Sitagu Sayadaw (right) Japan diocese appointment surprises bishop
Bishop Josep Maria Abella has said he was surprised to be announced new bishop of Fukuoka in Japan when almost all Church activities are suspended because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The 70-year-old Spanish priest said he was “perplexed” when the apostolic nuncio to Japan, Archbishop Joseph Chennoth, told him about the decision.
“Almost all the activities of the Church have stopped, I received a telephone call that surprised me,” said Bishop Abella, who has been working in the country for more than four decades.
Fukuoka had been without a bishop since April 2019 following the retirement of Bishop Dominic Ryoji Miyahara.
Gulf Christians mourn death of Arabia Vicar
Catholics in Persian Gulf countries are mourning the death of Bishop Camillo Ballin, the Apostolic Vicar of Northern Arabia (Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain), last week.
The prelate passed away in Rome, a few weeks shy of his 76th birthday, following a long-term illness.
The Italian-born clergyman was a leading Church figure in the Gulf region as a scholar and expert of the Muslim world.
Catholics in Doha, Qatar said his life was spent “entirely in the service of God”, while Bahrain Catholics described him as “the heart of the Catholic community in Arabia”.
Pakistan church offered for Muslim food relief work
A diocese in Pakistan has agreed to let a prominent Muslim charity set up a food collection and distribution camp at St Patrick’s Cathedral during the coronavirus pandemic.
Fr Saleh Diego, vicar general of the Archdiocese of Karachi, granted permission after visiting Jafaria Disaster Management Cell (JDC), a non-profit and charitable organisation.
“You can come and set up your camp at the cathedral compound,” he said. “We will coordinate and work together from this camp in providing food to those affected by the lockdown.”
The priest said he was impressed to see the charity having many Christian volunteers carry out relief work without any religious discrimination.
Kenya priest charged with spreading Covid-19
A Catholic priest in Kenya has been charged in court with spreading the coronavirus, the second person to face such charges in the country.
Fr Richard Onyango Oduor was charged with having “negligently spread an infectious disease” after authorities said he failed to adhere to coronavirus quarantine rules following a visit to Italy.
The clergyman denied the charges in Nairobi, was freed on a 150,000 Kenyan shilling (US$1,415) bond and ordered to spend 14 days in quarantine and reappear in court on May 2.
The other person charged with spreading the virus was Gideon Saburi, deputy governor of the coastal region of Kilifi County.
Top Myanmar monk donates to Pope’s Covid-19 Fund
A prominent monk from Myanmar has made donations to the coronavirus emergency fund set up by Pope Francis.
Archbishop Marco Tin Win of Mandalay Archdiocese received U$10,000 from Ashin Nyanissara, known as Sitagu Sayadaw, last week.
“All we need to do is work hand in hand based on a common platform to tackle Covid-19 and carry out charitable work through solidarity,” he said at a ceremony held in Sacred Heart Cathedral.
The monk said he gave the contributions as a sign of compassion common to all religions and provided bags of rice, cooking oil, beans, onions, beans and salt for orphanages and others in need.