The Catholic community of Hon Tre village dates back to the 1960s, when several families of believers settled on Hai Tac, “Pirate Island,” to achieve a more dignified life there. Later, at the initiative of these local parishioners led by Father Michael Le Tan Cong, a church, a school, and a medical center were built there. Located 28 kilometers from the mainland, at the southernmost point of the country, the only way to reach Hai Tac is by speedboat, a one-hour trip.
In an interview with the Fides news agency, Father Agustinus Purnama, a 70-year-old Indonesian priest and Superior General of the Missionaries of the Holy Family (MSF) in the province of Java, considers legitimate the expectations of young Indonesians, who are leading the current wave of rebellion spreading across different regions of the archipelago. They demand transparency, work, development, good politics, and a future. “The problem is that they are being exploited for other purposes”, concludes Father Purnama, who is nearing the end of his six-year term as Superior (2019-2025).
On the occasion of the World Missionary Jubilee, Italian Father Claudio Corti, a missionary with the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME) in Thailand, spoke to the Fides news agency. He expressed his astonishment at the number of people who have recently converted to Catholicism and requested baptism. In this predominantly Buddhist country, where Christians are clearly in the minority, it is not uncommon to hear about Jesus Christ… Whether because one attended a Christian school, or met a Catholic coworker or friend, or because one was impressed by the imposing churches during a trip abroad, “especially in Europe.” And when one of these people approaches Father Corti – who has lived in Thailand since 1999 – asking if he can convert them to Christianity and baptize them, the prelate notes that “they take their faith very seriously.” The decision to convert to Catholicism radically changes one’s life. For example, “the experience of forgiveness, which one receives from God and offers to one’s enemy, is an extraordinary moment. And from that moment on, this person begins to live not only for themselves, but for their fellow human beings.”
In statements to the Fides news agency, Catholic Father Silas Bogati speaks of his experience in the recent unrest that rocked Kathmandu, the Nepalese capital. Apostolic Administrator of the Vicariate of Nepal since January 2025, Silas Bogati found himself in the middle of the protests because, as soon as he landed at Kathmandu airport after a pastoral trip, due to a lack of transportation, he had to walk to his residence, crossing a city teeming with protesters demanding the removal of Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, who would eventually resign. In the process, due to police action, 19 people died and more than 300 were injured. The government imposed a curfew, but given the persistent mobilization, the police resorted to repressive measures, and violence erupted. The protesters then set fire to vehicles in the streets and the homes of prominent politicians.
To facilitate new mainland students’ understanding and integration into campus life at the University of Saint Joseph (USJ), the university held the New Mainland Students 2025/2026 on 16 September 2025.
None of Pakistan’s provinces has been spared by the heavy rains and flooding of recent months. It’s safe to say that today, with the entire country flooded, there are approximately four million displaced people in extremely precarious situations. Furthermore, the damage to families and the country’s economy is severe: for example, the floods devastated the province of Punjab, Pakistan’s agricultural heartland, destroying more than 60% of its rice, sugarcane, and cotton crops. More than 900 people lost their lives, thousands are in emergency shelters, and many others have permanently lost their homes and are in urgent need of some form of support, however basic. As always, in situations like this, the elderly, children, and the sick are the most vulnerable. The suffering is daily and widespread. Entire families have been living underwater for several weeks, “now facing the risk of disease and epidemics”.
Pope Leo declared 15-year-old Carlo Acutis a saint on Sunday, Sept. 7, the first such ceremony of his tenure, canonizing the first Catholic saint of the millennial generation, elevating him to the same level as Mother Teresa and Francis of Assisi.
On the 17th and 18th of this month, Kazakhstan will once again host the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions. The event, now in its eighth year and bringing together representatives of all faiths, will once again be held in Astana, with the Apostolic Nunciature organizing the event.
Friday, 22 August: Pope Leo XIV called for a day of prayer and fasting today, for peace and justice in the Holy Land, Ukraine, and other regions. In Portugal, the news spread from person to person or circulated on social media because the mainstream media did not notice it. Conclusion: we must learn to organise ways of communication and freedom that outdo the pedagogical fury of those who want to impose their views on us.
In a joint initiative with the International Union of Superiors General (UISG), Talitha Kum – a global network committed to the fight against human trafficking – held the 5th Talitha Kum Asia Conference in Jakarta from August 26 to 30. Under the theme “Compassion in Action: Ending Human Trafficking,” the event was attended by delegates from religious congregations and civil society organizations, international partners, and several young leaders. Sixty representatives from 16 Asian countries attended the event, aiming to “strengthen solidarity, share the most effective practices on the ground, and deepen regional
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