MANILA, April 22, 2010—Religious leaders urged President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to immediately fire acting Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Alberto Agra.

They said it is a way to prove if Arroyo is really not behind the order to drop the charges against two members of the Ampatuan clan in connection with the Maguindanao carnage last November.

VALLADOLID, Spain, April 20, 2010--Thousands of Catholics from around the world attended the beatification ceremony for Fr. Bernardo Francisco de Hoyos, which was held in Valladolid, Spain on Monday.

GLOUCESTER, England, April 20, 2010--Pilgrims in England are watching for the dissipation of the volcanic ash cloud that has grounded many flights across Europe as they prepare to visit the Shroud in Turin, Italy.

Mark Guscin, who will lead this pilgrimage, organized by the British Society for the Turin Shroud, spoke with ZENIT about the upcoming trip.

WASHINGTON D.C., April 20, 2010--At its annual gala, the pro-life group Susan B. Anthony List recently honored several young women for their advancement of the pro-life cause. CNA interviewed two of the young women, Jill Sanders and Laura Peters, who candidly discussed how they were drawn to work in the pro-life movement.

WASHINGTON D.C., April 21, 2010--The U.S. bishops are preparing to launch a website to help laity and clergy promote vacations. The site aims to help individuals “hear and respond” to God’s call to the priesthood or consecrated life.

HONG KONG, April 20, 2010--Catholics in Hong Kong are showing their solidarity with people of the Qinghai province who endured a 6.9-magnitude earthquake last week that took the lives of more than 2,000 people.

In response to the April 14 quake, parishes in Hong Kong prayed for the victims during Sunday Masses.

HOHHOT, China, April 21, 2010--A bishop was ordained Sunday for a Chinese diocese that has been waiting five years for the approval from both Church and state authorities.

BAGHDAD, Iraq, April 22, 2010--The Christians of Telleskuf are demanding an apology from the Democratic Party of Kurdistan, northern Iraq, after a bodyguard of Peshmerga attacked a priest last week.

SEOUL, South Korea, April 22, 2010--Kwangju archdiocese has issued a letter warning its priests of activities by supporters of an alleged Marian visionary who has incurred excommunication.

In its letter, sent on April 15, the archdiocese said supporters of Julia Youn have recently distributed leaflets and DVDs in parishes without approval.

MANILA, April 23, 2010—Aiming to deepen the consciousness of the Catholic faithful on the Christian vocation of stewardship as the world celebrates Earth Day, the Archdiocese of Manila’s Ministry of Ecology held a Conference on Ecological Conversion, April 22.

ANTIPOLO CITY, April 23, 2010—Incensed by the “unjust” decision of the Philippines’ Justice department in clearing the Ampatuans of murder charge, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Middle East staged an in-door protest against Justice Secretary Alberto Agra on the Ampatuan massacre case on April 22.

MANILA, April 23, 2010—Christians and Muslims on Thursday have brought their concern for the upcoming automated elections to the highest level.

Close to 300 religious leaders, activists, students and members of various civil society groups gathered in front of the Commission on Elections for an interfaith prayer rally.