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KOREA New Maltese Nuncio hopes for reconciliation and reunification   The new Apostolic Nuncio to South Korea and Mongolia, 59-year old Archbishop Alfred Xuereb, is hopeful about improving relations between the two Koreas and the prospect of reconciliation. North and South Korea are technically still at war since the 1950-53 [...]

Patriarch Sako and Archbishop Coutts among the 14 new cardinals announced by Pope Francis  Pope Francis declared on Sunday that he had chosen 14 new cardinals. “I am happy to announce that on June 29, I will hold a consistory to make 14 new cardinals,” he told pilgrims and tourists [...]

EGYPT Remains of Coptic Christians martyred by ISIS in Libya return home On 14 May the remains of 20 Egyptian Coptic Christians executed by Islamic State in 2015 near the Libyan city of Sirte, the jihadists’ former bastion in the country, arrived at Cairo airport. They were flown from Misrata [...]

IRAQ “Thank you, Pope Francis, for the gesture of the Lamborghini” - Patriarch Sako   “We are very grateful to Pope Francis for making this fatherly gesture. The pontifex is the father of the whole church and thinks of everyone, particularly those who are suffering as greatly as we are.” [...]

VENEZUELA  “The election is an affront to the political rights of the people"   According to the latest report by Caritas Venezuela, the inflation of food prices exceeded 1,300% in 2017. And the IMF (International Monetary Fund) estimates that inflation in Venezuela will reach 13,000% in 2018, the highest rate in [...]

INDONESIA ''IS has more and more supporters here''   “There has never been an attack like this before in Surabaya. Christians in Indonesia are feeling desperate and terrorised, but I have told my faithful not to be afraid. For that is precisely what the terrorists want – to make us frightened.” [...]

MYANMAR (BURMA) Over 7,000 Kachin Christians forced to flee violence   The international media has given extensive coverage of Rohingya Muslims refugees who were forced to flee their villages in Burma for over a year. Yet little is heard about the plight of Burmese Christians from ethnic minorities, who have [...]

BRAZIL In a Rio favela, a 12 year old girl has bulletproof faith   LAÍS MARIA PEREIRA da Silva, 12, was born and raised in a part of Rio de Janeiro called Complexo da Maré, which comprises one of the biggest set of favelas—or shanty towns—in this Brazilian mega-city. Despite [...]