In an interview with America, Father Markus Solo spoke about the reasons why Indonesia’s government and its Catholic and Muslim leaders wanted Francis to visit the country, which he described as “young and dynamic.”
Asia
Posted inPolitics & Society, Vatican Dispatch
A brief history of the Catholic Church in Indonesia
How much of Indonesia is Catholic? Is Christianity on the rise? Why is Pope Francis visiting? Here’s what you need to know.
Posted inFaith, News
East Timor’s sex abuse scandal has been ignored by many Catholics. Can Pope Francis’ visit change that?
The pope’s visit comes only two years after the Vatican acknowledged that the Nobel Peace Prize-winning, East Timorese independence hero Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo had sexually abused young boys.
Posted inArts & Culture, Television
‘Shogun’ is a complex tale of religion and colonialism—with Jesuits as villains
“Shogun” is a dire portrait of the Catholic Church’s role in colonial history, but the Japanese are not mere victims in this story.
Posted inPolitics & Society, The Weekly Dispatch
Why isn’t anyone talking about the exodus of Christians in Nagorno-Karabakh?
Christians who have lived in Nagorno-Karabakh for 2,000 years are being driven out by Azerbaijan. Will world leaders act?
Posted inFaith, Vatican Dispatch
Pope Francis will head to Asia and Oceania in September for his longest foreign trip yet
The Vatican has confirmed that Pope Francis will visit Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore from Sept. 2 to 13.
Posted inPolitics & Society, The Weekly Dispatch
An outspoken bishop is bringing hope to Catholics under attack in Myanmar
Myanmar’s church has found a powerful new voice in Bishop Shwe, who has joined his flock among the ranks of the nation’s displaced people.
Posted inFaith, Vatican Dispatch
Vietnam’s president has invited Pope Francis to visit the country
Vietnam’s Catholic bishops and community have long wanted the pope to come, and Francis has throughout his pontificate given special attention to Asia.
Posted inArts & Culture, Books
Review: Alice McDermott belongs among the great Catholic novelists.
The good news for anyone whose literary tastes have been strongly influenced by the Catholic novels of Graham Greene, Evelyn Waugh, Francois Mauriac, Georges Bernanos and more is this: The new Alice McDermott novel, ‘Absolution,’ has arrived.
Posted inFaith, Podcasts
What Asia is bringing to the Synod on Synodality
The Rev. Clarence Devadass, a Malaysian priest and synod delegate talks with hosts Colleen Dulle and Gerard O’Connell about the Asian delegation’s contributions at the synod and the challenge of unifying such diverse experiences in a document.