News

Nine members of the Lovers of the Holy Cross Congregation made their final profession on June 12, bringing joy and renewed spiritual vigor to the Catholic Diocese of Xuân Lộc in Vietnam.

Renowned Filipina philanthropist Renena Benedicto “Nena” Prieto received the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice award—the highest papal honor bestowed on clergy and laity for outstanding service to the Church and the Holy See—on June 12, 2025.

With a view to forming youth leaders who are spiritually grounded, socially aware, and ready to respond to the challenges of today’s world with faith and professionalism, the Youth Commission of the Tamil Nadu Bishops' Council (TNBC) conducted a 10-day residential training programme titled “Pedagogy Pro – Youth Ministry” at Arul Vazhvuh Illam in the Diocese of Kottar, South India.

In a strong push to inspire and equip young leaders, the Catholic Church in Bangladesh organized a three-day YCS animators' seminar at the Christo Jyoti Pastoral Center in Rajshahi diocese from June 11 to 13.

Marialaya, a nonprofit, rights-based social service organization operating in the industrial city of Tiruppur, in Tamil Nadu, South India, marked World Environment Day with vibrant celebrations and impactful activities on June 5, 2025.

The Diocesan Shrine of San Vicente Ferrer in the Diocese of San Pablo in the Philippines was formally recognized by the Basilica de San Vicente Ferrer in Valencia, Spain, on June 6 as its spiritual twin in a deep devotion to the Spanish Dominican saint.

Christians remain the world’s largest religious population, but the increase in their global population from 2010 to 2020 was smaller than the increase in the population of Muslims, a study by Pew Research Center published on June 9 revealed.

At the heart of the Vatican on Trinity Sunday, Pope Leo XIV presided over a special Jubilee Mass for the world of sport, drawing athletes, coaches, and sports enthusiasts to St. Peter’s Basilica for a celebration that connected faith with physical movement, community, and hope.

As part of the Jubilee 2025 celebration, the Diocese of Dindigul in Tamil Nadu, South India, organized a Children’s Faith Formation Convention on June 7, 2025, at St. Mary's Higher Secondary School Campus, Dindigul.

Continuing the special Saturday, June 14, Jubilee audiences initiated by his predecessor, Pope Francis, Pope Leo XIV welcomed athletes and sports professionals to St. Peter’s Basilica for the Jubilee of Sport, inviting them to reflect on hope, unity, and the deeper meaning of athletic activity in Christian life.

In his message for the Ninth World Day of the Poor, to be observed on Sunday, 16 November 2025, Pope Leo XIV calls on the faithful to renew their hope in God and recognize the poor as central to the Church’s mission.

Pope Leo XIV has officially announced that Blessed Carlo Acutis and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati will be canonized together on Sunday, September 7, 2025, the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Pope Leo XIV has expressed his heartfelt condolences following the tragic crash of Air India Flight 171, which was en route from Ahmedabad, India, to London Gatwick Airport with 242 people on board on June 12.

Italian missionary priest Ezio Mascaretti, a member of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions, died on June 11. He was 81.

Thirty children received First Holy Communion in an anticipated celebration of the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on 12 June, adding joy to Odisha’s Padangi, one of the worst-affected parishes during the anti-Christian violence of 2008.

One month after the conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV, a cardinal-elector from Singapore said that the entire experience had “an atmosphere of intense prayer, discernment, and faith.”

Pope Leo XIV made his first-ever appointment in China by naming a new auxiliary, Bishop Joseph Lin Yuntuan, to the Archdiocese of Fuzhou.

In a heartfelt effort to support the journey of its young clergy, the Diocese of Rajshahi organized a special seminar at the Christo Jyoti Pastoral Center on June 10.

Children from Buddhist, Catholic, and Islamic religions participated in the Poson Bhakthi Geetha (‘devotional songs’ in Sinhala) on June 11 to promote inter-religious cultural ties in Sri Lanka.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) has expressed deep sorrow and solidarity in the wake of the tragic crash of Air India Flight AI171 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on the afternoon of June 12, 2025.