In China: Bishop Detained; Chrism Mass Threatened

Bishop Vincent Guo Xijin of Mindong in China’s eastern Fujian province has not returned after being forced to pay a visit to the religious affairs bureau in Fuan April 7, local sources told ucanews.com.

Vatican Opens Laundry for Homeless

The office charged with coordinating Pope Francis’ acts of charity announced the opening of a laundromat for the poor and homeless of Rome.

Pope to Youth: Talk to Your Grandparents

On the eve of Palm Sunday, Pope Francis gave young people several missions: to ask their grandparents what their dreams were; to work to make those dreams reality; and to let their bishops and the pope himself know what they need from the church.

Priest Asks China to Settle North Korean Refugees

A French Catholic priest working with North Korean refugees in China said conditions have worsened for Christians under Kim Jong Un and urged the Chinese government to shelter fugitives from the communist-ruled country.

Vatican Houses More Syrian Refugee Families

The first three refugee families from Syria welcomed by the Vatican left their temporary homes to start their new lives in Italy, and three new families took their places in Vatican apartments.

Site of the Resurrection Reopens in Time for Easter

Less than a year after restoration work began, the Edicule – the traditional site of Jesus’ burial and resurrection – was inaugurated in an ecumenical ceremony led by representatives of the Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Armenian churches, including Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople.