The Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences issued an appeal for dialogue in the face of a war that is spreading from the Middle East. Asia’s Catholic bishops call for an “immediate cessation of hostilities”, urging the “leaders of the great religious traditions present in the region, to witness together to the sacredness of life.” The prelates also call on Christian communities to “Intensify prayer”.
Yesterday at Castel Gandolfo, the pope again called for action to "promote dialogue," and find solutions "without weapons" in the Middle East. This morning, he held his audience on Lumen Gentium. The Church is born from "God's plan for humanity”, and “Christ dwells in her and continues to give himself through the smallness and fragility of her members.”
On the anniversary of the barbaric killing of the four Missionaries of Charity on 4 March 2016, Bishop Martinelli presided over a Mass in Abu Dhabi. ‘At a time when the entire Gulf region is experiencing serious conflicts, their memory is a source of hope.’ Mother Teresa's sisters continue to serve the poor in Sana'a and Hodeidah, in the part of Yemen controlled by the Houthis, which is once again at risk of ending up on the front line of the conflict.
General Min Aung Hlaing announced the gesture for National Farmers' Day, but Aung San Suu Kyi is not among them and thousands of people remain in prison. The army also continued to carry out bombings against civilians. The initiative comes at a time of internal tensions within the junta and while ASEAN remains divided on how to handle the Burmese crisis.
The parties opposed to the pro-Russian Georgian Dream are trying to agree on a common platform with the aim of bringing about early and ‘legitimate’ parliamentary elections to overthrow the current government without conflict. However, the disagreements between the various forces are far from resolved.
No statement has come from Xi Jinping yet, while the condemnation of the attack on Iran has been entrusted to Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who spoke today with his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Sa'ar. The evacuation of Chinese citizens from Tehran has been completed, with 200 choosing to stay. Trump's trip to China (31 March-2 April) is still on the agenda, for now, matching the "four weeks" the US leader gave yesterday as the timeframe for war.
