Asia - Pacific News
China offers rewards for reporting underground churches
The Chinese Communist Party is offering monetary rewards to those who report the presence of home churches in their communities. Read more
Report finds hate crimes rising against Indian Christians despite lockdown
Hate crimes against Christians in India increased by 40% in the first half of 2020 despite a three-month nationwide lockdown,... Read more
Catholic leaders reject Duterte’s call to revive death penalty in Philippines
Catholic leaders in the Philippines have spoken out against President Rodrigo Duterte’s call to reinstate the death penalty for illegal... Read more
Sydney archbishop urges implementation of modern slavery law in NSW
Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney on Wednesday called the New South Wales government a “disgrace” for failing to enact anti-slavery... Read more
In India, Catholic bishop accused of rape asks Supreme Court to intervene
After several failures to secure dismissal of charges in lower courts, a Catholic bishop whom a nun has accused of... Read more
Indonesian Muslim party warns Erdogan could spark global ‘clash of civilizations’
An Islamic political party in Indonesia said Tuesday that Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan could spark a civilizational clash because of... Read more
Cardinal Bo: Hagia Sophia’s conversion into a mosque will ‘reopen wounds’
As Hagia Sophia opened for Muslim prayers Friday for the first time in 86 years, a leading Asian cardinal said... Read more
Analysis: The Vatican and China Part III, Taiwan
With negotiations ongoing for an extension of the 2018 Vatican-China deal, the fate of Vatican-Taiwan relations may prove inextricable from... Read more
Pakistanis mourn Sister Ruth Lewis, who cared for children with disabilities
Sister Ruth Lewis, a Pakistani nun who dedicated her life to helping underprivileged people with disabilities, died Monday following coronavirus... Read more
Analysis: The Vatican and China Part II, Hong Kong
As the Vatican and China negotiate an extension of the controversial 2018 deal, the Diocese of Hong Kong is at... Read more
China turns surveillance state on religious gatherings
China is using advanced technology to monitor both public and private religious gatherings, witnesses told a federal hearing on Wednesday. Read more
Analysis: The Vatican and China Part I, the Mainland
While Catholic China watchers have long focused on the ongoing human rights crisis in the country, broader media attention has... Read more
Chinese Christians told to replace Christ with Mao or lose government support
Government authorities in Shanxi, China, have ordered people who receive government assistance to replace religious symbols in their homes, including pictures... Read more
Catholic bishops: Democracy is being eroded in the Philippines
The bishops of the Philippines have issued a pastoral letter accusing the government of undermining the country’s democratic institutions. Read more
Australian Catholic students urge bishops to 'reject unambiguously' women's ordination
Australian Catholic students have sent an open letter to the country’s bishops ahead of the upcoming Fifth Plenary Council of... Read more
Hong Kong diocese targeted by Chinese hacking attempts
The Diocese of Hong Kong has been targeted by “spear-phishing” operations from the Chinese government, a technology publication is reporting. Read more
Catholic faith is the answer to sorcery-related violence in Papua New Guinea, says bishop
On Easter Sunday in the Southern Highlands of Papua New Guinea, three innocent women were burned and tortured while local... Read more
Catholic bishop in India charged with rape tests positive for coronavirus
Bishop Franco Mulakkal of Jullundur, who has been charged with the rape of a nun, has tested positive for coronavirus.... Read more
Press North Korea more on human rights, less on denuclearization says federal commission
A federal commission is calling on the U.S. to push for greater respect for human rights in North Korea, in... Read more
Biden condemns forced sterilizations by China
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden condemned China’s forced sterilizations of Uyghur women on Wednesday—nine years after he told a Chinese... Read more
