Fides News - English

OCEANIA/PAPUA NEW GUINEA - Appointment of the Bishop of Wabag

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 21:19:22 +0200

Vatican City - Pope Leo XIV appointed Justin Ain Soongie, the former Auxiliary Bishop and Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Wabag, as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Wabag and revoked his titular see of Forma.
Bishop Justin Ain Soongie was born on June 2, 1973, in Tsikiro . He completed his postulancy and novitiate with the Brothers of Charity and continued his priestly formation at the Good Shepherd Seminary in Fatima, Banz, and at the Catholic Theological Institute in Bomana. He earned a licentiate in moral theology from the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome. He was ordained a priest on May 11, 2005.
He has held the following positions: Assistant Parish Priest in Tsikiro and in Mang and Mariant ; Parish Priest in Mang ; Vicar General of the Diocese of Wabag ; Professor at the Banz Seminary in the Archdiocese of Mt. Hagen ; Parish Priest in Sari . On June 15, 2021, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Wabag, receiving the titular See of Forma; on the following September 2, he received episcopal consecration. Since 2025, he has been Diocesan Administrator of Wabag.

OCEANIA/PAPUA NEW GUINEA - Resignation and appointment of the Bishop of Alotau-Sideia

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 21:13:26 +0200

Vatican City - The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the Diocese of Alotau-Sideia , presented by His Exc. Msgr. Rolando Crisostomo Santos, C.M. The Holy Father has appointed the Rev. Fr. Jacek Piotr Tendej, C.M., currently Rector of the Holy Spirit Seminary, Bomana as Bishop of Alotau-Sideia .
His Exc. Msgr. Jacek Piotr Tendej, C.M., was born on 26 June 1963 in Handzlówka, Łańcut . After his perpetual profession in the Congregation of the Mission , he obtained a Master in Moral Theology from the Pontifical Academy of Theology in Krakow, a Licentiate in Educational Sciences from the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome and a Doctorate in Pedagogy from the Akademia Pedagogiczma im. Kaomisji Edukacji Narodowej in Krakow.
He was ordained a priest on May 25, 1991.
He has held the following positions: Primary School Teacher in Zakopane, Poland ; High School Teacher in Krakow, Poland ; Teacher and Chaplain at St. Stanislaus Kostka in Brooklyn, New York, USA ; Youth Educator at the Fr. Siemaszko Foundation in Krakow ; Professor of Educational Sciences at the Theological Institute of the Pontifical University John Paul II in Krakow . Since 2014, he has been Rector of the Holy Spirit Seminary, Bomana .

EUROPE/ITALY - Father Francesco Rapacioli elected Superior General of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME)

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 21:09:57 +0200

Rome - Father Francesco Rapacioli, a missionary in Bangladesh, is the new Superior General of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions . He was elected today by the XVI General Assembly of the Missionary Institute, which has been taking place since June 22 in Rome at the International Center for Missionary Animation . The new Superior succeeds Father Ferruccio Brambillasca, who led PIME for two consecutive terms, since 2013. Along with the new Superior, reports the PIME Asianews Agency, a new general leadership has also been elected, who will remain in office for the next six years.
Francesco Rapacioli, 62, was until now Regional Superior for South Asia. Born in Paris in 1963 and raised in the Italian diocese of Piacenza-Bobbio, he joined PIME after graduating from medical school and was ordained a priest in 1993. As a missionary, he was first sent to the seminary in Pune, India, where he carried out his ministry until his transfer to Bangladesh in 1997. Returning to Italy in 2012, he served as Rector of the PIME International Seminary in Monza until 2018. Back in Dhaka, in 2020, he launched initiatives to help people recover from alcoholism and drug addiction.
PIME - Asianews continues - "currently has around 400 missionaries of 17 different nationalities who carry out their ministry in 20 countries across all continents." The most recent presence, born from the collaboration with other institutes created in mission following the same charism as PIME, is taking its first steps in Borneo, Indonesia, in the diocese of Tanjung Selor".

ASIA/CHINA - The Bishop of Beijing confers the missionary mandate to newly graduated seminarians

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 21:03:53 +0200

Beijing – Joseph Li Shan, Bishop of the diocese of Beijing, on Sunday, July 6, during the solemn closing ceremony of the 2024/2025 academic year, conferred the missionary mandate and the degree in Philosophy to the nine seminarians of the diocesan Major Seminary. Bishop Li also presented diplomas to the four seminarians who passed all the teaching exams to qualify for teaching adults . The coadjutor Bishop of Beijing Matthew Zhen Xuebin presided over the Eucharistic liturgy celebrated in the Seminary church.
During the Mass, the transfers of the diocesan priests to the parishes and institutions of the diocese were also announced.

The new Executive Vice-Rector of the Seminary is Father Peter Cao Wei, who was ordained a priest on October 28, 2010, the feast of the Holy Apostles Simon and Jude Thaddeus. The former Executive Vice-Rector, Father Shi Huimin will be the new parish priest of the Beijing Cathedral, dedicated to the Holy Savior.
Father Peter Cao had already worked in the seminary, also as the person responsible for the formation of seminarians and pastoral care within the seminary community. Beginning on June 30, 2015, he spent eight months in the Philippines to learn English. Upon his return to Beijing in March, the diocese entrusted him with a new mission: to serve the Chinese Catholic community in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, in the United States.
In his homily, Bishop Joseph Li Shan emphasized that "the Seminary is the heart of the diocese. It is a place for the formation of outstanding vocations for the Church". The Bishop also thanked the formators who have been working at the seminary for many years: "Thanks to their zeal and responsible attitude in accompanying vocations, as well as their quiet dedication to the formation process, the seminary has been able to achieve fruitful results and form a number of outstanding priests for the Church."（NZ)（Agenzia Fides, 7/7/2025）

ASIA/NEPAL - New School Law: Catholics demand guarantee of the right to education

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 13:46:20 +0200

Kathmandu – Nepal's new education law, currently being approved, has sparked intense public debate and protests by teachers. The Nepal Teachers’ Federation has threatened to launch a fresh protest if the School Education Bill is not endorsed within a week. The bill, with 163 sections, had received more than 1,700 amendments. It took one and a half months of rigorous discussions for the panel to reach a conclusion. However, the federation has said the revised version is more regressive than the original bill that was registered in Parliament in September 2023.
The Minister of Education has stated that the government has allocated 211 billion rupees to the education sector for next year and plans to include private schools under state regulation. Teachers are demanding fair wages, job security, and better working conditions, with one priority objective: guaranteeing the right to education for all children. Despite the Nepalese Constitution recognizes this right, problems such as poverty, social exclusion, gender discrimination, outdated teaching methods, and inadequate infrastructure persist. "Despite the progress made, challenges such as poverty, social exclusion, and gender bias continue to compromise children's access to education," Father Pius Perumana, a priest of the Apostolic Vicariate of Nepal, the ecclesiastical district that covers the entire country, told Fides. "One of the issues at stake," he notes, "is the effort to ensure that private schools are exclusively profit-oriented, which, in my opinion, is a good measure. The main problem in Nepal is how to make the right to education accessible to children even in the most remote corners of the country," he emphasizes. Nepal is home to 11.5 million children out of a population of 33 million, and nearly one million are orphans. Children aged 0 to 14 represent 39% of the population, with 3.5 million of them being of school age . The 2015 Constitution guarantees free and compulsory education up to the primary level and free education up to the secondary level . This right has been strengthened by the Free and Compulsory Education Act, which includes marginalized groups such as Dalit children and children with disabilities. According to the Statistical Yearbook of the Catholic Church , the Apostolic Vicariate of Nepal, which has a community of 8,000 Catholics, operates, with the support of religious orders, 24 kindergartens , 29 primary schools , and 25 secondary schools with 25,000 students of different ethnicities and religions, actively contributing to the right to education in the country.

AMERICA/USA - The religious connotations of the "Gaza Humanitarian Foundation"

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 13:00:27 +0200

Rome - The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation , an organization responsible for distributing food to the population of Gaza, has been led since June 3 by evangelical preacher Johnnie Moore Jr., considered by Newsmax Magazine as "one of the 25 most influential evangelical leaders in the United States."
Moore replaces Jake Wood, a former Marine who resigned as executive director of the GHF, claiming that he "could not carry out the aid project in strict compliance with the humanitarian principles of solidarity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, which I am not prepared to renounce." This was not the only defection affecting the foundation, created in February 2025 in the US state of Delaware. Its headquarters in Geneva, which existed only formally, was dissolved at the end of June by the Swiss authorities. The Boston Consulting Group also publicly distanced itself from the project, noting in a statement that, in October 2024, some of its employees had volunteered to organize a team to create a humanitarian aid structure for Gaza, "without disclosing the full nature of the work and subsequently performing unauthorized tasks." These individuals subsequently left the company.

The arrival of Johnnie Moore Jr. accentuates the involvement of American evangelical communities close to Israel in the management of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation . Moore, President of the Congress of Christian Leaders, serves on the Board of Directors of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews , which presents itself as "the leading nonprofit organization building bridges between Christians and Jews, blessing Israel and the Jewish people worldwide with humanitarian care and lifesaving aid." Among its activities, the IFCJ assists Israeli soldiers with vouchers for food, clothing, furniture, and other essential items, as well as programs to support former soldiers, vulnerable soldiers, and “lone soldiers” .
Above all, the IFCJ promotes Jewish immigration to Israel as a “fulfillment of biblical prophecy.” According to its website, they state, “We have contributed to the fulfillment of prophecy by helping more than 760,000 Jews make aliyah, immigrate to Israel, since 1983.” Moore is also a member of the Anti-Defamation League’s Task Force for Minorities in the Middle East, the organization founded in 1913 to combat anti-Semitism in the United States.

Presenting himself as a defender of religious freedom, Moore spoke out during the rise of the Islamic State regarding the plight of Christian and Yazidi minorities persecuted by jihadists. The current leader of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has been very active in the Middle East for years, where he has held meetings with political and religious leaders, including the crown princes of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as well as with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Moore claims to have been actively involved in the signing of the "Abraham Accords," the strategic pacts between Israel and some Arab states promoted under the aegis of the first Trump administration . His relationship with the current US president dates back to the 2016 election campaign, when Moore served as co-chair of Donald Trump's evangelical advisory board. The following year, Moore and other evangelical leaders pressured Trump to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump subsequently appointed Moore to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom.

The opaque nature of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's funds has sparked controversy even within Israel. Opposition leader Yair Lapid has called the foundation a "shell company" covertly funded by the Israeli government itself. Lapid has used the same definition for another US organization working in Gaza with the GHF: Safe Reach Solutions . This company, along with UG Solutions , has been commissioned by the GHF to provide armed protection for food distribution centers in Gaza. In practice, these are armed contractors who, according to the Israeli press, have been operating in Gaza since January 2025 without the supervision of the Shin Bet, the Israeli security service that also operates in the Palestinian territories. SRS is headed by Phil Reilly, a former CIA officer. Safe Reach Solutions was incorporated in the state of Wyoming on November 20, 2024, and is believed to be linked to the American strategic consulting firm Orbis Operations. In the fall of 2024, the Israeli government commissioned Orbis to design a plan to distribute humanitarian aid in Gaza without going through UN agencies. The plan presented by Orbis envisioned the creation of a food distribution center managed by a private humanitarian organization, entrusting its security to private contractors in coordination with the Israeli army. This is the plan ultimately adopted by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and the two contracting companies, SRS and UG Solutions.
According to UN estimates, since the start of GHF operations in Gaza, more than 580 civilians have been killed and more than 4,000 injured in the foundation's aid distribution centers.

VATICAN/ANGELUS - Pope Leo: we must ask the “Lord of the harvest” to send out “joyful laborers” to the “mission field”

Sun, 06 Jul 2025 11:56:29 +0200

Vatican City - The Church and the world “do not need people who fulfill their religious duties as if the faith were merely an external label”. Instead, we need “laborers who are eager to work in the mission field, loving disciples who bear witness to the Kingdom of God in all places”. And to arouse their enthusiasm, we do not need “too many theoretical ideas about pastoral plans”. Instead, we need to “pray to the Lord of the harvest”, and ask Him for everything.

Pope Leo XIV recalled this today, in the brief catechesis that preceded the recitation of the Marian prayer of the Angelus. Looking out of the window of his study at the Apostolic Palace, in front of the multitude gathered in St. Peter's Square despite the great heat, Pope Leo took inspiration from the passage of the Gospel of Luke read in the liturgy of the day to recall some of the specific and incomparable features of the apostolic dynamism that animates the Church.
Today's Gospel - Pope Prevost began - "reminds us of the importance of the mission to which we are all called, each according to our own vocation and in the particular situations in which the Lord has placed us". In the Gospel passage read today during the Masses, Jesus sends seventy-two disciples two by two to places and cities where he himself intends to go. A symbolic number, referring to the nations that were then believed to be present on earth. A number - Pope Leo explained - "that indicates that the hope of the Gospel is meant for all peoples, for such is the breadth of God’s heart and the abundance of his harvest. Indeed, God continues to work in the world so that all his children may experience his love and be saved".

In the dynamism of apostolic work - the Pontiff noted - it is God himself who sows and makes the harvest grow from reaping. It is the Lord who, "like a sower, has generously gone out into the world, throughout history, and sowed in people’s hearts a desire for the infinite, for a fulfilled life and for salvation that sets us free". Thus "the Kingdom of God grows like a seed in the ground, and the women and men of today, even when seemingly overwhelmed by so many other things, still yearn for a greater truth; they search for a fuller meaning for their lives, desire justice, and carry within themselves a longing for eternal life".

Faced with the blossoming of expectations of salvation and eternal life - the Pontiff continued, recalling the words of Jesus - "there are few laborers to go out into the field sown by the Lord; few who are able to distinguish, with the eyes of Jesus, the good grain that is ripe for harvesting". There are few "who perceive this, pause to receive the gift and then proclaim and share it with others".

Pope Leo, continuing his reflection, recognized that "perhaps there is no shortage of “intermittent Christians” who occasionally act upon some religious feeling or participate in sporadic events; but there are few who are ready, on a daily basis, to labor in God’s harvest, cultivating the seed of the Gospel in their own hearts in order then to share it in their families, places of work or study, their social contexts and with those in need". And to see other "laborers in God's field" arrive, "we do not need too many theoretical ideas about pastoral plans; instead, we need to pray to the Lord of the harvest". In this way, "he will make us his laborers and send us into the field of the world to bear witness to his Kingdom".

After the recitation of the Angelus, together with the words of greeting to the multitude and to various particular groups present in Saint Peter's Square, the Pontiff expressed sincere condolences to the families who lost their loved ones, in particular their daughters, who were at the summer camp, in the disaster caused by flooding of the Guadalupe river in Texas, in the United States. "We pray for them", said Pope Leo, who then, referring to the war scenarios that are tearing the world apart, asked "the Lord to touch the hearts and inspire the minds of those who govern, that the violence of weapons be replaced by the pursuit of dialogue.". Finally, the Bishop of Rome announced his transfer to Castel Gandolfo, "where I intend to have a short period of rest. I hope that everyone will be able to enjoy some vacation time in order to restore both body and spirit".

AFRICA/DR CONGO - "We Women of Bukavu": A mother of four reports from the city occupied by the M23

Sat, 05 Jul 2025 10:40:59 +0200

Kinshasa - "I am a mother of four children whom I send to school. I collect empty plastic bottles; after washing them, I fill them with water or fruit juice from a powdered preparation, put them in the freezer, and then sell them for 200 Congolese francs ," says Josephine, a mother from Bukavu, the capital of the Congolese province of South Kivu, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which was captured in mid-February by the M23 movement with the support of Rwandan troops . "But while in the past, a mother who sent her child to the market would leave her some change, and the child would use it to buy my juice, today that is no longer the case, and it is difficult for children to buy anything," says Josephine. "Life in Bukavu has become very difficult since the M23 movement began its advance: many have lost their jobs, many can no longer trade because the warehouses where we store our goods are systematically looted. Those who came to bring us war looted in their own way; some residents, seeing that the soldiers had fled and the police had withdrawn, looted their fellow citizens; and people who escaped from prison are the cause of this looting," Josephine continued. "Because of the war, we can no longer travel to the surrounding markets," she continues. "Those who still try to get supplies at the Mudaka market have to pay high taxes along the way. For example, if we buy with 30,000 francs , we have to pay 20,000 in taxes. We are blocked and held hostage. Rapes also occur, even in the city center, with parents often trying to hide the crime so their daughter does not lose the respect of the population." "It is difficult to pay for my children's schooling because there's no money. They try to go to school, but every day they get kicked out. Their father was a civil servant, and like other civil servants, he does not work. We have no choice but to make ends meet," Josephine laments. "We women are dead, even if we're still breathing," Josephine affirms. "Having been robbed of what little we had, we are left in misery, unable to feed our families, even though we were the mainstays of the home. We no longer know what to do. We sleep and don't know if we'll get up again. We don't eat, we don't dress, we don't travel, we don't live, we die! We are victims of agreements we aren't even aware of." "I would like to tell our national government that, first and foremost, they should help us establish peace here in the east of the country by engaging at all levels, because there are countless murders. With peace, everything becomes easy; without peace, nothing is possible," she demands. "I would like to say to the M23: Whoever comes to free a person, do not kill them! The liberator seeks peace for people. Jesus gave his life, he set us free. You are murderers, looters, and cutthroats. Go and tell those who sent you to leave us alone." "To the international community, I repeat Pope Francis's words: 'Hands off Africa!'" she emphasizes. "You are the greatest enemy of the Democratic Republic of Congo: You are not coming to help us, but to exploit our natural resources. You are the ones who support the M23. You present yourselves as rich, but we Congolese are the rich ones. You deceive us by claiming to help us, but you are economic criminals. You are not interested in the lives of the Congolese, but in the natural resources of the Congo. Leave us alone: stay at home. God has given us our wealth: if you want it, come and ask for it legally." "I'm leaving now with my bottles; tomorrow I'll sell them for a few cents... and life goes on," Josephine concludes.

VATICAN - The testimony of the Bigard Memorial Seminary during the Jubilee of Priests with the Pope

Sat, 05 Jul 2025 10:27:50 +0200

Vatican City - Among the seminaries directly dependent on the Dicastery for Evangelization , the Bigard Memorial Seminary in the Nigerian diocese of Enugu is the one with the largest number of seminarians. Currently, more than 700 seminarians study at the seminary, named after Jeanne Bigard, foundress of the Pontifical Society of St. Peter the Apostle. In a video, the seminarians and formators of the seminary, together with the Rector, Father Albert Ikpenwa, share their experiences of study, community prayer, and preparation for the priesthood, which celebrated the 100th anniversary of its foundation in 2024 . Father Guy Bognon , Secretary General of the Pontifical Society of St. Peter the Apostle, presented the Nigerian seminary during Pope Leo XIV's International Meeting with priests, formators, seminarians, and vocational guides, which took place on Thursday, June 26, on the occasion of the priestly Jubilee, in Via della Conciliazione Auditorium in Rome.
The Dicastery for Evangelization, through the Pontifical Society of St. Peter the Apostle, supports the formation of the local clergy and thus diocesan and interdiocesan seminaries in Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Apostolic Vicariates of Latin America. Last year, 778 seminaries were supported, which welcomed 82,859 candidates. The training of formators also plays an important role among the activities in support of these seminaries. "Each academic semester," Father Bognon explained during the meeting, "the Dicastery invites a group of formators to Rome for a special course, focused not so much on the intellect but on the heart, with the goal of establishing coherence between faith and daily life. Such training courses are also organized locally in the countries. The participants are happy and strengthened afterward." The work of the Dicastery for Evangelization aims at serious discernment and solid formation, especially in places where vocations are plentiful. In the video documentation of the Bigard Memorial Seminary, the testimonies of the seminarians alternate with those of the formators, highlighting the diversity of aspects of formation - spiritual, academic, pastoral, and human - and the constant accompaniment of the formators along the way.

Link correlati :VIDEO

AFRICA/KENYA - Appointment of auxiliary bishop of Wote

Sat, 05 Jul 2025 07:32:38 +0200

Vatican City - The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Simon Peter Kamomoe, auxiliary of the metropolitan archdiocese of Nairobi, as auxiliary bishop of the diocese of Wote, Kenya.
Bishop Simon Peter Kamomoe was born on 26 November 1962 in Gatundu, district of Kiambu, in the metropolitan archdiocese of Nairobi. After attending Saint Mary’s Major Seminary in Molo, he studied philosophy at Saint Augustine’s Senior Seminary in Mabanga and theology at Saint Matthias Mulumba Senior Seminary in Tindinyo.
He was ordained a priest on 18 June 1994 for the metropolitan archdiocese of Nairobi.
He has held the following offices: assistant at the Queen of Apostles Junior Seminary in Nairobi ; assistant in the parishes of Thigio , Mang’u , Ndundu and San Matia Mulumba in Thika ; parish priest of Our Lady of Fatima in Kiriko and of Saint Peter and Paul Catholic in Kiambu ; vicar forane and member of the College of Consultors ; administrator of the Minor Basilica of the Holy Family in Nairobi and chaplain of the diocesan Family Pastoral Office .
On 13 February 2024 he was elected titular bishop of Thubunae in Numidia, and on 6 April 2024 consecrated as auxiliary bishop of Nairobi, Kenya.

ASIA/INDIA - Appointment of archbishop of Madurai

Sat, 05 Jul 2025 07:30:29 +0200

Vatican City -The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Antonysamy Savarimuthu of Palayamkottai and apostolic administrator of Madurai, as archbishop of the metropolitan archdiocese of Madurai, India.
Bishop Antonysamy Savarimuthu was born on 8 December 1960 in Vadakku Vandanam, in the diocese of Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu.
He was ordained a priest on 26 April 1987, for the diocese of Palayamkottai.
On 20 November 2019 he was appointed bishop of Palayamkottai and received episcopal consecration the following 15 December. Since 2024, he has served as apostolic administrator of Madurai.

VATICAN - The online missiology course in Spanish promoted by the Pontifical Mission Societies begins in October

Thu, 03 Jul 2025 16:27:29 +0200

Vatican City – In the context of the Jubilee Year and the Jubilee of the Missionary World, scheduled for October 4 and 5, 2025,the International Secretariat of the Pontifical Missionary Union, in collaboration with the National Directions of the Pontifical Mission Societies of Spain and Costa Rica, is promoting and organizing a 100% online missiological refresher course in Spanish.
The course will run from October 2025 to June 2026, with a total of 25 sessions divided into three blocks. Each session will last approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes and will be held on Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. in Spain .
The first block, scheduled from October 28 to December 16, 2025, will address the foundations of missiology, as well as the biblical and theological aspects of the Lord's missionary mandate. The second block, from February 10 to April 14, 2026, will be dedicated to the study of the history of evangelization and current issues related to the Church's missionary approach. Finally, the third block, which will take place from April 21 to June 30, 2026, will focus on missionary pastoral care and spirituality, structures and tools of an ecclesial nature used in mission territories, and Marian spirituality, with an emphasis on the Virgin Mary as Queen of the Missions.
The subjects taught include: fundamental, biblical, historical, and exegetical missiology; mission on the different continents; contemporary missiology; emerging challenges in the field of missiology; missiological and ecumenical pastoral care; Missionary spirituality and contemporary missionary catechesis.
At the end of the course, participants will receive a certificate of participation issued by the International Secretariat of the Pontifical Missionary Union.
For more information and registration details, please visit the following link: https://omp.es/curso-de-actualizacion-en-misionologia/

Link correlati :POSTER

ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - “One life is more precious than the whole world”. The Korean work of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd for women in need

Thu, 03 Jul 2025 14:40:28 +0200

by Pascale Rizk

Chuncheon - For more than 50 years, the Sisters of Our Lady of the Good Shepherd in Chuncheon, Seoul, and Jeju, South Korea, have prayed and worked for women and girls in difficulty: single mothers, immigrants, pregnant women, and girls abused within the family. In recent months, they inaugurated a new facility for women in need at their provincial house of the International Congregation of Religious in Chuncheon.
Founded in 1995 with the help of donations, the sisters' house in Chuncheon continues to grow today with the support of old and new benefactors who value the sisters' work on behalf of women and girls from all over the country.
At the inauguration ceremony last April, Bishop Simon Kim Ju-young of Chuncheon addressed the benefactors, saying: "You must be the happiest of all. You should know that while we priests sometimes neglect prayer, the nuns, on the contrary, always pray diligently." It was he himself who, a year earlier, had invited the parishes of the diocese to support the fundraising campaign launched by the sisters. "Since 1993," reports Sister Marie Jean Bae, who served as Provincial Superior from 2014 to 2019, "the sisters of Chuncheon had used the land on which the new building stands free of charge. Then, in 2022, the owner put the land up for sale. If it had been sold and another building had been built on the site, the nuns would have had to abandon their project." "We and the sisters of the contemplative branch prayed together out of desperation. The merciful God heard our prayers, and just two days after we intensified our prayers, the owner of the land changed his mind and decided to donate it to the convent, apologizing for not having done so sooner," the nun continued. "What is even more surprising is that he also thanked us for accepting the donation," summarizes Sister Marie Jean, who has since become the South Korean coordinator of "Talita khum," the international network of consecrated women against human trafficking.

This year, the Congregation celebrates the bicentenary of its contemplative branch, whose history dates back to the works and spiritual insights of Saint John Eudes in the 17th century, when prostitution was a social scourge punishable by imprisonment. Faced with the misery and injustice that prevailed during a time of spiritual and moral decline, Eudes was urged by the young Madeleine Lamy in Caen, Normandy, to found the first house of refuge, a true "hospital for these souls." From papal approval until the revolution of 1789, 150 years passed, during which the religious were dispersed and their houses closed. It was not until 1825 that the houses were reopened thanks to the courage of a young superior, Maria Eufrasia, the foundress of the Sisters of St. Magdalene, now the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd.

Religious Sisters at the Side of Women in need

Between the 1960s and 1970s—immediately after the Second Vatican Council—changes in the lives of the sisters in Korea also began to emerge. In 1966, at the invitation of Bishop Peter Han Kong-ryel of the Diocese of Gwangju, four American nuns came to Korea to establish the spirituality of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd. Han was shocked by the sexual exploitation of young girls and women by the US military in his diocese and, in the charism of their foundress, Saint Mary Eufrasia, asked the sisters to help these victims of oppression. Thus, in 1968, the sisters established a dormitory and vocational school near the US Air Force base in Gunsan. This facility remained in operation until 1976. Inspired by the motto "One life is more precious than the whole world," their commitment to supporting single pregnant women clearly demonstrated how important it was for the Catholic Church to create appropriate facilities for these women. Thus, at the invitation of Bishop Park Thomas Stewart, the sisters began with a small house in Seoul and opened "Mary's Home" for single mothers in Chuncheon Province in 1979, before moving to the current provincial house complex and the counseling and support centers for women in 1985. With the entry into force in South Korea of the law against prostitution in 2004 and the significant increase in international marriages – mainly due to the establishment of diplomatic relations with China in 1992 – forms of support for women in distress have been strengthened to meet the urgent need for counselling for women who are victims of domestic violence and to improve communication between spouses of different nationalities, which is often hampered by language and cultural barriers.

Healing wounds of body and soul

Increased awareness of justice and the denunciation of abuse against women led to the adoption of the "Basic Law for the Development of Women" in South Korea in 1995. In centers for pregnant women such as "Mary's Home," women are prepared for a safe birth and can then decide whether to keep their child or place it in foster care. The work of the sisters is crucial in this area, as they advocate for anti-abortion policies in favor of the dignity of life. By welcoming women into these homes, they also aim to protect them from social prejudice. Mothers who have been victims of various forms of violence can also come from outside to seek refuge in the facilities run by the sisters, for example, at the "House of Friends" in Seoul or at another women's shelter in Jeju. Support can be short-term – renewable – or long-term . To facilitate their return to normalcy, programs are developed to help them heal their emotional and physical wounds. The women are guided through their personal and professional development and receive support in the form of free room and lodging, medical care, vocational training to achieve economic independence, and preparation for the GED, an exam equivalent to a high school diploma. The center in Chuncheon, which is operated in cooperation with Caritas, offers special legal support and advice, for example, in filing lawsuits against the perpetrator or drafting a statement in civil proceedings. The sisters also run homes for girls who have been victims of domestic violence and family problems. In these facilities, such as the "House of the Good Shepherd", they receive support from their families. At organizations such as the "Good Shepherd House" in Seoul, efforts are being made to give young girls back the warmth of family, the feeling of love and acceptance in a safe and comfortable place, where they are given a sense of normality. "There is no greater pain than being abused at home by one's parents. It is a long road to achieve healthy independence and psycho-emotional recovery, but they do it," says Mariana Inea Young, a ‘Sand Play’ therapist and social worker. "So many come back to share their stories of recovery," adds Sister Damiana Ham.

A hotline for women in need

Every Thursday, Sister Rufina Hwa Jung Shim—66 years old and now retired after seven years as head of the "hotline" in Jeju—went to the neighborhoods to help women on the streets. Her zeal, the fourth vow of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, allows her to transcend the boundaries of space and time to continue her mission. "We begin every morning with a Bible reading, and even though the staff includes women from all Korean denominations, the Gospel remains the heart of the mission."
At the "1366 Center," the sisters are commissioned by the diocese to manage the "Catholic Women's Line" telephone counseling service, established in 1998 by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Depending on the case, women are supported locally or placed in women's shelters and connected with the police, hospitals, or other facilities established for their protection. In recent years, increased awareness of women’s issues in South Korea has led to a substantial change in government-sponsored social welfare services. Social service agencies working in the field are consulted by the government before defining the most appropriate policies. Appropriate professional qualifications are also required.

Meanwhile, on July 1, the Ministry of Equal Opportunities and Family Affairs passed a law implementing the "Advance Family Allowance System." The system provides for the advance payment of family allowances and contributions even if one parent evades their child support obligations. The unpaid contributions of the insolvent parent remain with the parent as a debt to public institutions, which must be settled by paying contributions to the social security institutions. The law provides for monthly maintenance of 200,000 KRW for each child until they reach adulthood. This is a form of support that also alleviates the economic difficulties of single mothers and women abandoned by their spouses.

ASIA/INDIA - Chemical factory explosion: Catholic Church calls for transparency and protection of workers' dignity

Thu, 03 Jul 2025 14:08:34 +0200

Hyderabad - "The explosion at a chemical factory in the state of Telangana once again raises the serious problem of exploitation and disregard for the dignity of workers. The victims are mostly poor people, members of tribal communities, migrant workers, and daily laborers, who are the most vulnerable. It will be necessary to examine whether there was negligence and whether the authorities and the company that owns the factory complied with all labor protection measures," said Fr. Stephen Alathara, Deputy Secretary General and Spokesperson of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India , in an interview with Fides following the explosion on June 30 in the Sangareddy district, north of Hyderabad, the capital of the Indian state of Telangana, which killed at least 40 workers and injured more than 35, many of them still in critical condition.
The explosion caused the collapse of a three-story building managed by the pharmaceutical company Sigachi Industries Private Limited. In response to public outrage, the Telangana state government has promised 10 million rupees in compensation to the families of the deceased workers and 1 million rupees in compensation to the injured. Furthermore, a commission of inquiry, composed of experts and scientists, will be established today, July 3, to investigate the explosion. The commission will determine the causes and establish the sequence of events that led to the disaster.
"The Indian Church has united in all communities to express its solidarity and to pray for the victims during daily Masses, as requested by the bishops," Father Alathara told Fides. In an official statement, the Inter-Ritual Bishops' Conference of India also expressed its "deep sadness and sorrow over the tragic explosion at a chemical factory in Telangana." "Our condolences go out to the families who lost their loved ones in this sudden and devastating tragedy. We also pray for the speedy and full recovery of all those injured, and that the Lord grants strength and courage to their families and caregivers," the Indian bishops said in a statement. Many of the victims, the bishops said, originally came from other states and were internal migrants who had come to Telangana to care for their families. The CBCI statement called for "a thorough and transparent investigation to shed light on the causes of the explosion and any deficiencies identified," and pointed out that "the dignity of every human life and the right to a safe and secure working environment must be upheld as a moral and constitutional responsibility." "It is necessary to review the labor laws that allow companies to exploit workers," Father Alathara concluded. "And we must ensure that all the rules established by law were observed. Those who suffer are always the poorest, the defenseless, those who cannot even go to court, the migrants, the tribal people, the weakest. The Church is at their side to help them with all means and in every way."

AFRICA/ZIMBABWE - "Training seminar" for judges and prosecutors canceled

Thu, 03 Jul 2025 12:54:23 +0200

Harare - Under pressure from legal experts, lawyers, and members of civil society, an order requiring Zimbabwean judges to participate in a series of training courses at the Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology of the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front party has been canceled. According to a government decree, the training courses, scheduled to take place from July 4 to 5, were to be delivered by Fulton Mangwanya, head of the Central Intelligence Organization, and Martin Rushwaya, Chief Secretary to President Emmerson Mnangagwa's Cabinet, as well as by Ishmael Mada, Dean of the party's Ideology School.
The mandatory attendance of judges and prosecutors at a seminar at the ruling party's school and the intervention of the head of the state intelligence agency caused widespread consternation in the country, as there were fears of an undermining of the independence of the judiciary and its politicization.
Among the organizations that have intervened against the order is the Catholic Lawyers Association of Zimbabwe, which, in a statement released yesterday, July 2, expressed "deep concerns about the propriety of this so-called induction, which appears to be outside contemporary, salient, established legal and judicial principles in Zimbabwe and the region."
The statement states that it condemns "the politicization of judges' training and call on all arms of the government to respect the principle of separation of powers and the rule of law, which are embedded in the supreme law of the country." The Association of Catholic Jurists recalls the articles of the Constitution stating that "independence of the judiciary is not a cosmetic design but a deeply entrenched principle that forms the core of the justice system in Zimbabwe." "Subjecting judges who must at all times be independent and be seen to be independent to an ideology of one party to the exclusion of others not only compromises the judiciary but attacks its independence and impartiality," the statement continues. "We note that this is all happening at a time when the public confidence in the judiciary is low, given the widely held public perception that the Judiciary is captured by the Executive." In this context, the Harare High Court yesterday ordered the arrest of Faith Zaba, editor of the Zimbabwe Independent, for publishing an article harshly critical of the president. The content of the article was described by Public Prosecutor Takudzwa Jambawu as "factually inaccurate and calculated to incite hostility toward the president among Zimbabweans."

AFRICA/TOGO - The Bishops: "disproportionate" violence

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 12:35:00 +0200

Lomé - "We condemn in the strongest possible terms the unacceptable and disproportionate violence, regardless of its origin, perpetrators, or justification," the bishops of Togo issued a joint statement on last week's clashes, which resulted in the deaths of at least seven people. The statement, published on June 30 and signed by Benoît Alowonou, President of the Togolese Bishops' Conference and Bishop of Kpalimé, states that "such a disproportionate use of force to repress a demonstration, albeit an unauthorized one, is simply unacceptable."
On June 27, 28, and 29, thousands of people took to the streets in Lomé to protest the constitutional reform that transformed Togo from a presidential to a parliamentary republic . This allowed Faure Gnassingbé, who has been in office since 2005 following the death of his father and predecessor in the presidency, Gnassingbé Eyadéma, to remain in power as Prime Minister rather than as Head of State. Faure Gnassingbé was sworn in as Prime Minister in May. There is no official term limit for this office, meaning that Faure Gnassingbé can be re-elected by Parliament for an indefinite term. "We bow with respect to the memory of all our compatriots who lost their lives in connection with this violence and express our sincere condolences to their families," the bishops said, calling on "political actors, the defense and security forces, and opinion leaders to show responsibility, moderation, and sincere commitment in building our country."

AMERICA/MEXICO - Shots fired at dawn in the streets of Villahermosa: Priest seriously injured

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 11:52:37 +0200

Villahermosa – The parish priest of the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, Father Héctor Alejandro Pérez, remains in critical condition at the Rovirosa Hospital in Villahermosa. The priest was shot several times in the abdomen while on his way to visit a sick person in the Gaviotas Sur colony.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Monday, June 30, when, according to the Diocese of Tabasco, the priest was on his way to visit a sick parishioner shortly before 6 a.m. Unknown assailants fired several shots, hitting Father Pérez.

The priest was taken to the hospital and underwent a lengthy surgery . Doctors described the clinical situation as very serious from the outset due to the blood loss and the complexity of the internal injuries.

The matter is currently being investigated by the police. In a statement, the Diocese of Tabasco referred to a "case of mistaken identity," which investigators neither confirmed nor denied. The diocese strongly condemns this barbaric act and asks God to touch the hearts of the attackers so that they may convert, while inviting "the faithful and people of good will" to "unite in the search for peace."

The Mexican Bishops' Conference also expressed its closeness to the priest, who, according to a new medical bulletin also issued by the Diocese of Tabasco, is "in critical but stable condition." The Mexican bishops express their "deep shock and fraternal solidarity at the cowardly armed attack on Father Hector Pérez. We unite in prayer to the Lord of life for Father Hector's speedy recovery and entrust him to the protection of the Virgin Mary. Our support goes out to the Diocese of Tabasco, the parish of St. Francis of Assisi, his family, and his friends. May Christ, the Prince of Peace, inspire and sustain our efforts to build a society where justice, reconciliation, and respect for life prevail."

ASIA/INDONESIA - Catholics on the island of Sulawesi: inspired by "Nostra Aetate" and the visit of Pope Francis

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 11:35:57 +0200

Vatican City - "We walk together with the Muslim population on the paths of dialogue and mercy. As Catholics, we live in an area of Indonesia where we are a small minority in society. This does not discourage or frighten us. There is a deep faith that is clearly visible in the participation of the people and that continually calls us to a relationship with others, with people of different faiths with whom there are generally no problems in coexistence," said Archbishop of Makassar, Franciskus Nipa who was the only Indonesian Metropolitan Archbishop to receive the pallium from Pope Leo XIV on June 29. "It was a touching moment of strong solidarity with the Successor of Peter. Pope Leo XIV is a Pope who was a missionary and therefore understands our lives very well," he says.

The Archbishop recounts his mission on the island of Sulawesi, the third largest island in the Indonesian archipelago, whose territory is divided into two Catholic dioceses: Manado in the north, Makassar in the south, which includes three Indonesian provinces. Archbishop Franciskus Nipa's episcopal motto is "Misericodiam volo" and expresses his deep desire "to always and completely be at the service of the people God has entrusted to me." Archbishop Nipa previously served as Secretary General of the Archdiocese for twelve years, a fundamental role that requires direct and specific knowledge of the territory, the parishes, the problems, issues, and needs of the Catholic faithful of the diocese, approximately 250,000 in a population of over 13 million, divided into 56 parishes. Archbishop Nipa begins with the context in which Catholics live: "In Sulawesi, we generally have good relations with the predominantly Muslim population. A valuable source of inspiration for our daily life is 'Nostra Aetate,' the conciliar decree on relations between the Catholic Church and non-Christian religions.
We maintain good relations at the level of ordinary people, but also with Islamic leaders and civil authorities," he explains. "Sometimes, in certain areas of a province, the state authorities put us on the back burner when it comes to obtaining a permit to build a new church. This waiting period can drag on for years, up to 30 or 40 years, effectively denying the permit," he reports. In the past, the presence of Islamist extremists has undermined coexistence and left wounds: On March 28, 2021, Palm Sunday, there was a bomb attack at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Makassar, killing two attackers and injuring at least 20 people. "But we always try to overcome obstacles and find the good that the Lord places in every event," he says. "A very positive impulse," he notes, "was Pope Francis's visit to Indonesia last year. It was important for our Islamic-Christian relations. Indeed, during the preparation, we had the opportunity to meet with Muslim leaders and believers through a series of monthly meetings, held alternately in the church and the mosque, which strengthened the good relations." "Muslims are responding positively to this commitment to dialogue, and we are encouraged. We are now all trying to put the affirmations of goodwill that emerged from these meetings into practice, into daily life," the archbishop said. As part of his pastoral ministry in the vast territory, the Archbishop also visits parishes in more remote areas, including the Tana Toraja Regency, an area where Archbishop Nipa comes from, characterized by landscapes of rice fields, hills, mountains, and villages, and inhabited by indigenous Torajan communities who practice animist worship. The inauguration of the characteristic Church of the Holy Family, carved into the mountain rock, last January was an important moment for the Torajan people: it attracted attention for its original structure and its significance as "a church characterized by a unique integration into the natural landscape, with Christ at its center."

VATICAN - Climate crisis and ecological debt, the Bishops of Asia, Africa and Latin America: the “green Economy” risks being reduced to “modernization of capitalism”

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 11:18:26 +0200

Vatican City – Saying “enough” to “false solutions” and calling on rich countries to settle “with urgent action” the ecological debt owed to the poorest nations. This is the meaning of the document “A call for climate justice and the common home: Ecological conversion, transformation, and resistance to false solutions,” the result of collaboration between the continental episcopal organizations of Latin America and the Caribbean , Asia , and Africa , coordinated by the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. The document, divided into three chapters and 12 paragraphs, takes up various aspects of the climate crisis already analyzed in the encyclical Laudato Si’ and analyzes its social and moral implications at the global level, calling on States to intervene not with “false solutions,” as until now, but with concrete measures.

Ecological Debt and Green Economy

The text begins by denouncing the "contradiction" of financing an alleged "energy transition" with profits from oil production without any real commitment to abandoning fossil fuels. Hence the criticism of the so-called "greenwashing" of environmental policies: the green economy, even if presented as a sustainable model, risks being nothing more than a "modernization of capitalism" that continues to concentrate power and wealth in the hands of a few, excludes the poorest, and exacerbates existing inequalities.

The current system, the text emphasizes, tends not to protect the Planet, but rather to "commodify" nature, transforming it into an "asset that can only be traded by a few," without questioning the actions and processes that have led to the climate crisis.

The bishops therefore call for "building a truly sustainable, supportive, and inclusive economic system" that also takes ecological debt into account. Pope Francis, quoted in the document, already recalled that ecological debt and foreign debt are "two sides of the same coin".

In the Bull of Proclamation for the 2025 Jubilee, "Spes non confundit," and in the Message for the 2025 World Day of Peace, the Argentine Pope described foreign debt as an "instrument of control" by governments and financial institutions over poor countries.

The document takes up these words and the invitation - expressed several times by Pope Francis - to rich countries so that they "recognize and pay their ecological debt, resulting from decades of emissions and the exploitation of natural resources to the detriment of poor countries." Estimates suggest that the climate debt of the global North could reach $192 trillion over the next 25 years. For this reason, the text calls for "not only financial but also moral justice," requiring transparency and concrete commitments to support the most vulnerable populations without further exacerbating their indebtedness.

Responsibility and Equality

Among the measures proposed in the document is an appeal for responsibility: According to the bishops, the countries that have contributed most to polluting emissions in the past must assume the greatest burden of mitigation and adaptation, without further burdening poorer countries.

To achieve this, the text proposes the creation of a "new coalition" bringing together the Church, governments, indigenous peoples, scientists and humanitarian organizations in the South, and "allies in the North" to "study and promote ambitious measures that address social and ecological debt" and thus guarantee "a just and sustainable future for future generations."

The Ecclesiastical Observatory on Climate Justice was recently established, promoted by the Ecclesiastical Conference of the Amazon . This Observatory will monitor the implementation of the agreements reached at the last Climate Conferences , recording any non-compliance, and monitor the fulfillment of the commitments made.

ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - On the 100th anniversary of the beatification of the Korean martyrs, a report on the persecutions of Gihae and Byeong-o

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 14:16:07 +0200

Seoul – A report to learn about the data of the persecutions that struck Catholics on the Korean peninsula in the 19th century. The centenary of the Eucharistic liturgy celebrated on July 5, 1925, in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, during which the first Korean martyrs were proclaimed blesseds, will also be commemorated, through the publication of documents and official records useful for reconstructing this period of witness and martyrdom.

These were 79 Catholics who were killed "in odium fidei" for their faith during the persecutions of Gihae and Byeong-o . In the 19th century , the Korean Church estimates that approximately 16,000 Catholics were killed.

To commemorate this event, the Committee for Honoring the Martyrs of the Archdiocese of Seoul has organized a series of events, beginning with a Eucharistic celebration on July 5. At 3 p.m., Archbishop Jeong Sun-taek will preside over Mass at the Shrine of the Martyrs of Seosomun, the church built on the site where executions were carried out during the Joseon Dynasty. A total of 41 of the 79 martyrs beatified in the Vatican on July 5, 1925, died at this site, which is considered "the greatest place of martyrdom in the Korean Church."

At the end of the mass, the "Data on the persecution of Gihae and Byeong-o" will be presented. This report contains official data and documents on the persecution of Gihae and Byeong-o. These are official documents from the "Annals of the Joseon Dynasty," the "Diary of the Royal Secretariat," and the "Declaration of the Office of Military Affairs."
The entire report was compiled based on communications and reports exchanged between the Ministry of Justice and the Police Office, which differentiates it from existing historical materials, as it focuses almost exclusively on the testimonies of those who lived through that time. Furthermore, in addition to the original texts, the study also includes translations into contemporary Korean, making the collection easy to consult for researchers.

To conclude the initiatives, an exhibition entitled "Anima Mundi" will open on the evening of July 5. "Anima Mundi" is also the name of the section of the Vatican Museums that collects the legacy of the World Missionary Expo that Pope Pius XI wanted to create in the Vatican Gardens on the occasion of the Jubilee of 1925 . The Korean Church also participated in this event and presented itself to the world for the first time. The exhibition, modeled on the pavilion erected in the Vatican Gardens one hundred years ago, traces the situation of the Korean Church at that time.