

‘Sinicizing’ Faith
The peculiar mix of communism and capitalism in China may be contributing to a growing interest in Christianity by a people starved of spiritual food, but the outlook for religious freedom remains bleak.
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The peculiar mix of communism and capitalism in China may be contributing to a growing interest in Christianity by a people starved of spiritual food, but the outlook for religious freedom remains bleak.


Asia is composed of very different social, political, ethnic and religious realities, and is without doubt the most religiously diverse of the continents. However, the vast majority of its countries have serious issues with religious freedom.


The vast majority of countries listed in the Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) Religious Freedom in the World Report saw their situation worsen over the past two years, and problems are increasing even in the democracies of the developed world.



Pope Francis called for a unique form of extremism: an “extremism of charity” that would silence the “sound of arms.” This suggests that even the fiercest fighter can become the most passionate advocate for peace.



The Church is the global community of followers of Jesus, and since Jesus was perfectly nonviolent, taught, and commanded active nonviolence, the Church is therefore the community of active nonviolence.



Pope Leo XIV is showing us that nonviolence is the key to finding peace. He insists that nonviolence and peace are at the heart of the Gospel. His Holiness is saying that now is the moment to create a culture of nonviolence and peace in the Church and the world.


The double jubilee of Nuestra Señora del Buen Suceso is far more than a historical marker; it is a dynamic, grace-filled outpouring that reaffirms the Blessed Mother’s enduring presence through devotion’s spiritual consecration and comfort of God’s grace in Parañaque.


Ever since the image of Nuestra Señora del Buen Suceso was enshrined in the Cathedral of St. Andrew four centuries ago, her powerful intercessions have become well-known by various devotees who troop to her shrine at Parañaque City.


The wooden image of Nuestra Señora del Buen Suceso became the focal point of extraordinary events and lasting popular devotion from the 17th century to the present. She is an essential part of the religious lives of devout Parañaqueños.


Every last day of October, children are seen around roaming the streets and holding a basket of pumpkins, and yet, for Catholics, they have a different way of celebrating Halloween. Here’s a list of things you need to know about the Catholic’s feast.
A pressing Lenten intention could be the plight of persecuted Christians. Catholic and Protestant monitoring agencies report that 2025 has been the worst year for persecution.
The Philippines is undergoing a political crisis due to corruption surrounding flood-control projects. It feels like a betrayal of the people. Accountability is essential if confidence in public service is to be restored.
In the unique event of the Incarnation, God embraces our human experience and elevates it to a higher level of dignity. May the light of the newborn baby Jesus dispel darkness and allow the sun of hope to shine through.



One of the most important events in the modern history of the Catholic Church is the closing of the Second Vatican Council–popularly known as the Vatican II. In this worldwide ecumenical council, Bishops urged the Church not to show any bias in protecting the lives and dignity of human beings.



The Supreme Court needs to establish a special children’s court that would deal with child abuse cases with haste. The children involved in these cases have bravely come forward at great risk and filed complaints against their rapists and traffickers.


Raised by farmer parents, Dr. Lourdes Sarmiento recalls the hardships of pursuing education before. In her village, she was the first to become a doctor. Now, she serves as a volunteer physician, offering her services as a thanksgiving for the grace she has received.


Amid checkpoints and surveillance cameras, the Comboni sisters run “Threads of Peace,” a grassroots initiative teaching embroidery, soap‑making, and hope to Bedouin women whose lives have been shattered by walls and displacement. The nuns’ presence acts as a bridge in a divided Holy Land.


When Pope Francis visited the Philippines in 2015, he declared that people must say “thou shalt not” to an economy of exclusion and inequality, warning that “such an economy kills” (Evangelii Gaudium, 53). His message was not abstract theology but a direct indictment of Philippine reality.


Captured and spent a year in prison, died in poor health, and executed by guillotine are sufferings that the three “Francis” experienced in their respective eras. Francis of Assisi, Francis Xavier, and Franz Jägerstätter, grasped the hands of fate and left marks of wisdom and hope.


Mary, the Lady of Yes, the Mother of Jesus, of the Church, and of all Humanity, is the Great Missionary of the Kingdom because her whole life was one of perseverance and faithfulness. She trusted in God and in His plan of salvation.


Br. Fabio is bidding farewell to the Philippines, where he has worked for eight years as delegate bursar and administrator of World Mission magazine. As he embraces this “change of horizon,” he recounts his vocation story and what inspired him to become a Comboni Missionary Brother.



Please mark the correct answer with an ‘x’ and submit your responses to the editor via email at wm.editor@gmail.com. The winner will be selected from those who have submitted all correct answers and will receive a six-month subscription to World Mission.





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Published work from the World Mission Community
Published work from the World Mission Community





The articles and content from the January 2026 Issue
The articles and content from the January 2026 Issue


The Philippines is undergoing a political crisis due to corruption surrounding flood-control projects. It feels like a betrayal of the people. Accountability is essential if confidence in public service is to be restored.



Pope Leo XIV is showing us that nonviolence is the key to finding peace. He insists that nonviolence and peace are at the heart of the Gospel. His Holiness is saying that now is the moment to create a culture of nonviolence and peace in the Church and the world.



The Church is the global community of followers of Jesus, and since Jesus was perfectly nonviolent, taught, and commanded active nonviolence, the Church is therefore the community of active nonviolence.



Pope Francis called for a unique form of extremism: an “extremism of charity” that would silence the “sound of arms.” This suggests that even the fiercest fighter can become the most passionate advocate for peace.



As the gap between rich and poor continues to widen, the Church underscores the hardships suffered by countless brothers and sisters due to the many injustices inflicted by economic systems that favor the rich while throwing crumbs to the poor.



The Philippines has been battered by devastating storms throughout last year. We endure around 20 powerful typhoons a year, and occasionally experience earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. It is urgent an “ecological conversion” and a radical change in lifestyles.


The Philippine-based Rafaelito and Fe Barino Foundation has been helping individuals with mild to moderate addiction recover and heal. Rooted in the belief that true transformation begins with surrendering to God, the recovery program offers support to persons who wish to start afresh.


In the relationship between inter-religious dialogue and proclamation of the Gospel, “dialogue is not a threat to proclamation” but intimately linked with it. In her work of evangelization, the Church remains committed to both dialogue and proclamation.


As flood-control mess and other corruption scandals engulf the nation, the Church’s response must rise from charity to prophecy and justice. The Church’s moral voice rings clear like a bell tolling against the flood.


As the Jubilee Year of Hope draws to a close, our hearts overflow with gratitude for this marvelous opportunity to reflect on the pivotal role of hope in human life.


Those who are less privileged are in daily need of water to quench their thirst, while those who can afford water waste it. As the saying goes, “You can survive without having food, but you would not last long if you don’t have water.”


John the Baptist, known as the last prophet of the Old Testament, is for us Christians a unique witness of faith and love for God. His mission, lived faithfully to the end, was to be the precursor and messenger of Jesus, the Messiah.


From a simple life in the Philippines to missionary work in Africa and Brazil, Fr. Marnecio’s vocation journey is a testament to God’s love, guidance, and purpose shaping him to realize that things do not happen by chance. It is God’s will.



Please mark the correct answer with an ‘x’ and submit your responses to the editor via email at wm.editor@gmail.com. The winner will be selected from those who have submitted all correct answers and will receive a six-month subscription to World Mission.



Summoned by the cry of the poor and of the Earth, members of the Comboni Family gathered in Belém, Brazil, on the occasion of COP30. In the broader context of integral ecology, these were days of discernment about pathways to an ecological conversion.











The goings-on happening in the world today.
The goings-on happening in the world today.


The Catholic Church in Macau is celebrating the 450th anniversary of the papal bull issued by Pope Gregory XIII in 1576, creating the diocese.


Pope Leo XIV has proclaimed a special Jubilee Year coinciding with the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi.


In his message for the 60th World Day of Social Communications, Pope Leo XIV highlights the importance of ensuring that artificial intelligence serves the human person rather than replacing it.


In his message for the 100th World Mission Day, Pope Leo XIV writes that the Church’s identity is to be a community in mission, “at the service of fraternity among all human beings and harmony with all creation.”



Summoned by the cry of the poor and of the Earth, members of the Comboni Family gathered in Belém, Brazil, on the occasion of COP30. In the broader context of integral ecology, these were days of discernment about pathways to an ecological conversion.


The Aid to the Church in Need has released the 2025 edition of its Religious Freedom in the World Report, bringing to light the situation of ongoing discrimination and persecution around the globe.


The Philippine Catholic Church has identified seven “new martyrs” who gave their lives for the Gospel, most of them victims of persecutions in the nation’s south.


A newly opened metro station in Tehran, Iran, is named after the Virgin Mary, in what Iran’s only Catholic cardinal calls an opportunity to reflect on Mary’s example and Jesus’ message of peace and understanding.
The Catholic Church in Korea has entered the full implementation phase for World Youth Day (WYD) Seoul 2027, unveiling its master plan in collaboration with the Holy See.


I beg you to see Christ in every person, even those whose politics you oppose.


Pope Leo XIV aimed at the U.S. administration’s hardline immigration policies, questioning whether they were in line with the Church’s pro-life teachings.


Our goal is to promote a national dialogue everywhere to find a way out of the conflict that has been going on for four years and is causing great suffering for the entire nation, for people’s livelihoods, for education, for the economy, and for the future of young people.


Pope Leo XIV has chosen “Preserving human voices and faces” as the theme for the 60th World Day of Social Communications, set to take place on 17 May 2026.


Pope Leo XIV is preparing to travel to Lebanon later this year, in what could be his first journey abroad.


Peace Be With You All: Towards an Unarmed and Disarming Peace” will be the theme for the 2026 World Day of Peace, the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development announced.






