Youth Day (WYD) 2027, scheduled to take place in Seoul, South Korea.

Jason Ortizo, a former Catholic priest and retired Philippine National Police (PNP) brigadier general, assumed office as mayor of San Francisco, a municipality in the central Philippines, on July 1.

The Vatican announced the appointment of several bishops and cardinals from Asia to serve as members of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue on July 3, a move that underscores Pope Leo’s recognition of the importance of Asia’s diverse religious landscape in the Church’s global mission of peacebuilding, understanding, and interfaith cooperation.

In a landmark step underscoring the Catholic Church’s growing commitment to environmental stewardship, the Vatican has unveiled a new liturgical text titled Missa pro custodia creation is the “Mass for the Care of Creation.”

In a significant step reflecting the Catholic Church’s growing commitment to environmental stewardship, the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments has officially promulgated a new Mass formulary and biblical readings for the "Care of Creation," released to the public on July 3.

In a heartfelt message marking the 10th World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, Pope Leo XIV called on the global Church and all people of goodwill to become “seeds of peace and hope” in response to the ecological and human crises facing the planet.

On July 2, 2025, the Philippine Jesuit Prison Service inaugurated and blessed Balay ni Lolo Kiko, a transitional home established under the Persons with Restored Liberty (PRL) care program. Balay ni Lolo Kiko, which means “The House of Grandpa Kiko”—with "Kiko" being a Filipino nickname for Pope Francis—aims to support the reintegration of newly released prisoners.

The Diocese of San Pablo will lead a rally on Saturday, July 5, 2025, to protest ongoing deforestation and human rights concerns in Pakil, a municipality in the province of Laguna on the island of Luzon, Philippines. Dubbed the “Rally for Pakil, Nature, and Culture,” the event will bring together various Church groups, environmental advocates, and civil society organizations to stop environmental destruction and the displacement of local communities.

The 12th Pastoral Assembly of the Ecclesiastical Region of Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, began on July 1 with a renewed call to care for migrant workers and their families.

The Disciples of the Divine Master (PDDM) celebrated the 25th anniversary of their mission in Hong Kong on June 30, 2025, the Feast of St. Paul the Apostle, at the Church of the Annunciation in Tsuen Wan.

The XVI Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod concluded its first in-person meeting at the Vatican on June 27, 2025, giving formal approval to the Pathways for the Implementation Phase of the Synod, a key document designed to guide local Churches worldwide in the implementation of synodality.

During a solemn celebration at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome on June 29, Pope Leo XIV bestowed the sacred pallium on 54 new Metropolitan Archbishops from around the world, including Clement Papa, the newly elevated Metropolitan Archbishop of Mt. Hagen City, central Papua New Guinea.

A man took his own life within the premises of San Francisco de Asis Parish Church in Naga City, nearly 400 kilometers southeast of Manila, on June 29, leading to the temporary closure of the church.

Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, Archbishop of Colombo, celebrated the 50th anniversary of his priestly ordination with a solemn Thanksgiving Mass at St. Lucia’s Cathedral in Colombo on June 30.

Pope Leo XIV received Vietnamese Vice-President Vo Thi An Xuan in an audience at the Apostolic Palace on 30 June, the Vatican News reported.

Archbishop Joseph Đặng Đức Ngân of the Archdiocese of Huế, central Vietnam, was among the 54 newly appointed metropolitan archbishops from around the world who received the Pallium from Pope Leo XIV on June 29.

The Archdiocese of Saigon celebrated a momentous occasion as 21 new priests were ordained during a solemn Eucharistic celebration held at the Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon, southern Vietnam, on June 27, 2025.

The celebration of the Jubilee of Priests in the Cebu Archdiocese, the Philippines, saw 14 newly ordained priests added to the number of clergy in one of the most densely populated ecclesiastical provinces in the country, with more than 4 million Catholics.