Tag: Catholics

Report: Latin American states failing Christians by overlooking ‘criminal freedom’

May 11, 2018 Catholics, Colombia, Corruption, Human rights, Latin America, Mexico, Organised crime, Proselytism, Protestants, Religious freedom

During the 50 years conflict between Colombia's government and main rebel group, FARC-EP, churches were threatened and hundreds of church leaders assassinated by armed groups. (Photo: World Watch Monitor, 2012)

A new report looking into the “endemic phenomena” of organised crime and corruption in Latin America highlights the failure of governments to protect active Christians from violence. The inability or unwillingness of Latin American governments to stop organised crime encourages a “criminal freedom” that “makes specific sectors within society become . . . Read More

Nepal: Catholic church interior ‘entirely destroyed’ after arson

May 11, 2018 Nepal Catholics, Hindu nationalism, Human rights, Kohalpur, Minorities, Nepal, Religious freedom, UN

Christians are concerned about a campaign to make Nepal a Hindu nation. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)

A Catholic church in Nepal’s western Banke District has been left badly damaged following an arson attack last week, according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW). A group of between eight and ten unidentified arsonists reportedly warned locals to stay inside their houses, before breaking into St. Joseph’s, in the town . . . Read More

China: children stopped from entering church as pressure on Henan Christians increases

May 9, 2018 China Anyang, Catholics, Children, China, Churches, Communism, Education, Henan, House churches, Protestants, Xi Jinping, Zhengzhou

Under new religious regulations in China, religious education to minors is prohibited. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)

Pressure on Christians is increasing in China’s central Henan province, according to Catholic news service UCAN. Suppressive measures on both Catholic and Protestant churches have been directed by the central government in Beijing and have intensified in recent weeks, according to UCAN, which reported that churches had been “demolished and . . . Read More

Gunman shoots Pakistan minister over blasphemy law

May 9, 2018 Pakistan Asia Bibi, Blasphemy, Catholics, Islamabad, Islamic extremism, Minorities, Mumtaz Qadri, Narowal, Pakistan, Prophet Muhammad, Punjab, Salmaan Taseer, Shahbaz Bhatti, Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan

Pakistan’s interior minister, who has championed the country’s minority communities, has survived an assassination attempt by a gunman protesting against the country’s blasphemy laws. Ahsan Iqbal was shot in the arm before police overpowered his suspected attacker, 21-year-old Abid Hussain, the BBC reported. Iqbal was shot on Sunday (6 May) . . . Read More

Malaysian bishops: ‘We need leaders who truly care for the people’

April 30, 2018 Malaysia 'Allah', Catholics, Elections, Hudud, Islamic extremism, Johor, Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, Malaysia, Najib Razak, PAS, Proselytism, Religious freedom, Sharia, UMNO

For the first time in six decades, several high-profile Malaysian church leaders have publicly called for a change of government. On 24 April the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia issued a pastoral letter, saying: “We need to choose leaders who truly care for the rakyat [people], promote justice and equality, stand . . . Read More

Saudi Arabia told: ‘Christians are not second-class citizens’

April 27, 2018 Saudi Arabia Catholics, Education, Justin Welby, King Salman, Minorities, Mohammad bin Salman, Pope Tawadros II, Religious freedom, Saudi Arabia

There are no churches in Saudi Arabia and Christians have to meet in secret. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)

A senior Vatican official told Saudi officials during a visit last week that Christians must not be treated as second-class citizens. “During my meetings, I insisted very much on this point, that Christians and non-Muslims are spoken of well in schools and that they are never considered second-class citizens,” the . . . Read More

Pakistan’s top judge says he’ll hear Asia Bibi’s appeal personally – and ‘soon’

April 26, 2018 Pakistan Asia Bibi, Blasphemy, Catholics, Islamabad, Islamic extremism, Lahore, Minorities, Multan, Pakistan, Prophet Muhammad, Religious freedom

Aasiya Noreen, a Pakistani Christian woman, has been on death row for over eight years for alleged blasphemy. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)

Pakistan’s chief justice says he will decide, “soon,” the fate of Aasiya Noreen, a Christian woman whose 2009 conviction on blasphemy charges has fixated world attention on the country’s treatment of religious minorities. Chief Justice Saqib Nisar told Noreen’s lawyer, Saif-ul-Malook, on 21 April that he would hear the woman’s . . . Read More

Burkina Faso: concerns over reported rise in extremism

April 20, 2018 Burkina Faso Burkina Faso, Catholics, Djibo, Islamic extremism, Ken Elliott, Pouytenga, West Africa

A church in Burkina Faso. The recent kidnappings of two Christian church leaders has created an atmosphere of anxiety among Christian communities in the north-eastern part of the country. (Photo: Photo: khym54 via Flickr; CC 2.0)

Christian and Muslim leaders in Burkina Faso met last week to discuss interreligious dialogue amidst growing concerns about the spread of violent Islamic extremism in the country, reports Fides. The landlocked West African nation, which borders Mali, Niger, Benin, Togo, Ghana and Ivory Coast, is majority-Muslim (around 60%), but also . . . Read More

Cuba’s new leader ‘not a reformer’

April 19, 2018 Cuba Catholics, Churches, Communism, Cuba, Fidel Castro, Human rights, Latin America, Miguel Díaz-Canel, Protestants, Raúl Castro, Religious freedom

Raúl Castro, who replaced his brother Fidel as Cuba’s president in 2006, stepped down from the post this week, ending a decades-long rule by his family. His successor, Miguel Díaz-Canel – who up until now was the country’s first vice-president – takes on an historic leadership role by becoming the . . . Read More

Evangelical head sets out ambitious vision for rebuilding CAR

April 12, 2018 Central African Republic Bambari, Bangui, Catholics, Central African Republic, Faustin-Archange Touadéra, Nicolas Guérékoyamé-Gbangou, PK5, Protestants, Seleka, UN, Women, Youth

Churches in the Central African Republic have pledged to unite in prayer in response to the worsening violence dividing the country. The leader of the country’s evangelical church network says the effort has the potential to bring peace to the troubled nation. “Recent history of some countries in Africa, among . . . Read More

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