Along the island’s southwestern coast is the bustling beach town of Patong, where the main roads are simply two lanes filled with scooters and tourist vans hurrying to their destinations.
International News
Advent Is the Time to Focus on Vigilance and Prayer, Pope Says
Christians can turn Christmas into a “pagan” or “mundane” holiday by focusing on the gifts and the tree rather than on the birth of Jesus and his promise to come again, Pope Francis said.
Pope: Homosexual Priests Should Be Celibate, or Leave
The Catholic Church has been slow to recognize the presence of homosexual men in the priesthood, which is why superiors must exercise care in helping gay candidates prepare for a life of celibacy or leave the seminary, Pope Francis said.
Nicaragua’s Bishops Brave Gunfire, Stand Tall in Advent Message
Amid violent persecution including Catholic bishops getting shot at, Nicaragua’s bishops’ conference is not holding back, insisting that the “tears of the people are the tears of God” in their Advent message.
Expert Says Sexual Abuse Is Everyone’s Problem
Teresa Kettelkamp, an expert in the field of child protection and a member of the papal team charged with leading anti-abuse efforts, has said a Feb. 21-24 global summit of bishops addressing the issue will force prelates to accept the problem as a global phenomenon happening on their own turf, and she voiced hope that there will be concrete follow-up.
Charity Head: Ultranationalism Threatens Believers’ Religious Freedom
Ultranationalism is the chief reason behind the growing number of countries ranked worse than before on guaranteeing citizens their religious freedom, according to Thomas Heine-Geldern, executive president of Aid to the Church in Need.
Catholics in Region Devastated by Boko Haram Have ‘Unshakable Faith’
Bishop Oliver D. Doeme of Maiduguri, Nigeria, has seen his share of death, violence and destruction in the past nine years, but he keeps his focus on his firm belief that the local church will be restored.
Three Bundles of Good News in Bill to Aid Iraqi Christians, Yazidis
On Wednesday, the U.S. Congress adopted HR 309, titled the “Iraq and Syria Genocide Relief and Accountability Act of 2018,” which now heads to President Donald Trump’s desk, where he’s expected to sign it into law.
Sex, Gambling and The Internet, Vatican Tackles Dependencies
Representatives from the Vatican are joining forces with scientific experts to address the problem of drugs and a rise in what have been dubbed “new dependencies,” including addictions to sex, the internet and gambling.
Vatican: Prohibit ‘Killer Robots’ Now Before They Become Reality
The development of robotic weapons or “killer robots” will provide “the capacity of altering irreversibly the nature of warfare, becoming more detached from human agency, putting in question the humanity of our societies,” Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic told a group of experts at the United Nations in Geneva.