Whilst the Russian pavilion at the Venice Biennale is causing controversy, there are also works in Russia striving to move beyond propaganda in their reflection on current affairs. This is illustrated by the story behind the exhibition *Dies Illa*, opened by Griša Bruskin at the *Zilart* Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow.
At the Angelus, Leo XIV called for "lasting solutions to the serious crisis" in Lebanon. He expressed his closeness to the loved ones of the "Thousands of innocent people" killed. Many nations are awaiting for peace. In his commentary on the Gospel, the pope said that “faith is an invitation to ‘open our eyes’.” Yesterday, he moved into the papal apartment in the Apostolic Palace, unused by Pope Francis.
The Statement of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea on the Partial Amendment to the Maternal and Child Health Act, currently under discussion in the country, aims to fill a legal vacuum created by the 2019 Supreme Court ruling decriminalising abortion. The South Korean Church calls for mandatory counselling and a period of reflection before terminating a pregnancy and for the strengthening of men's shared responsibility in childcare.
The Jaffa-born priest describes a situation of apprehension and crisis, but experienced “with great human dignity”. The crisis triggered by war is not something "distant” as people have to live with “caution, fear, and prayer." The conflict touches "deep sensitivities" in the region. In his appeal to AsiaNews readers, he says that every war "is a wound to humanity”.
According to popular tradition in China, the year of the two opposing fire elements heralds great social upheavals. The last time this occurred was in 1966, the start of the Cultural Revolution. Two incidents during the New Year period, the sudden interruption of the Henan TV Gala and the messages about the "Red Moon" during the Lantern Festival, confirm how deeply rooted the idea of a connection between heaven and earth remains in times of intense social pressure.
Since 1991 and the Chechen Wars, Russian policy has been an unconditional continuation of what was essentially left unfinished in the 19th century: a form of territorial colonialism (unlike Western maritime colonialism) that continued with the war in Georgia (2008-2011) and the war in Ukraine (since 2014), using the same methods.
