Asia

Catholic Social Services Australia (CSSA) has described findings in a recent report detailing suicide deaths in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children as a national disgrace.

A group of Catholic students in Port Moresby has urged extractive companies in Papua New Guinea to respect the environment for the wellbeing of indigenous people and future generations. Their call echoes one of the nine Appeals “in the name of God” addressed by Pope Francis in his message to the Fourth World Meeting of Popular Movements.

Pope Francis said he hopes to continue traveling next year, including making visits to countries in Oceania and Southeast Asia.

Catholic bishops in Cameroon have warned of spiraling violence in their country's troubled Anglophone regions and urged law enforcers and local residents to show "greater responsibility."

Myanmar's military has arrested seven workers from the Catholic Church's social arm who were on a mission to provide aid for internally displaced persons in conflict-stricken Kayah state.

Authorities in Singapore have decided to conserve a cluster of Catholic-owned buildings for their historic, architectural and social significance.

A week after Pope Francis launched a 2-year-long process in preparation for the 2023 Synod of Bishops, Indian Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Bombay inaugurated it at the level of his Archdiocese on Oct. 17.

The Australian Religious Response to Climate Change (ARRCC) has organized a two-day initiative calling on the Australian Government to act urgently against climate change.

Two Philippine dioceses announced they would close cemeteries on All Saints' and All Souls' days for the second consecutive year due to rising COVID-19 cases.

A historic Catholic church built by French missionaries on the outskirts of Singapore has reopened to the public after two years of closure for restoration; it will continue its mission to serve seafarers and the local Chinese-speaking community.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines congratulated veteran journalist Maria Ressa on being the first Filipino to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

As Pope Francis launched the consultation process for the 2023 Synod of Bishops at the Vatican Oct. 9-10, the Catholic Church in Australia was closing out an exercise in the process of "synodality," which the pope has described as "walking together."

After a three-year preparatory process, the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia kicked off last week gathering approximately 280 delegates from across the country who met virtually for their first assembly. It is the first such event since 1937 when the Fourth Plenary Council was held. For six days, participants prayed, discussed and reflected together to “discern” what God is asking of the Church in Australia today. Discussions will resume next year at the Second Assembly in Sydney

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines has issued a message on the Universal Church’s synodal process that Pope Francis inaugurated on Oct. 10 and which dioceses worldwide will kick off on Oct. 17.

The announcement of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize highlights the right to information and freedom of speech in a world where democracy and freedom of the press face increasingly adverse conditions.

Members gathered for the first assembly of Australia's Plenary Council have backed calls to ensure the Catholic Church in the country more fully embraces its liturgical diversity, particularly the rich presence of Eastern churches.

With every Catholic invited to participate in diocesan listening sessions over the next six months, the vademecum not only provides suggestions for how to organize groups and encourage involvement, but it also explains the kinds of attitudes participants should have in order to make the process fruitful.