The president of the Polish bishops’ conference has expressed “deep concern and anxiety” about the “synodal path” of the Church in Germany. In a letter published on 22 February, Stanislaw Gadecki, Archbishop of Poznan, addressed his counterpart in the German bishops’ conference, Bishop Georg Batzing of Limburg, describing his unease with a process he suspects of “seeking truth outside the Gospel”. In the wide-ranging letter, Gadecki questions the direction of the German synod and queries its “repetition of worn-out slogans, and standard demands. such as the abolition of celibacy, the priesthood of women, communion for the divorced and remarried, and the blessing of same-sex unions”.
Hanoi Archdiocese has sent a letter of complaint to provincial and national leaders, urging the “People’s Committee” of the province of Hoa Binh to respect the religious freedom and pastoral activities of Catholics in Vietnam. This comes after security officials disturbed a Sunday Mass on 20 February in the province that was being celebrated by Archbishop Joseph Vu Van Thien of Hanoi (pictured). At the communion, two officials grabbed a microphone and ordered those present to leave. The Archdiocese said such an act “denigrates the holy rite of the Eucharist, which is the most sacred and important liturgy for the faith of Catholics”.
The Philippines bishops’ conference has condemned attempts to belittle the People Power Revolution of 1986, which led to the departure of President Ferdinand Marcos, through claims that the martial law Marcos imposed was good for the country. The bishops warned Filipinos not to be duped by moves to falsify history. They were responding to attempts by supporters of presidential frontrunner Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr – son of the late dictator – to suggest the martial law years were a “golden” period.
Hong Kong’s new bishop has underlined the importance of protecting human dignity, as well as a process of dialogue with the government of Hong Kong. Speaking to Milan-based Mondo e Missione (World and Mission), in his first interview since he was ordained to lead the Diocese of Hong Kong, Bishop Stephen Chow Sau-yan said: “I find it unacceptable for human dignity to be ignored, trampled upon, or eliminated entirely.” He added: “We have to work with the government and find what space we can, in humility and a spirit of dialogue.”
As Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith met Pope Francis last weekend, Sri Lankans gathered at St Peter’s to support his call for justice following the Easter Sunday attacks of 2019, which killed 269 people at three churches and three hotels. Cardinal Ranjith is unhappy with the government’s investigations, accusing it of “protecting the heads of state and high officials who were aware of the attack, and did not take action to prevent it”.
Archbishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama of Abuja, Nigeria, has asked the government to improve safety on university campuses. “The attacks by bandits and other criminal elements on the education sector do not only affect the safety of students and staff in schools but also directly or indirectly affect the survival of private universities,” Kaigama said last week at Veritas University in Bwari. Some 1,000 students have been kidnapped by terrorists and bandits in the past ten months.
Myanmar’s army has arrested two Catholic priests who were on their way to bring humanitarian aid to internally displaced people in eastern Shan State. Fr John Paul Lwel of Pekhon Diocese and Fr John Bosco of the Archdiocese of Taunggyi were detained at a checkpoint. Their bishops are calling for their release. Fighting has intensified between the military and the People’s Defence Forces in the Diocese of Pekhon, where the military junta has ordered air strikes and deployed armoured vehicles and heavy weapons. Many Catholics have sought refuge in church buildings in the Archdiocese of Taunggyi.
A Christian who has won the Miss Pakistan “beauty pageant” has said she wants to use her fame to work for the rights of minorities and help the needy. Shafaq Akhtar, a medical doctor and a Protestant from Lahore, will represent Pakistan in the Miss Universe competition in the Philippines in April. “I will work for minority rights, helping the needy and charities,” she said. “I am already giving discounts and offering free treatment to some of my patients.” She currently serves disabled women and girls at a home run by the Missionaries of Charity.
A priest in Arizona, the United States, has begun rebaptising people he had previously baptised improperly. For almost five years, Fr Andres Arango mistakenly said: “we baptise”, rather than “I baptise”, when performing the sacrament. The Holy See ruled last year that those baptisms – the precise number is not known – were invalid, and that those who thought they had been baptised needed to receive the sacrament properly. Parishioners at St Gregory church, where Arango resigned as pastor on 1 February, did not blame the priest. At the last Mass at which he presided as pastor, the congregation gave him a standing ovation at the end of the liturgy. Many expressed bewilderment that the Vatican had not found a way to legitimate the baptisms. The Diocese of Phoenix said: “Fr Arango is a priest in good standing and has led many people to a deeper relationship with Christ in his pastoral work at St Gregory Parish, but now he is committing himself to this vital pastoral outreach to the people of God – helping and healing.”
Catholic Archbishop Stephen Ameyu of Juba called for prayers for his country, while describing the peace in the world’s newest nation as still very shaky, writes Fredrick Nzwili. Ameyu spoke last week in the western Kenyan town of Bungoma, where he had attended the consecration of Mark Kadima as Bishop of Bungoma. Before the consecration, Kadima had been in charge of the apostolic nunciature in South Sudan. “We are implementing a peace that is not going well. It is like a shaky boat on a river. Pray for us,” said Ameyu. The Archbishop’s comments came amid speculation that Pope Francis and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, could visit the country this year.
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