Asia - Pacific News
Live Updates: Pope Francis trip to Mongolia 2023
Live updates following Pope Francis’ trip to Mongolia from Aug. 31–Sept. 4. Read more
Catholics from mainland China and across Asia in Mongolia for Mass with Pope Francis
While papal Masses on the pope’s other trips can draw hundreds of thousands of people, the Mass in Ulaanbaatar only... Read more
Pope Francis quotes Buddha at interreligious event in Mongolia
Pope Francis said Sunday that interreligious dialogue is “not antithetical to proclamation” but helps religious traditions to understand one another. Read more
Pope Francis tells Mongolia’s tiny Catholic community that ‘God loves littleness’
“Brothers and sisters, do not be concerned about small numbers, limited success, or apparent irrelevance,” Pope Francis assured missionaries in... Read more
Pope Francis: ‘Mongolia is a symbol of religious freedom’
Pope Francis called Mongolia a “symbol of religious freedom” in his first speech in the Asian country sandwiched between China... Read more
PHOTOS: Pope Francis’ first day in Mongolia
Pope Francis received an enthusiastic welcome to Mongolia on Friday morning after a nearly 10-hour flight on the papal plane. Read more
Pope Francis becomes first pope in history to set foot in Mongolia
The pope told journalists aboard the papal plane that to visit Mongolia is to encounter “a small people, but a... Read more
Pope sends telegram to China as plane flies over Chinese airspace
Pope Francis will become the first pope in the history of the Catholic Church to visit Mongolia. Read more
Mongolia’s former president lauds country’s promotion of religious freedom
Mongolia is a nation where religious freedom and respect for human life are “fundamental” values, the country’s former president says. Read more
Pope Francis to visit one of the world’s most polluted capitals this week
Pope Francis is likely to make “care for our common home” a key theme of his Mongolian trip this week... Read more
On Indian Independence Day, bishops reiterate Christians’ patriotism
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India also called for “resolving internal challenges with empathy, understanding, and unity.” Read more
Pakistan’s legislature passes bill to increase blasphemy penalties to life in prison
The legislation would set a maximum penalty of life in prison for blasphemy with a minimum sentence of 10 years... Read more
The challenges facing South Korea in organizing the next World Youth Day
One priest says that being designated the site of the next WYD is an opportunity “to spread faith in Christ”... Read more
Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki killed two-thirds of the city’s Catholics 78 years ago
Since the 16th century, Nagasaki has been an important center of Catholicism in Japan, initially evangelized by Jesuit and Franciscan... Read more
Hindu nationalists demand arrest of Catholic priest in India for saying king was not a god
Hindu groups had staged demonstrations in front of the police station calling for criminal charges to be brought against Father... Read more
‘Religious cleansing’ threatens Armenian Christians’ existence, human rights leaders warn
“Azerbaijan, with Turkey’s backing, is really slowly strangling” the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, said Sam Brownback, religious freedom ambassador. Read more
Pope Francis prays for victims of train crash in India that killed 275 people
“May our heavenly Father welcome the souls of the deceased into his kingdom,” the pope prayed. Read more
Make nuclear disarmament a priority, Catholic bishops urge G7 Summit
Four Catholic bishops from the U.S. and Japan called for G7 leaders who are meeting in Nagasaki to take action... Read more
Japanese governmental panel backs abortion pill amid small pro-life protests
Japan is now one step closer to legalizing an abortion pill despite some pushback from a small but dedicated pro-life... Read more
Historic trip of bishop of Hong Kong to Beijing is the first in three decades
Bishop Stephen Chow of Hong Kong arrived yesterday in Beijing, the capital of China, amid some tensions between the Asian... Read more
