Traffickers pose as Christian missionaries in Thailand to entrap victims

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Apr 11, 2025 / 17:46 pm (CNA).

Here is a roundup of Catholic world news that you might have missed this week:

Traffickers pose as Christian missionaries to entrap victims, Thai-Phillippine law enforcement says

Human traffickers have begun posing as Christian missionaries or pilgrims in order to pass airport controls, Philippine and Thai police reported after a recent investigation, according to a report from Agenzia Fides on Wednesday. 

Law enforcement recently stopped two young women, 23 and 25 years old, from being trafficked to Thailand by an older woman who claimed they were Christian missionaries. After noticing inconsistencies in their documents, airport officials detained the women, who said they were  “volunteers belonging to the Catholic Church for missionary work in Thailand.”

Upon investigation, they discovered the older woman to be an organizer of a trafficking network that smuggles women to Thailand. The young women accompanying her had been allegedly “seduced” by the prospect of a teaching job, then pulled into a criminal network of prostitution. 

Italy to welcome 700 Afghan refugees forced to flee after disastrous 2021 U.S. pullout 

Seven hundred Afghan refugees will soon be welcomed in Italy after an agreement was forged between Italy’s Ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs and various associations including the Community of Sant’Egido, according to a Vatican News report. 

“For Afghans, who were forced to flee their country in great distress after the mass exodus from Kabul in August 2021 and who have been forgotten by the international community while waiting to be resettled, this is finally a sign of hope,” the community’s president, Marco Impagliazzo, stated in a press release announcing the agreement, which came about as part of its “humanitarian corridors” initiative. 

New German coalition government retains crucial religious freedom initiative 

Germany’s new coalition government has opted to preserve a crucial religious freedom initiative in its foreign policy.

The Union-SPD coalition confirmed this week that the Federal Government Commissioner for Worldwide Religious Freedom would remain a viable position within its government, despite earlier calls to eliminate it, reported CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner.

President Dirk Bingener of the Catholic aid organization Missio welcomed the news, describing it as “a positive signal for persecuted Christians and members of other religions whose human rights to freely practice their faith are violated.”

Catholic community in Bahrain takes up prayer and fasting together

As Easter approaches, the Catholic community in Bahrain is actively engaging in a spiritually enriching Lenten season filled with prayer and fasting, according to ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner. 

Father Charbel Rizk, a key figure for the Arabic-speaking Catholic community, has been explaining the intricate details of the Mass to deepen the faithful’s understanding and spirituality. In collaboration with the parish in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, a series of lectures titled “Fasting and Hope” was organized, featuring prominent clergy such as Father Majid Moussa and Father George Abi Saad.

The sessions, available on Facebook and Zoom, encourage participation in the sacrament of reconciliation and include home-based evangelical nights, culminating in the blessings of the Eucharist.

Annual feast honoring St. Quryaqos in Iraq revives community spirit

The ruins of Mar Quryaqos Monastery in Baghdeda (Qaraqosh), Iraq, hosted celebrations for its feast during the sixth Sunday of Lent. Local Christians, dressed in traditional attire, gathered to honor St. Quryaqos, the spiritual protector of Baghdeda, with prayers, candle lighting, and the sharing of traditional foods, ACI MENA reported. 

The event, known locally as “Shira Mar Qarayaqos,” marked a vibrant revival of community spirit and religious heritage, notably attended by expatriates reconnecting with their roots after decades abroad.

Uganda bishops praise ‘significant drop’ in HIV infections and related deaths

Members of the Uganda Episcopal Conference are lauding the recent drop in HIV infections and related deaths, attributing the positive trend to success of treatment and prevention centers, according to ACI Africa.

“We are cognizant of the significant drop in new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths in the country in the past decade, partly attributed to the extensive rollout of HIV treatment and prevention services,” the bishops stated.

Although latest numbers are much lower, they continued, the situation remains concerning, with approximately 1,292,407 Ugandans currently living with HIV and about 730 new infections occurring per week. “As a Church, we are committed to creating awareness and providing health services for our people through our pastoral work,” the bishops said.

Catholic activists urge Kenya Red Cross to proceed with conference on family values amid backlash 

Catholic activists with CitizenGo Africa have issued an urgent plea to Kenya’s Red Cross to ignore calls to cancel its five-day Pan African conference on family values, which is set to take place in Nairobi starting May 12. 

The event, “Promoting and Protecting Family Values in Challenging Times,” faced backlash from members of the LGBTQ community within the Red Cross, according to a report from ACI Africa on Thursday.

“The real goal of these foreign-funded activist groups is to impose LGBTQ and gender ideologies on Africa,” the petition states, adding: “This conference is a space for Africans to affirm what we know to be true: that faithful, committed, monogamous relationships are the best model for raising children and building strong communities. And we have the right to speak, gather, and defend these values without fear or shame.”

Source: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/263339/traffickers-pose-as-christian-missionaries-in-thailand-to-entrap-victims