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\n(Image: Josh Applegate\/Unsplash.com)<\/p>\n
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Baptisms significantly fall in Ireland, a German bishop resigns, Asian churches rally after Indonesia earthquake, and more in this week\u2019s Catholic world news roundup.<\/p>\n
The Iona Institute has found the number of Catholic baptisms in Ireland declined by 29.6% from 2015 to 2025.<\/p>\n
According to an Aug. 18 press release<\/a>, the \u201ctwo big drivers of the decline are falling births and rising secularism,\u201d with birth rates accounting for about 60% of the decline. \u201cIn a way the figures are not a surprise given the rapidly falling number of births and growing secularization. Given that births have fallen by almost a fifth in the last ten years, and more people are ticking the \u2018No Religion\u2019 box in the Census, we could expect nothing but a big drop in baptism figures,\u201d Tom Finegan, chairman of The Iona Institute, said in the release.<\/p>\n \u201cIt remains to be seen whether cultural Catholicism will remain a force in Irish life. It\u2019s worth noting that in Britain in 2023, according to the Vatican yearbook, over 42,000 Catholic children were baptized, even though levels of Mass-attendance in Britain are low.\u201d<\/p>\n German bishop resigns, citing \u2018recurrent depressive disorder\u2019<\/p>\n Bishop Karl-Heinz Wiesemann of the German Diocese of Speyer resigned early at age 66 over ongoing mental health struggles he developed in the wake of the sexual abuse crisis in his diocese.<\/p>\n \u201cI have been a Christian and a bishop for you with all my heart and great inner joy,\u201d Wiesemann explained in a letter to the faithful on Aug. 19<\/a>, reported CNA Deutsch, the German-language sister service of EWTN News<\/a>. \u201cNevertheless, the burden of extensive responsibility has left serious traces in me physically, as well as mentally.\u201d<\/p>\n Wiesemann said in the letter that he had to go to a psychosomatic clinic due to a \u201crecurrent depressive disorder\u201d and that the \u201cprocessing of sexual abuse in our diocese\u201d was the \u201cimmediate trigger.\u201d Pope Leo XIV has accepted his resignation.<\/p>\n Asian churches rally together after earthquake in Indonesia<\/p>\n The Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) is calling on local churches to provide support for humanitarian relief efforts after a magnitude-7.7 earthquake in Indonesia, Licas News reported Aug. 18.<\/p>\n \u201cWe call on CCA member churches, national councils, and ecumenical partners to uphold the affected communities in prayer and to accompany them with timely relief, compassionate presence, and support for recovery and rebuilding. As the immediate emergency response continues, let us stand alongside the people and churches of Indonesia in solidarity,\u201d Christian Conference of Asia General Secretary Rev. Jung Eun Grace Moon said. The earthquake is estimated to have killed at least 53 people, according to the report.<\/p>\n New push to build New Zealand cathedral yields over $1 million<\/p>\n After a new call to Catholics in Christchurch, New Zealand, over $1 million was raised in just three weeks for the building of a new cathedral, with the bishop himself pledging $16,000 over five years.<\/p>\n According to The Press<\/a>, priests within the Diocese of Christchurch have pledged $50 a week, totaling $400,000, which was matched by an out-of-country donor.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got to lead the way because people look to us to show that The project reportedly already has nearly $65 million from \u201cinsurance proceeds, asset sales, financial gifts, pledges and regular donations.\u201d Once the total reaches $72 million the diocese will be able to start construction, and Gielen said he hopes that will happen by the end of 2027.<\/p>\n There are more than 60,000 Catholics in the Christchurch Diocese, though only about 11,000 are believed to attend Mass regularly.<\/p>\n Finnish parliamentarian blocked from entering UK<\/p>\n Finnish parliamentarian P\u00e4ivi R\u00e4s\u00e4nen has been barred from entering the United Kingdom for a religious freedom conference where she was scheduled to give a talk about free speech.<\/p>\n R\u00e4s\u00e4nen\u2019s Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) has been revoked, according to an Aug. 18 press release<\/a> from her legal counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International. She will now speak at the event virtually.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is shocking that the U.K. has blocked me, a democratically elected politician in an allied European state, from entering the country,\u201d R\u00e4s\u00e4nen said. \u201cEven though this unjust conviction is currently on appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, the U.K. has likely refused me travel authorization on this basis. In doing so, the U.K. is punishing me for exercising my fundamental human rights.\u201d<\/p>\n Chaldean sisters open jubilee year honoring martyred sister<\/p>\n The Daughters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus have opened a jubilee year marking the approaching 25th anniversary of the martyrdom of Servant of God Sister Cecilia Moshi Hanna, ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, reported Aug. 19.<\/a><\/p>\n Chaldean Patriarch Paul III Nona celebrated the opening Mass at St. Joseph Cathedral in Baghdad. Mother Samar Kamil, the congregation\u2019s superior general, said the year will include devotional programs, spiritual retreats, and opportunities for prayer and reflection. The congregation\u2019s convents will welcome groups of faithful, with particular attention given to the shrine at the Convent of Charity in Baghdad, where Sister Cecilia was killed. The observance, she explained, is intended not only to honor the martyred sister but also to help Christians consider how they are called to bear witness to their faith in daily life.<\/p>\n Sister Cecilia was murdered on Aug. 16, 2002, at the age of 71. The Vatican\u2019s Dicastery for the Causes of Saints recognized her as a servant of God in 2018, formally beginning an important stage in her cause for canonization.<\/p>\n Italian parish mourns death of priest by suicide<\/p>\n Members of San Carlo Borromeo Parish in Trento, Italy, gathered for the funeral of parish priest Father Don Lino Zatelli on Aug. 15.<\/p>\n The service, presided over by Archbishop Lauro Tisi, came after Zatelli was found dead on Aug. 12 by the parish sacristan after he did not appear at the parish to celebrate Mass that morning, according to an Aug. 18 Tribune Chr\u00e9tienne report.<\/a> Zatelli had reportedly discovered in the past few weeks that he was to be reassigned to another parish as a part of a pastoral reorganization.<\/p>\n \u201cAll this good that he has sown with his humanity, his gestures and his word is a reason for thanks to God for everything that Don Lino has given us,\u201d Tisi said in his homily, according to the diocese<\/a>.<\/p>\n Nigerian priest calls for prayers as 2 killed, 1 abducted in bandit attack<\/p>\n A Catholic priest in Nigeria has appealed for prayers following a bandit attack that left two people dead and another abducted in the Catholic Diocese of Zaria, ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, reported Aug. 18.<\/a><\/p>\n In a statement shared on Aug. 18, Father Samuel Ameh shared news of the deadly attack, calling for prayers for those who lost their lives, the abducted community elder, and families affected by the tragedy.<\/p>\n \u201cWe ask for prayers for the souls of the departed, for the safe return of the kidnapped, and for strength for all the families affected by this tragic incident,\u201d Ameh said, noting the bandits abducted a respected community elder, killed his son on the spot, and confirmed that another person who was injured during the attack later died while receiving medical treatment.<\/p>\n Marian festival brings Syrians together in Armenian town<\/p>\n The \u201cGreen Kessab\u201d festival concluded in Syria\u2019s Latakia countryside with religious ceremonies, music, food, and traditions honoring the Virgin Mary, ACI MENA reported Aug. 17.<\/a><\/p>\n Organized by the Armenian Apostolic Church in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism and the Kessab municipal council, the two-day celebration drew residents and visitors from different religious and cultural backgrounds.<\/p>\n Kessab\u2019s Armenian presence stretches back centuries, according to local writer Karo Manjikian. For the Aug. 15 feast, farmers offer the first clusters of their grape harvest to the church, which blesses and distributes them among the people. Families also donate sheep whose meat is slowly cooked overnight with crushed wheat to prepare harissa, a traditional dish shared freely after Mass the following morning. Muslims as well as Christians take part in receiving the blessed grapes and meal.<\/p>\n War and emigration have reduced Kessab\u2019s resident Christian population to about 1,000, although the number rises considerably during the summer when expatriates and other visitors return.<\/p>\n National Youth Day in Angola ends with call to young people to reject violence<\/p>\n The president of the Bishops\u2019 Conference of Angola and S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe has called on young people to reject violence, hatred, and intolerance, urging the promotion of dialogue, respect for differences, and fraternity, ACI Africa reported Aug. 18<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cOnly mutual love and respect build a strong nation,\u201d Archbishop Jos\u00e9 Manuel Imbamba said in his homily on Aug. 16 during the closing Mass of the fourth National Youth Day at Our Lady of Fatima Parish of the Luanda Archdiocese.<\/p>\n \u201cThere should be no intolerance that excludes and rejects. There should be no fanaticism that blinds and destroys. There should also be no violence that frightens and dehumanizes,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n More than 4,000 young people from the dioceses of Angola and S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe participated in the four-day gathering, held from Aug. 13 to 16 under the theme \u201cYoung People, Take Courage. I Have Overcome the World.\u201d<\/p>\n If you value the news and views Catholic World Report provides, please consider donating<\/a> to support our efforts. Your contribution will help us continue to make CWR available to all readers worldwide for free, without a subscription. Thank you for your generosity!<\/p>\n Click here<\/a> for more information on donating to CWR. Click here<\/a> to sign up for our newsletter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"(Image: Josh Applegate\/Unsplash.com) Baptisms significantly fall in Ireland, a German bishop resigns, Asian churches rally after Indonesia earthquake,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":600847,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[61,60,43],"class_list":["post-600846","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ireland","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/600846","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=600846"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/600846\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/600847"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=600846"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=600846"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=600846"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
we\u2019re committed,\u201d Bishop Michael Gielen, who leads the diocese, said.<\/p>\n