The latest in East Asia

Vietnam's Falungong under pressure

2011-12-23T01:31:23Z

In silent meditation, the Falungong members did not flinch when a shirtless, tattooed man slapped them on the head, or when a burly female security agent dragged a dried palm leaf across their faces.

Vietnamese practitioners of Falungong -- a Buddhist-inspired traditional Chinese spiritual discipline practised in more than 70 countries.-- say treatment like this has become routine. They say communist authorities in Hanoi have b...

Vatican laments 'illegitimate' bishop at China ordination

2011-11-30T16:31:12Z

The Vatican on Wednesday said it disapproved of the presence of an excommunicated Chinese bishop at an ordination ceremony, having asked that no "illegitimate" clergy take part.

The ordination of Luo Xuegang in Yibin in Sichuan was approved by both China's official church and the Vatican -- a sign tensions could be thawing after a run...

Excommunicated bishop attends ordination in China

2011-11-30T04:30:39Z

A Chinese bishop excommunicated by the Vatican attended an ordination ceremony on Wednesday, a move likely to anger the Holy See, which had asked that no "illegitimate" clergy take part in the rite.

The ordination of Luo Xuegang in Yibin in the southwest province of Sichuan was approved by both MANDALAY, Myanmar (Reuters) - The stalls of Mandalay's biggest market are lined with Chinese-made clothes, appliances and cosmetics -- a clear sign of the grip Myanmar's giant neighbor has over the city.

"You think of me as Chinese, right?" said Xiao Wei, one of many ethnic Chinese merc...

China says "sincere" with Vatican ahead of ordination

2011-11-29T05:30:09Z

BEIJING (Reuters) - China said on Tuesday it was sincere about better ties with the Vatican, a day before the planned ordination of a bishop that will be a test of whether the two sides can rein in tensions over control of religio...

Vatican gives approval for Chinese bishop's ordination

2011-11-28T16:30:39Z

The Vatican gave its approval on Monday for the ordination of a Chinese bishop in a conciliatory gesture to China's official church but called on "illegitimate" bishops not to attend the rite.

Pietro Luo Xuegang, 47, who built his career within the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association (CPCA) -- China's official church, will be ordained as bishop...

Final appeal on Tokyo subway gas attack rejected

2011-11-21T05:30:34Z

Japan's top court on Monday rejected the final appeal against a death sentence meted out for the deadly 1995 nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway, leaving 13 members of the Aum Supreme Truth doomsday cult facing the gallows.

The supreme court threw out requests to spare the life of Seiichi Endo, the last of the cultists indicted...

APEC security tests Hawaiian hospitality

2011-11-12T19:30:29Z

The all-encompassing Hawaiian term "Aloha" can mean both hello and goodbye, making it an apt phrase this weekend in Honolulu where the welcome for an Asia-Pacific summit is wearing thin.

The legions of protesters who normally accompany such gatherings are absent in remote, expensive Hawaii, but that hasn't stopped the authorities from shrouding the tropical island paradise in a tigh...

Vietnam Falungong jailed over China broadcasts

2011-11-10T18:30:48Z

Vietnam on Thursday jailed two Falungong practitioners for beaming radio broadcasts into China, their lawyer said, where the movement is banned and labelled an "evil cult".

Vu Duc Trung, 31, received a three-year sentence and his brother-in-law Le Van Thanh, 36, was sentenced to two years, said the lawyer, Tran Dinh Trien.

The ...

China invokes Waco siege in denouncing Dalai Lama

2011-10-30T22:30:11Z

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese state media denounced the Dalai Lama Monday for his views on reincarnation, saying that the exiled Buddhist monk was trying to revise history, compounding his crimes as a separatist.

The BEIJING (Reuters) - A Tibetan monk set himself alight in a market in mountainous western China Monday, extending a burst of immolation protests at a monastery that has become a center of defiance of Beijing, a group advocating self-determination for Tibet s...

California's Bowers Museum opens tombs of China

2011-09-30T10:30:41Z

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The closest one may ever come to being touched by a deity may be at southern California's Bowers Museum when "Warriors, Tombs and Temples:

Successor chosen by Dalai Lama 'illegal': China

2011-09-26T09:30:15Z

China said Monday any successor chosen by the Dalai Lama would be "illegal" after the Tibetan spiritual leader announced that he, and not Beijing, would decide whether he should be reincarnated.

The Dalai Lama, who is 76, said on Saturday he would decide when he was "about 90" whether he should be reincarnated, in consultation with other monks,...

Two Tibetan monks set themselves on fire in China: sources

2011-09-26T04:00:08Z

BEIJING (Reuters) - Two young Tibetan monks set themselves on fire to protest against government religious controls in western China on Monday, two exiled Tibetan sources said, the third such protest this year that could spark fresh tension in the unstable region.

The 18-year-old monks, Kelsang and Kuncha...

Dalai Lama questions need for spiritual post to continue

2011-09-24T06:30:12Z

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Tibet's exiled spiritual head the Dalai Lama on Saturday questioned whether the tradition of leadership reincarnation should be continued, saying he and other leaders of Tibetan Buddhism will take a call on the issue in a...

China state religion groups slam US freedom report

2011-09-17T04:30:23Z

Beijing-backed religious groups hit out at the US after it reaffirmed China's status as a country "of particular concern" on religious freedom, accusing Washington of trying to harm the nation's image.

The South Korea's leading Buddhist monks joined a service Monday at a North Korean temple to pray for the reunification of the divided peninsula, Pyongyang's state media said.

The ceremony at the temple in Mount Myohyang, northeast of the capital, was held jointly by monks from the two Koreas, the North's official BEIJING (Reuters) - The hardline Chinese official removed last week as Communist Party chief of restive Tibet has been made head of the province in the center of contention over China's Catholics, giving him an influential role in another sensitive religious issue.

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Tibetans to decide on Dalai Lama role: spiritual leader

2011-08-13T15:30:23Z

Tibet's spiritual leader the Dalai Lama warned China Saturday it was up to his people to decide on his future role, days after a change at the head of the Tibetan government in exile.

"As early as 1959 I made it clear, officially," that it was up to the Tibetan people to decide whether or not the institution of the Dalai Lama should continue, he sa...

Report shows rise in restrictions on religion

2011-08-09T06:30:11Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Nearly a third of the world's population lives in countries where it is becoming more difficult to freely practice religion, a private U.S. research group reported on Tuesday.

The Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion and Public Life said government restrictio...

Catholic priest says denied entry to China

2011-07-26T14:31:01Z

An outspoken Hong Kong Catholic priest said Tuesday he has been denied entry into China due to an escalating row between the Vatican and Beijing over the ordination of bishops.

Italian-born Franco Mella said Ch...

China bars HK activist priest as Vatican tension

2011-07-26T04:30:13Z

HONG KONG (Reuters) - China blocked a Hong Kong Catholic priest and rights activist from entering the mainland last week in what he said may have been a show of unhappiness with the Vatican for excommunicating two bishops rece...

China criticizes Vatican for excommunicating bishops

2011-07-25T02:30:12Z

BEIJING (Reuters) - China said on Monday the Vatican's recent excommunication of two Chinese bishops who were ordained without papal approval was "unreasonable" and "rude," in a sign of escalating tensions between the Vatican and ...

China to ordain more bishops amid Vatican spat

2011-07-22T01:30:37Z

China's state-controlled Catholic church plans to ordain at least seven more bishops, a top church official said Friday, after a series of such ordinations worsened already tense Vatican ties.

Liu Bainian, deputy head of the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association (CPCA), said the new bishops would be ordained "on an auspicious day", w...

China ordains third bishop without Pope's approval

2011-07-15T10:02:18Z

BEIJING (Reuters) - China ordained a third bishop without the Pope's approval on Thursday, the honorary president of the state-backed church said, in a move likely to further strain tense relations between the Chinese government and the China's Guangdong province told AFP their bishops had disappeared in a move that appeared to be linked to a state-sanctioned ordination due to take place in a nea...

Dalai Lama says Tibetans support 'Middle Way'

2011-07-11T18:30:28Z

The Dalai Lama voiced confidence Monday that Tibetans supported his "Middle Way" of seeking greater rights but staying under China's rule, despite criticism from some young exiles.

The Dalai Lama, who announced earlier this year that he was retiring from political duties, said it was up to the newly empowered Tibetan government-in-exile in India<...

Vatican's ties with Beijing suffer fresh setback

2011-07-07T20:30:24Z

Ties between the Vatican and Beijing have been fraught further with the Holy See excommunicating a Chinese bishop and threats by the China's state-run Church to continue defying Pope Benedict XVI.

China's 5.7 million Catholics are increasingly caught...

China detains Vatican-backed Catholic priest

2011-06-30T05:30:44Z

Chinese police detained a Vatican-backed Catholic priest and blocked his ordination as a bishop, a parishioner said Thursday, in a move likely to raise tensions with the Holy See.

The detention of Joseph Sun Jigeng came as China's state-run Catholic church reportedly ordained another bishop with...

China wants to ordain bishops 'without delay'

2011-06-24T03:30:17Z

China's state-controlled Catholic church wants to ordain at least 40 bishops "without delay", its vice president said Friday, in a move likely to further irritate ties with the Vatican.

Liu Bainian, deputy head of the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, confirmed an official Richard Gere -- a Buddhist and a longtime campaigner for the rights of Tibetans -- on Tuesday visited a Buddhist temple during a visit to South Korea.

Gere will later this week also attend an opening ceremony for an exhibition of photographs entitled "Pilgrim" which he took in Tibet and at other sites dev...

Taiwan telecom firm lets Falungong TV use satellite

2011-06-20T04:30:23Z

Taiwan's leading telecom firm said Monday it will let a television station run by China's banned Falungong movement use its new satellite, reversing a controversial decision to end their contract.

"We've agreed that they can use the ST-2," said Chen Hui-yen, a spokeswoman for Chunghwa Telecom

Richard Gere to visit Buddhist sites in S. Korea

2011-06-08T04:30:18Z

Hollywood star Richard Gere plans to visit South Korea this month to promote his photo exhibition and tour Buddhist temples, a religious official said Wednesday.

Gere plans to tour Bulguksa temple in the ancient capital of Gyeongju, 370 km (230 miles) southeast of Seoul, and take part in an overnight stay programme at t...

Chinese church mulling ordination of bishop

2011-06-03T06:30:31Z

China's state-controlled Catholic Church said Friday it was considering ordaining a bishop not supported by the Vatican in a move likely to further strain ties with the Holy See.

Father Joseph Shen Guo'an has been put forward as bishop for Wuhan

Cisco sued for helping China monitor Internet

2011-05-23T17:30:20Z

Falungong members are suing Cisco Systems for custom-building "Golden Shield" Internet technology used by China to track down devotees of the spiritual movement.

Cisco dismissed the case Monday as being without basis and vowed to "vigorously defend" itself.

A lawsuit filed in US federal court in the Pope Benedict XVI called on Catholics across the world on Wednesday to pray that Chinese bishops refuse to separate from Rome, in spite of "pressure" from communist authorities.

The pontiff appealed for prayers for the 5.7 million-odd Chinese Catholics caught between staying loyal to the ruling Communist Party in B...

Defiant Christians petition China parliament

2011-05-12T13:30:38Z

A group of underground Chinese Christian churches has issued a defiant petition to the country's parliament demanding respect for their constitutional right to freedom of religion.

The petition -- signed by the pastors of 17 top unregistered churches -- was addressed to parliamentary chairman Wu Bangguo, and urges the legislature to pass a law to protect religious freedom in the officially atheist country.

It co...

Chinese churches petition parliament for religious reform

2011-05-12T01:30:09Z

BEIJING (Reuters) - Seventeen churches in China have appealed to China's lawmakers to provide legal protection of religious freedom after police detained dozens of Christians from a Beijing church that has been trying to hold outdoor services.

The petition, delivered on Wednesday by hand to t...

China warns US on Tibet

2011-05-10T14:30:53Z

China on Tuesday warned the United States to show caution in its handling of restive Tibet as the world's two largest economies met for wide-ranging talks.

Executive Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun said that US leaders assured Beijing

US board faults Egypt on religious freedom

2011-04-28T14:30:43Z

A US commission called Thursday for Egypt to be put on a blacklist for lack of religious freedom, saying attacks on Coptic Christians and other minorities have worsened despite political changes.

In an annual report, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom said it found serious violati...

China blames monks for Tibetan unrest

2011-04-26T13:30:45Z

China on Tuesday blamed Buddhist monks for causing unrest in a Tibetan region, accusing them of disrupting social order and defaming their religion.

The foreign ministry refused to confirm allegations two Tibetans were killed in a security crackdown at the Kirti Monastery in the southwestern province of Sichuan, but gave the clearest official acknowledgement yet of unrest there.

"In recent days, a small numbe...

Belief in a supreme being strong worldwide: Reuters/Ipsos poll

2011-04-25T05:00:09Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - Belief in a god, or a supreme being, and some sort of afterlife is strong in many countries around the globe, according to a new Ipsos/Reuters poll.

Fifty one percent of the 18,829 people across 23 countries who took part in the survey said they were convinced there is an afterlife and a divine entity, while 18 percent said ...

Fleeing China, couple urge help for Falungong

2011-04-23T19:30:16Z

A husband and wife who said they endured years of ill treatment in Chinese camps for practicing Falungong are urging greater global attention to the plight of the spiritual movement.

Zhang Lianying and her husband Niu Jinping, two high-profile practitioners of Falungong who angered authorities by speaking out to foreigners, arrived in the United States in January with their daughter just as

Two die in Tibetan monastery crackdown: rights group

2011-04-23T03:30:26Z

Two Tibetans have died in a security crackdown on a Buddhist monastery in southwest China, an activist group said, after the restive area was closed to foreigners.

Authorities have sealed off Kirti Monastery in Sichuan province and ordered a re-education programme there following unrest triggered last month when a young monk set himself on fire and die...

China bans foreigners from restive Tibetan areas

2011-04-22T04:00:12Z

BEIJING (Reuters) - China has banned foreigners from some restive, heavily Tibetan parts of southwestern Sichuan province, travel agents said on Friday, in an apparent attempt to close off a region shaken by recent clashes with the pol...

Tibetan monastery crackdown video emerges

2011-04-21T03:30:12Z

A video of unrest at a Tibetan monastery in China where a monk burnt himself to death has surfaced, with overseas activists saying it refutes Chinese government claims that the situation there is normal.

The video obtained by the Voice of America's Tibetan service and posted on its website appears to show heavy security patrolling around the Kirti monastery in a Ti...

China says everything "normal" at restive Tibetan temple

2011-04-19T02:30:16Z

BEIJING (Reuters) - China said on Tuesday everything was "normal" at a Tibetan Buddhist monastery after the Dalai Lama urged restraint in a stand-off between security forces and Tibetans at the temple in southwest China.

"According to what w...

China detains underground church followers: group

2011-04-17T03:30:17Z

Police in Beijing rounded up dozens of followers of an underground Protestant church Sunday, a rights group said, as a widening crackdown on dissent appeared to spread to religious figures.

Police late Saturday also detained Jin Tianming, a senior pastor of Beijing's Shouwang church, an unregistered Protestant congregation, and other church leaders before releasing them early Sunday, the US-based Dalai Lama has urged restraint in a standoff with security forces at a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in China, warning of "catastrophic consequences" if the situation deteriorates.

"I urge both the monks and the lay Tibetans of the area not to do anything that might be used as a pretext by the local authorities to massively crack down on them," the exiled spiritual leader said in a statem...

Vatican says China's move to beatify Christian sign of hope

2011-04-15T13:30:42Z

One of the earliest Christian missionaries in China is to be beatified in Shanghai, the Vatican said Friday, in a sign of hope for improved relations between Beijing and the Holy See.

"It's a pleasing l...

TV channel trying to change China from New York

2011-03-17T12:00:10Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - From its spartan New York City studios, a non-profit organization called New Tang Dynasty Television is trying to change China with a tiny budget, a volunteer staff and a mission t...

Taiwan cardinal eyes China-Vatican dialogue

2011-02-19T18:30:22Z

Taiwan's Cardinal Paul Shan, who will embark on a high-profile trip to China this summer, says he hopes that the Vatican and Beijing can be "mature" and reconcile their bitter differences.

Shan, 89, a highly revered religious leader on the island, made the re...

Taiwan cardinal set for historic China trip

2011-02-15T10:30:46Z

Taiwan's Catholic Cardinal Paul Shan will make a historic visit to China this year in the first contact between Catholics on the two sides in more than 60 years, the organiser of his trip said on Tuesday.

Shan, who was born 88 years ago on the mainland, is expected to hold a joint mass with Tibet's top monks appeared before thousands of followers on Wednesday in India to reassure them about a police probe into nearly $1 million in cash found at his monastery.

"Do not worry about the case," the Karmapa said as he appeared before devotees at the Gyuto monastery in Dharamshala in northern India, where the Tibetan community in exile is based.

"Investigations are going on and t...

Reluctant peace doves refuse to leave Vatican

2011-01-30T20:30:34Z

Doves of peace released by Pope Benedict XVI during the weekly Angelus prayer on Sunday refused to leave the Vatican and flew straight back in through the open window, an AFP photographer said.

Embarrassed officials only managed to catch and re-release one of the birds.

The pope was accompanied at the window of his studio in

Tibetan monk quizzed by Indian police over cash

2011-01-30T09:30:22Z

Indian police on Sunday questioned one of Tibetan Buddhism's most senior leaders after hundreds of thousands of dollars were found in his monastery.

Officers quizzed the Karmapa over $600,000 in dollar" class="inform">dollar bills and currencies from another 25 countries discovered at his residence in Dharamshala, the hill station in northern India wher...

Top Tibetan monk raided by Indian police

2011-01-28T16:30:38Z

Indian police said Friday they had raided the monastery of a top Buddhist monk seen as the possible next spiritual leader for Tibet and seized hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash.

Police swooped on the Karmapa's monastery in Dharamshala, a hill station in northern India, on Thursday and returned Friday to question staff about the origins of local and foreign bank notes discovered o...

At Christmas, Pope urges end to Mideast Christians' pain

2010-12-25T16:30:14Z

Pope Benedict XVI urged an end Saturday to conflict in the Middle East and support for the region's Christians, saying those living in Iraq needed comfort from their pain after deadly attacks.

In his traditional Christmas Day address delivered at the Pope Benedict XVI rapped China for its curbs on religion and freedom of conscience in his Christmas message Saturday, reflecting the tense relations between the Vatican and Beijing.

"May the birth of the Saviour strengthen the spirit of faith, patien...

Church plan in hometown of Confucius draws protest

2010-12-24T21:30:10Z

Plan for Christian church in hometown of Confucius draws protest from Chinese scholars

China's officially atheist government wants to build a Christian church in the hometown of Confucius to help foster a relationship between an ancient philosophy and the country's fastest-growing religion. But suddenly, it's not going so smoothly.

Confucian groups and 10...

China says Vatican must repair rift over bishops

2010-12-24T01:00:12Z

AP Interview: China church leader says Vatican caused rift over bishops and must mend it

The Vatican bears responsibility for restoring dialogue with China's government-backed church after its criticism of leadership changes here frayed ties, a Chinese church official said Friday.

China's official Catholic church named new leaders at a ...

China says Vatican criticism 'imprudent', 'dangerous'

2010-12-22T07:30:45Z

China on Wednesday fired a fierce broadside at the Vatican, slamming its criticism of the country's state-sanctioned Catholic church, which is not recognised by the pope, as "imprudent" and "dangerous".

The comments from China's State Administration for Religious Affairs came after the Vatican accused Beijing...

Vatican accuses Chinese official church of "hostile acts"

2010-12-17T14:31:25Z

The Vatican accused China of "unacceptable and hostile acts" that provoked "a grave loss of trust" on Friday, following an assembly of China's official church which is not acknowledged by the Pope.

Already tense China-Vatican relations deteriorated further after reports that the state-sanctioned church held a meeting from December 7 to 9 to elect a new chairma...

Vatican in new clash with China over church

2010-12-17T07:00:34Z

Vatican sharply condemns recent leadership meeting of China's government-backed church

The Vatican accused China on Friday of spurning efforts for improved ties with the Holy See, condemning the government-backed church as violating religious freedom and human righ...

Chinese bishops elect leaders amid Vatican tensions

2010-12-09T10:30:49Z

China's state-sanctioned Catholic Church said Thursday bishops had elected a new leadership amid a spike in tension with the Vatican, which has criticised a controversial recent ordination.

Chinese bishops elected a new chairman -- Bishop Fang Xingyao -- of the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, which controls the state-backed church, the ass...

Chinese bishops open meeting amid tense Vatican ties

2010-12-07T16:31:01Z

Chinese bishops opened a meeting on Tuesday to elect top leaders that could further inflame tensions with the Vatican following the controversial ordination of a bishop by the state-backed church.

Chinese authorities have forcibly brought a number of bishops to Beijing for the gathering, while others have gone into hiding to avoid taking part,...

China to choose Catholic heads; Vatican ties tense

2010-12-06T19:31:18Z

China holds meeting of Catholic bishops to choose new leaders amid tensions with Vatican

China's bishops are meeting to choose leaders of the government-backed Catholic church amid tensions with the Vatican after it denounced the recent ordination of a bishop who did not have the pope's approval.

A religious news agency says Chinese aut...

Play kabaddi and live longer, India coach says

2010-11-25T19:30:45Z

Balwan Singh says he knows the secret to good health, long life and happiness -- take up the obscure and little-understood sport of kabaddi.

"Look at me, I'm 50 years old and I can hold my breath for three minutes," said the sprightly Singh, India's coach.

"You can live for 100 years playing kabaddi!" he added.

The sport, long dominated by South Asian countries, involves teams joining hands, holding their breath and raiding oppo...

Nov 26, 2010

2010-11-29T14:34:42Z

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China says Vatican 'violating' religious freedom

2010-11-25T08:30:29Z

China, which strictly controls the church, said Thursday that Vatican opposition to the official Chinese Catholic body's ordination of a bishop amounted to a violation of freedom of religion.

"Any kind of allegation or intervention constitutes an act of restriction of freedom and intolerance," foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters.

Hong was ...

Vatican slams Chinese ordination as 'serious violation'

2010-11-24T15:30:48Z

The Vatican on Wednesday described the ordination of a bishop by China's state-run Catholic church as "a serious violation" of religious freedom in a sharp escalation of tensions.

The ordination of Father Guo Jincai on Saturday in the northern city of Chengde was "a serious violation of freedom of religion and conscience," and "offend...

Japan practising Zen kabaddi at Asian Games

2010-11-24T08:30:49Z

Off court they are calm and meditative but once in front of crowds chanting 'kabaddi, kabaddi, kabaddi', they only want to win.

Three of the 14 members of Japan's kabaddi team at the Asian Games are reportedly monks, while five others have graduated from a Zen Buddhist institute.

"Training in kabaddi makes our bodies stronger and healthier, while Buddhism...

Vatican condemns China over bishop's ordination

2010-11-24T03:30:20Z

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican condemned China on Wednesday for naming a bishop without the pope's approval, calling the episode a "painful wound" hampering dialogue between

Vatican denounces China for bishop ordination

2010-11-29T14:41:25Z

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China

2010-11-29T14:59:23Z

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China appoints bishop without approval

2010-11-29T14:45:17Z

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China church ordains bishop over Vatican objection

2010-11-29T14:40:53Z

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World cardinals hold rare meeting on abuse, converts

2010-11-19T03:31:36Z

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Roman Catholic cardinals from around the world met in a rare gathering at the Vatican on Friday to discuss religious freedom, sexual abuse of children by priests and accepting converts from the Anglican church.

The deb...

Cardinals talk religious freedom amid China flap

2010-11-29T14:40:44Z

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China's Catholic church says it will ordain bishop

2010-11-18T23:00:04Z

China's state-backed church says it will ordain bishop despite Vatican objections

China's government-backed Catholic church says it will proceed with the ordination of a bishop who does not have the pope's approval, despite objections raised by the Vatican.

Liu Bainian, spokesman for the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Ass...

China church to ordain bishop Vatican objects to

2010-11-29T14:40:44Z

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Vatican in new dispute with China

2010-11-18T15:06:57Z

Vatican warns of new setback to relations in flap with China over ordination of a bishop

The Vatican on Thursday warned China that efforts at reconciliation will be set back if bishops loyal to the pope are forced to attend the ordination of a bishop in the state-backed church.

China forced its Roman Catholics to cut ties with the Vatic...

Vatican warns China over bishop's ordination

2010-11-18T15:01:27Z

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican warned Beijing on Thursday not to force Catholic bishops loyal to the pope to attend the ordination of a bishop who is a member of the state-backed church that does n...

Japan

2010-11-29T14:58:54Z

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Nov 17, 2010

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China Falungong member gets S.Korea refugee status

2010-11-15T02:30:32Z

"There are substantial grounds for believing that she may face persecution from the Chinese government because of her activities in South Korea," the court said in a decision which overturned a lower court ruling.

The woman, who became a Falungong practitioner in 2004 after arriving in Seoul, sought refugee status last year. The justice ministry rejected her application, and...

Chinese Idiom and Philosophy from Confucius and Lao Tzu

2010-11-29T14:52:24Z

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Buddha visit, ice cream as Obama ends Japan visit

2010-11-14T07:30:23Z

Leaving matters of state aside after a hectic nine-day swing, Obama headed for a tranquil religious site in the ancient Japanese seaside capital of Kamakura, which he last visited with his mother when he was six years old.

Large crowds lined the streets, with people waving small American flags and "Welcome" signs, as Obama's motorcade rolled through the town near

Falun Gong

2010-11-30T13:51:04Z

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Influence

2010-11-29T14:58:38Z

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Missions

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The history of Christian missions

2010-11-29T14:58:33Z

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Conflicting Christian attitudes

2010-11-29T14:58:33Z

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Dajokan

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Wei dynasty

2010-11-29T14:58:16Z

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BUDDHISM

2010-11-29T14:58:12Z

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Other cultures

2010-11-29T14:58:06Z

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Types of worship

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How Catholicism came to China

2010-11-29T15:45:59Z

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Travel destinations: Beijing temples, China

2010-11-29T15:57:35Z

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South Korea Koreas Clash

2011-01-05T01:31:08Z

South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan, right, shakes hands with U.S. special envoy on North Korea, Stephen Bosworth before their meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011. (AP Photo/Jung Yeon-je, Pool)

South Korea Koreas Nuclear

2011-01-05T01:31:07Z

U.S. special envoy on North Korea, Stephen Bosworth, left, and South Korea's chief nuclear negotiator Wi Sung-lac attend talks at the latter's office in Seoul, Wednesday, Jan...

South Korea US Koreas Clash

2011-01-04T02:30:23Z

Stephen Bosworth, US special representative for North Korea policy, talks to reporters upon his arrival at Incheon international airport, west of Seoul, Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2011. Bosworth arrived in Seoul for talks on North Korea's nuclear...

APTOPIX South Korea Koreas Clash

2011-01-03T07:31:38Z

South Korean Army's 155 mm howitzers fire during a military drill near the demilitarized zone, which has separated the two Koreas since the Korean War, in Chulwon, north of Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Jan. 3, 2011. South Korea's president vowed Monday not to let North Korea "cove...

North Korea Koreas Clash

2011-01-03T04:31:29Z

Ctizens attend a rally in support of North Korea's "joint new year editorial" in the city's central Kim Il Sung Square, in Pyongyang, North Korea Monday, Jan. 3, 2011. In the North Korean capital, tens of thousands gathered Monday for the annual New Year rally to display loyalty to leader K...