A Philippine ecumenical and interfaith group has called for the immediate lifting of a temporary restraining order (TRO) suspending an ₱85 (US$1.50) minimum wage increase for workers in the National Capital Region (NCR), saying the delay withholds much-needed relief from struggling families.
What began as a group of high school friends meeting informally over drinks has developed over four decades into a structured mountaineering organization with a sustained focus on environmental protection in Oriental Mindoro, Philippines.
As conflicts persist across regions and communities continue to grapple with uncertainty, the Diocese of Legazpi, southeastern Philippines is framing this year’s “Inang Magayon” celebration as more than a traditional Marian gathering. Declared within its “Year of Mission,” the 2026 observance subtly positions local devotion as a response to a world in crisis.
On April 19, the seventh day in Africa, Pope Leo XIV marked a deeply spiritual yet emotionally charged day in Angola, with two public events, both filled with large crowds, strong devotion, and urgent appeals for peace.
The Catholic Church in Pakistan has expressed joy over the government’s decision to award Cardinal Joseph Coutts, Emeritus Archbishop of Karachi, the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, the “Medal of Excellence,” conferred on civilians and military personnel for outstanding contributions in fields such as art, literature, sports, and public service.
The President of Caritas Philippines has called for a rethinking of the Church’s long-standing “just war” framework, saying modern conflicts have made it increasingly difficult to justify the use of armed force.
Pope Leo XIV met on April 17 with nine consecrated religious representing the National Conference of Major Superiors and more than 250 religious institutes serving in Cameroon, encouraging them to deepen their witness and collaboration within the Church, according to Vatican News.
Pope Leo XIV presided over a Mass attended by about 120,000 faithful at Japoma Stadium in the southwestern city of Douala, Cameroon on April 17, urging Christians to respond to hunger and suffering through sharing, solidarity, and faith, according to Vatican News.
Renato Zosimo “Zosing” Evangelista, 52, the first and only lawyer from the Mangyan Indigenous peoples of Mindoro, an island in the central Philippines, died on April 14 after suffering a stroke.
Church leaders, rights advocates, and members of the Christian community gathered on April 15 at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Karachi, southern Pakistan, to express concern over a recent federal court judgment in the Maria Shahbaz case, urging stronger protection for minority rights and vulnerable girls.
As climate change intensifies cyclones, floods, river erosion, and tidal surges, a growing number of people from vulnerable coastal regions are migrating to cities such as Dhaka. Ensuring social protection, dignified living conditions, and economic inclusion for these climate-displaced populations remains a major challenge, experts said at a roundtable on April 15.
Goa archdiocesan priest Fr. Agnelo Jacinto Pinheiro was ordained as the second bishop of the Diocese of Sindhudurg on April 16, 2026, marking the beginning of his episcopal ministry in western India.
The Stella Maris Chapel in Miramar was elevated to the status of a parish church on April 15, 2026, marking the creation of the 175th parish in the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman, southwest India.
Pope Leo XIV visited the Ngul Zamba Orphanage on April 14, the first day of his apostolic journey to Cameroon, encouraging children and caregivers with a message of hope and belonging, according to Vatican News.
The Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC), through its president Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, vice president Cardinal Pablo Virgilio S. David, and secretary general Cardinal Isao Kikuchi, has issued a strong pastoral appeal for peace, justice, and moral responsibility, urging an end to violence and a renewed commitment to dialogue amid rising global tensions.
On Divine Mercy Sunday at the Church of the Divine Mercy in Shah Alam, Selangor, western Malaysia, Archbishop Julian Leow Beng Kim of Kuala Lumpur personally pushed the wheelchair of a disabled devotee, Gladys Fernandez, to a Mobility Service van after Mass.
Retracing the footsteps of Augustine of Hippo, Pope Leo XIV visited the ancient site of Hippo Regius on April 14, during the second day of his apostolic journey to Algeria, according to Vatican News.
The Franciscan community in Indonesia is mourning the death of Fr. Nico Syukur Dister, OFM, a Dutch missionary priest, philosopher, and longtime educator in Papua. He passed away on April 12, 2026, in his homeland, the Netherlands, at the age of 87.
Church leaders and environmental advocates have called on provincial officials in Quezon Province, Philippines, to immediately pass a proposed ordinance banning new coal-fired power plants, citing the urgent need for a just and people, centered energy transition.
