Asia

• 25 March 2026
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - Elevation to diocese of the apostolic vicariate of Calapan and appointment of first bishop Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - The Holy Father has elevated to a diocese the apostolic vicariate of Calapan, Philippines, retaining the same name and territorial configuration, making it a suffragan of the metropolitan s ...
• 25 March 2026
  ASIA/BANGLADESH - Erection of the diocese of Joypurhat and appointment of first bishop Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - The Holy Father has erected the diocese of Joypurhat, Bangladesh, with territory taken from the diocese of Rajshahi and the diocese of Dinajpur, making it a suffragan of the metropolitan ar ...
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  24 March 2026
  ASIA/LEBANON - The testimony of Father Elias from the Christian villages of southern Lebanon, under attack by the Israeli army: "We are resisting with our living flesh" by Gianni Valente Rmeish (Agenzia Fides) – "We are practically cut off from the outside world. Only an old road can still be used and keeps us connected to Tyre. Yesterday, we managed to send a convoy with essenti ...
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  23 March 2026
  War in the Middle East: Holy Sepulchre inaccessible in Jerusalem and traditional Holy Week rites canceled Jerusalem (Agenzia Fides) – No Palm Sunday procession from the Garden of Olives. No Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday. The war unleashed by the United States and Israel against Iran is now leading to the official cancellati ...
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  20 March 2026
  Vietnam is preparing for the beatification of Francis Xavier Truong Buu Diep, 80 years after his martyrdom by Andrew Doan Thanh Phong Can Tho (Agenzia Fides) - "More than eighty years ago, in this remote area of Tac Say, there was a priest who quietly served with loving compassion for all people. That was Father Francis Xa ...
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  20 March 2026
  ASIA/LEBANON - Israeli bombing in southern Lebanon: Order of Malta volunteer among the victims Beirut (Agenzia Fides) – Among the victims of the Israeli bombing in southern Lebanon is 20-year-old Chadi Ammar, a volunteer of the Order of Malta. He was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Aïn Ebel, southern Lebanon ...
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  20 March 2026
  ASIA/KUWAIT - Bishop Berardi on a pastoral visit: "Let us approach Easter with faith despite the situation" Kuwait City (Agenzia Fides) – "Yesterday, March 19, I traveled by car from Awali in Bahrain to Kuwait City for a planned pastoral visit, and this morning we celebrated Holy Mass to begin the visit," Bishop Aldo Berardi ...
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  18 March 2026
  ASIA/CAMBODIA - Diocesan phase of beatification process for Cambodian martyrs concluded Phnom Penh (Agenzia Fides) – “On the occasion of today’s conclusion of the diocesan inquiry for the beatification and canonization process of the Cambodian martyrs Joseph Chhmar Salas and his eleven companions, we ...
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  17 March 2026
  ASIA/INDONESIA - Christians and Muslims pray for peace: “May hostilities in the Middle East cease” Jakarta (Agenzia Fides) – “Amidst global conflicts, we, Indonesian Christians and Muslims, are determined to build bridges of fraternity. This Iftar (breaking of the fast) offers space for interreligious encounters i ...
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  17 March 2026
  ASIA/CHINA - The Lenten journey of Chinese Catholic communities: visits to the sick, spiritual retreats, formation courses Beijing (Agenzia Fides) – Spiritual retreats, visits to the sick, formation courses, and participation in the Stations of the Cross during Lent are shaping the daily life of Chinese Catholic parishes during this season ...
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  16 March 2026
  Bishop Martinelli: The "Church of immigrant workers" put to the test by war by Gianni Valente Abu Dhabi (Agenzia Fides) - In the territories of the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia—which includes the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Yemen—those who share the Catholic faith, starting ...
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  13 March 2026
  Three weeks of Scrutinies: The Diocese of Hong Kong prepares to celebrate 2,500 baptisms at Easter Hong Kong (Agenzia Fides) – “Be bearers of hope”: this is the exhortation that Cardinal Stephen Chow Sau-yan, Bishop of the Diocese of Hong Kong, addressed to the catechumens during the rite of scrutiny, in which t ...
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  13 March 2026
  Catholic Bishops: March 26th, prayer and fasting for peace in the Middle East and Myanmar Yangon (Agenzia Fides) – A special day of penance, prayer, and fasting, to invoke the gift of peace not only in their homeland, but also in the Middle East, once again in flames following the Israeli-American attack on ...
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  13 March 2026
  ASIA/KUWAIT - Pastoral activities, online schooling, and teleworking suspended. The Ministry of the Interior urges continuous monitoring of security Kuwait City (Agenzia Fides) – A few days before the end of Ramadan, scheduled for the evening of March 19, Kuwait's Ministry of the Interior announced that it has decided to ban public gatherings, theatrical performanc ...
• 13 March 2026
  AFRICA/SOUTH AFRICA - Confirmation of the Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - On February 6, 2026, Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization (Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches) confirmed Rev. Fr. Jeremi ...