Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and his Polish counterpart, Radoslaw Sikorski, clashed over an incident involving an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier who was caught on video destroying a statue of Jesus in southern Lebanon.
Online confrontation began after Sikorsky express reaction To gist post Apologizing for the demolition of the statue, which he called “gross and disrespectful”. Sikorsky wrote that the IDF soldier “must be punished” and that “the IDF soldiers themselves admit to war crimes. They killed not only civilian Palestinians but also their own hostages.”
Summary condemned the reactionDescribing the IDF as “a professional and ethical army”, he said: “One must be cautious of making irresponsible statements that could ultimately lead to dangerous consequences.”
The Catholic Church in South Korea passes major population milestone
South Korea’s Catholic population has exceeded 6 million for the first time, according to data released by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea.
Figures released on Tuesday indicated the total number of Catholics in the country remained unchanged from last year at 11.4%, with the total number of Catholics rising by 9,178 from the previous year to 6,006,832. seoul economic daily report thursday.
Jesus mosaic made by refugees fleeing the Nazis will be preserved
A mosaic of Jesus created by a refugee of Nazi persecution will be preserved along with the historic Catholic church in which it is located, according to tablet.
A 1955 mural depicting Jesus on the cross created by Jewish Hungarian émigré artist George Mayer-Marton will remain at Holy Rosary Church in Manchester, England, as the Oldham Mural and Cultural Heritage Trust launches plans to transform the church into an arts and culture centre.
Report alleges violations during inflation protests in Syria
A peaceful civilian demonstration demanding better living conditions, anti-corruption measures, justice and accountability was faced with threats, incitement and multiple violations, EWTN News’ Arabic-language affiliate service, ACI MENA, said in a report on the April 17 protests in Damascus, Syria. reported on sunday.
“Justice for All” reported that five people were injured, journalists were targeted in attacks and an attempt was made to drive a car into the protest, where 900 to 1,200 Syrians held a sit-in in Yusuf al-Azma Square.
The report also noted verbal threats against protesters, who remained peaceful and carried only the Syrian flag, while some counter-protesters shouted inflammatory slogans, filmed protesters and challenged them on their political history. It urged independent investigations, prosecution of those responsible for incitement and abuses, stronger protections for journalists, and better safeguards for the right to peaceful assembly.
Beloved Italian missionary in Indonesia dies after five decades of service
Father Natalino Bellingheri, the last surviving member of the first group of Italian missionaries assigned to Indonesia’s North Kalimantan province, has died.
According to Likas News, “thousands” of indigenous Dayaks in North Kalimantan attended the funeral of Belingheri report on monday.
Belingheri, known to locals by his Dayak name “Wan Abung”, died on 10 April. According to reports, he had been serving remote areas of Indonesia’s Northern Province since 1977 and was instrumental in establishing the Diocese of Tanjung Selor in 2001.
Catholic Nobel laureate urges Church not to ignore political prisoners in Belarus
Ales Bieliatsky, a Catholic and nobel laureateThe church is calling on leaders to intervene on behalf of political prisoners in Belarus in the wake of the recent crackdown on religious freedom.
“Western church leaders and Vatican diplomats should do more to help push back against existing restrictions,” Bieliatsky told OSV News on Thursday.
Bialiatsky’s comments come after KGB agents arrested Father Anatoly Parakhnevich, a Catholic priest in the Archdiocese of Minsk-Mohilev, on March 16 and closed his church.
Bialiatski has been detained several times, including in a government crackdown on nationwide protests in 2021 President Alexander LukashenkoHas contested the election. Białytskyi said, “I know from my own experience how good it is to be independent, to heal and rebuild oneself over time – and if I get a chance to meet the Pope, I will inform him about the needs of our Church.”
Thailand’s Catholics mourn seminarians killed in car crash
Hundreds of people attended the funeral of four teenage boys, including two seminarians, in Thailand, according to a report From Likas News on Monday.
“With their character and faith, they were the hope of their families and the Thabom community, who wanted to see them become priests,” Father Nicholas Saravut Sasachen, rector of the Prince of Peace Seminary in Udon Thani, said in his eulogy for the two seminarians. He told that a boy had also applied for Madrasa, but due to family circumstances he could not join it.
