SSPX Building in Philippines

In Iloilo City, the “heart of the Philippines”,  a Noviciate of St. Bernard has been started.  It will be consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  At the place of the future main altar, there will be a Miraculous Medal placed in the ground.

The building has taken place not without difficulties.  Hardly had the excavation foundation been laid down, and indeed with floods of water in the torrential downpour.  Prior Coenraad Daniels will not, however, be influenced by a few drops.  The pit was pumped out and the project continued.

The church will be completed in two years.  According to the words of the Prior the building of the church will be of immense important for the life in the Novitiate.   The consecrated souls will find themselves at home there.

On the circular letter of the building in the Asian District.

The Society of St. Pius X is active on five continents in 62 countries.  (Numbers in German)

More pictures available on the SSPX German site.

Faithful in the entire world who are attached to the Society of St. Pius X: 600,000. (According to Cardinal  Castrillón, President der Commission Ecclesia Dei, Declaration of 16. May 2007 to the Bishops to CELAM)

Red Chinese Kidnap Catholic Bishop

Edit: Can American Bishops be far behind?
By Leslie Hook, Published: July 10
BEIJING — Tensions between Beijing and the Vatican are mounting after Chinese authorities detained an outspoken Catholic bishop who has defied state control of the church, a move that highlights the Communist Party’s deep mistrust of religious organizations.

Bishop Thaddeus Ma Daqin was whisked away just hours after he announced his resignation from the leadership of the Patriotic Catholic Association, or PCA, the government body that controls China’s state-sanctioned version of the Catholic Church, according to two people close to the PCA.
Link to WP...

Communists in Laos Arrest Christians at Christmas Celebration

(Vientiane) On the 16th of December 8 leading personalities of the Christian community were imprisoned. They are accused of having "organized" religious services in which more than 200 Christians participated. Human rights organizations are noting the uncertain fate of eight Christians, who must bring in Christmas in Laotian prisons.

High ranking police officials have convened in the municipality of Boukham in the Province of Savannakhet, in order to await the decision of local authorities as to how they will proceed. The human rights organization, Human Rights Watch for Lao Religious Freedom (HRWLRF)report that the imprisoned Christians had received permission from the mayor to continue with the Christmas celebration. During the service the police stormed the building and arrested those responsible. For of them were blind folded at arrest and led away in hand cuffs. Since then they found themselves in jail. An arrest warrant with the precise information what the charges are is not available. A speaker for the HRWLRF explained that it is "from the the connection in any case, obvious", that they were arrested, "because they had gathered at a religious celebration."

On December 18th some representatives of the Evangelical Church in Laos succeeded in reaching the jail where some of the prisoners were held. Kingsamorsorn was released with bail of 1 Million Kip. In order to compare, the average wage of the of a worker in Laos is 300,000 Kips (or 40 Dollars).

The result of the meeting between police officials and local authorities is currently unknown. As the prisoners were led away, they were put in handcuffs.

Laos is ruled by a Communist regime. Two thirds of the population is Buddhist, around 0.7 percent of the six million inhabitants are Catholics. The Christians of the country are increasingly persecuted and have their religious freedoms curtailed. In February 2011 65 farmers had their sustenance revoked. They were being persuaded through hunger to reject Christianity.

Link to related story, here

Translated from katholisches, original here.

Jesuit Says Western Women Make Terrible Wives

Editor: this is from a Catholic blogger writing about the phenomenon of being single.  She describes an Asian Jesuit who tells her something which takes her aback.

Yes, I'm Entitled

I mentioned on Facebook that I was enjoying Eat, Pray, Love and was staggered by the negative response. Okay, Eat, Pray, Love is not a Catholic book. It even takes three or four swipes at Catholicism. The third section, which I hadn't got to yet, is pornographic. But the passion of the response shocked me. I mean, it's just Elizabeth Gilbert's memoirs. So she sold 5 million copies. I'm envious, too, but not angry about it.*

The most surprising comment came from an American man, a Chinese-American man.

"Fitting for an American princess," he wrote

 Link here...

Pope Benedict to Asian Catholics: Be Witnesses to the Beauty of Christ's Being!

Pope Benedict published a message for the Catholics of Asia.

Rome (kath.net/as) this coming Sunday, the 5th of September, there will be a congress of Catholic Laity in Asia. For this event the Pope has composed a message to the Catholics of Asia, in which he exhorts them, to give ever more of a witness to the beauty of Christian existence and announce Jesus Christ as the only savior of the world. Similarly the Pope accentuated the indispensable role of the Lay Faithful for the mission of the Church. The message was read yesterday morning by the Apostolic Nuncio from South Korea, Archbishop Osvaldo Padilla.

The Asiatic continent, which contains two thirds of the world population, is for Benedict XVI, the cradle of great religions and spiritual traditions; simultaneously it is with a growing economy combined confrontations with unparalleled social transformations. in the midst of this context the Catholic is bound to ask, "a sign and a promise of unity, which only a Christian makes possible."


The people of Asia need Christ and his Gospel, as the Pope cited and called to memory the post-synodal writing "Ecclesia in Asia" (1999) of his predecessor John Paul II.. Therefore they must be encouraged by a healthy spiritual formation for that, not only to be active in the building up of local communities, rather also to forge a new way for the Gospel in all parts of the society.

Of Especial importance for Benedict XVI. is the witness to the truth of the Gospel in the Life of Marriage and the Family, in the defense of life from birth until natural death, in the care of the poor and marginal, by the reconciliation and in the practice of justice in solidarity in the workplace.

The growing number of engaged laity is a "sign of great hope for the future of the Church in Asia" according to Pope Benedict XVI. The fundamental roll of the lay faithful in the mission of the Church to accentuate warned the Pope every Catholic, to follow the example of St. Paul, "in order to bring to other men the truth, the joy and the beauty of Jesus", without losing courage in the face of difficulties.

Link to original...