Duterte names new envoy to the Vatican
MANILA (SE): Grace Relucio-Princesa, has been named as the new Philippine ambassador to the Holy See by the president, Rodrigo Duterte, Vatican News reported on January 23.
 
Relucio-Princesa is currently the assistant secretary of the Department Legislative Liaison Unit and the president of the Department of Foreign Affairs Ladies Foundation.
 

 
Nigeria under siege from many forces
LAGOS (CNS): Nigeria’s bishops condemned what they call brutal massacres of innocent people with at least 80 people killed since the start of the year in conflict over fertile land.
 

 
Radicals stage protest at Catholic school
Mumbai (AsiaNews): A group of radicals in Madhya Pradesh staged a protest on January 15 against a Catholic school, run by the Sisters of St Joseph of Chambery for reprimanding two unruly students.
 

 
Jesuits denounce threats against outspoken priest
MEXICO CITY (CNS): The Society of Jesus has denounced threats made against an outspoken Jesuit Father Ismael Moreno Coto, from Honduras, who has highlighted accusations of widespread irregularities in the Central American country’s recent presidential election. 
 

 
Philippine rebels declare Christmas truce
MANILA (UCAN): Church leaders in The Philippines have welcomed ceasefire declarations from both the government and insurgents from the Communist-led New People’s Army (NPA), expressing hope that this would lead to the resumption of peace talks.
 

 
Pope meets with Palestinian leaders

 
Arrests at abortion clinic
WASHINGTON (SE): Father Stephen Imbarrato, from of Priests for Life, together with Julia Haag and Joan McKee, was arrested inside an abortion clinic in Washington DC in the United States of America on December 4, during what he calls the Red Rose Rescue.
 

 
Complaints against Qatar shelved
DOHA (AsiaNews): The International Labour Organisation has concluded that the pressure that has been put on Qatar to improve the treatment of migrant workers labouring on the building of facilities for the 2022 World Cup has been successful.
 

Zimbabwe arrests Brazilian Franciscan
HARARE (SE): Brother Rodrigo Peret, a Franciscan from Brazil and member of the Pastoral Land Commission of Uberlândia in Zimbabwe, was arrested along with 20 other international mining advocates in the town of Mutare on November 6.
 

 
Do hidden problems go away?
DUBLIN (SE): Priests from the archdiocese of Dublin in Ireland are saying that the repeated failure of the archdiocese to publish annual changes in the appointments of priests is a cover up for serious shortages.