A priest living in the People's Republic of China writes a letter on the "administrative regulations" that prevent people under 18 from participating in religious activities. China’s constitution protects religious freedom, with no reference to their age. Instead, children today can enter a shopping mall unaccompanied but not a church. Meanwhile, teenage depression, bullying, and a lack of values are hot societal topics.
On 24 May, movements affiliated with the RSS organised a demonstration in New Delhi to call for the ‘delisting’ of Article 342 of the Constitution. The aim is to pass a law that would exempt those who have converted to Hinduism. The protest by Christians and pro-rights groups.
Pope Leo XIV has authorised the decree on the miracle. Speaking to AsiaNews, Sister Marie-Antoinette Saadé, superior of the Congregation of the Maronite Sisters of the Holy Family, describes him as the architect of “the historic vocation of Greater Lebanon”.The beatification will be a “providential and prophetic sign” of a “pluralistic, free” country. Bishop of Batroun: “God’s grace at a time when Lebanon’s identity and integrity are under threat”.
Today’s news: rescue workers are trying to save seven people who have been trapped for a week in a cave in Laos. From Delhi, the Quad announces new initiatives by the US, India, Japan and Australia on maritime security and critical minerals. Pyongyang’s eighth missile test since the start of the year, whilst there is talk of a possible visit by Xi Jinping. Boom in one-person companies in China driven by AI.
According to pro-government sources, the crackdown on a dozen local Islamic leaders was triggered by statements calling for action against Putin in Moscow. Among those targeted were several associates of Gajnutdin, the head of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims, which represents Islam at official events at the Kremlin.
Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical letter, presented today at the Vatican, represents a comprehensive reflection on the "new paradigm" that technological transformations are bringing to today's world. For the pontiff, it is not enough to dictate a few rules; instead, he urges us to question the "new monopolies" that are oppressing people and cultures around data. Truth, work, and the defence of freedom are crucial challenges. For Christians, only in Jesus is humanity greater than our limitations.
