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Browsing News Entries

Browsing News Entries

Ho Chi Minh Cultural Space established inside Vietnamese cathedral (UCANews)

A Ho Chi Minh Cultural Space was inaugurated inside Phú Cường Cathedral on May 8, sparking controversy among Vietnam’s Catholics.

Ho Chi Minh (1890-1969) was the founder of the Indochina Communist Party and the president of North Vietnam. The cathedral is located in the former South Vietnam, conquered by North Vietnam in 1975. Venerable Nguyễn Văn Thuận (1928-2002), the coadjutor archbishop of South Vietnam’s capital, was then imprisoned by the Communist regime for 13 years.

At Phú Cường Cathedral, “Father Anton Hà Văn Minh said that the teachings of Jesus Christ and the ideology of Hồ Chí Minh shared similarities in their humanistic values and aspirations toward freedom,” UCA News reported. “Within hours, clips of the interview spread across Vietnamese Catholic social media, triggering an intense backlash.”

Pope establishes commission to supervise hospital founded by Padre Pio (Vatican News)

In a chirograph on May 27, Pope Leo XIV established a Steering and Supervisory Commission for the House for the Relief of Suffering, the hospital established in 1956 by St. Pio of Pietrelcina.

Unions representing employees there announced a hunger strike earlier this month, with four non-negotiable demands: “guarantee of quality care for all patients who see the hospital as a national point of reference; protection of the rights and future of hundreds of workers and their families, defense of the original mission of the House for the Relief of Suffering; [and] enhancement of the historical and social heritage of the territory.”

Bishop, other Indonesian Catholics give Muslims sacrificial animals for festival (UCANews)

Bishop Maksimus Regus of Labuan Bajo gave a sacrificial cow to the imam of the Al-Munawwarah Terang Grand Mosque as Muslims commemorated the festival of Eid al-Adha on May 27.

“We bring a gift in the form of a sacrificial animal as a sign of brotherhood and support for Muslim families,” Bishop Regus said. The mosque’s imam, in turn, said that “the bishop’s presence strengthens us as Muslims preparing for the sacrifice, and at the same time affirms our togetherness with Catholic families who have long lived in harmony here.”

UCA News reported that “from the national capital Jakarta to Christian strongholds in eastern Indonesia, Catholic individuals and Church-based groups donated cows and goats” for sacrifice. Jakarta Cathedral, for example, gave sacrificial animals to Istiqlal Mosque.

Located in Southeast Asia, Indonesia, a nation of 283.6 million (map), is the world’s fourth most populous; it is also the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation. The nation is 78% Muslim, 13% Christian, 2% new religionist, and 2% ethnic religionist.

Vatican foundation hosts conference on Catholic social thought (Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation)

The Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice (CAPP) Foundation, named after Pope St. John Paul II’s 1991 social encyclical, is hosting a three-day conference, “Renewing the Vision of Centesimus Annus: Catholic Social Thought Facing the Challenges to Freedom and Pluralism.”

The conference, which began this morning, will conclude on May 30 with a papal audience.

Pontiff receives Spanish prime minister (CWN)

Pope Leo XIV received Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of Spain on May 27, ten days before the Pontiff’s apostolic journey to Spain begins.

Niger's bishops urge Christians, Muslims to deepen peace, solidarity at Eid al-Adha (ACI Africa)

In a message for the Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha, Niger’s leading prelate said that the day “reminds us that as believers, we are called, like Abraham, to submit ourselves daily to the will of God and to offer ourselves in holy sacrifice.”

“We are therefore invited to weave and consolidate between us relations of love, of respect, of solidarity, of truth, of justice, and to work together in unity so that peace reigns in all of Niger,” said Archbishop Djalwana Laurent Lompo of Niamey, who spoke on behalf of the nation’s bishops.

Located in West Africa, the nation of 27.3 million (map) is over 95% Muslim and 4% ethnic religionist. An Islamist insurgency began there in 2015.

Pope Leo calls on Polish Catholics to protect life from conception to natural death (CWN)

At the conclusion of his May 27 general audience, Pope Leo XIV asked Polish pilgrims to work to protect life from conception to natural death.

Abducted Nigerian parishioners freed after 3 months in captivity (Leadership News (Abuja))

The chancellor of the Diocese of Kafanchan, Nigeria, announced that all parishioners abducted on February 9 from Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Karku have been released.

Father Nathaniel Asuwaye, the parish priest, was released earlier this month.

Nobel laureate Bialiatski meets with Pope, discusses human rights abuses in Belarus (CWN)

Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski asked Pope Leo XIV to pray publicly for victims of human rights abuses in Belarus.

May. 28 Thursday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time, Weekday

On the first Thursday after Pentecost, the Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Eternal High Priest is observed on the particular calendars in Spain, Poland, Netherlands, Czech Republic and England and Wales. Approval for this feast was first granted by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in 1987. In 2012 the Congregation sent a letter to all conferences of bishops, offering the feast to be inscribed in their respective liturgical calendars if they request it.