Almost 23 years ago, Hong Kong was handed over to China with the promise of a “high degree of autonomy”, basic freedoms and the possibility of universal suffrage at some stage in the future. It was an experiment devised by China’s paramount leader Deng Xiaoping known as “one country, two systems”, and was supposed to

Just outside Kaunas, Lithuania’s second city, on a hillside in a residential area stands a house belonging to the family of Vytautas Andziulis and his wife, Birutė. For 10 years during the Soviet occupation of Lithuania this couple, together with Juozas Bacevičius, ran a secret printing press that published 23 titles and 138,000 copies – dissident

Jesus Christ was a refugee who grew up to become a dissident. Of course He is much more than that – He is God Incarnate, Emmanuel – but as we approach the Nativity and see images of a baby lying in a manger, let us not forget the rest of the story. And as we

Syria’s Secret Library By Mike Thomson Weidenfeld, 320pp, £18.99/$28 It was because of my love of books as well as my passion for human rights and humanitarian causes that I picked up Syria’s Secret Library: The True Story of How a Besieged Syrian Town Found Hope. It is one of most moving and inspiring books

Almost exactly a year ago, the Holy See and the Chinese government signed an agreement on the appointment of bishops designed to “normalise” relations and – at least in the mind of the Vatican – enhance protection for China’s 10 million Catholics. A year on, where are we? Well, there has been no tangible sign

The US State Department recently hosted the second Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom. Bringing together more than 1,000 civil society and religious leaders and 100 foreign delegations consisting of ministers, ambassadors and policy-makers, this was the largest ever religious freedom gathering in the world, and the biggest human rights event ever to take place at

“Stop using baton, or we sing Hallelujah to the Lord,” read one of the placards among the sea of people marching yet again in Hong Kong last Sunday. Even in the midst of passion and outrage, Hong Kongers kept a sense of humour – and for many, a display of faith. “Sing Hallelujah to the

On March 30, hundreds of Hong Kong Christians prayed on a Way of the Cross march for nine activists facing jail after calling for democracy. Several of the nine – in particular Benny Tai and Pastor Chu Yiu-ming – are Christians who played a leading role in the 2014 Umbrella Movement. Since then, Hong Kong

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” With those words from Isaiah (9:2) we proceed through Advent and towards the great light of the feast of the Nativity of the Incarnate Word – or, as we know it, Christmas.

The regime has a record of breaking promises and disregarding agreements.

Amid new rumours of a deal with the Holy See, persecution of Christians is at its highest level since the Cultural Revolution

Amid new rumours of a deal with the Holy See, persecution of Christians is at its highest level since the Cultural Revolution Reports emerged last week that a long-awaited deal between China and the Holy See is imminent. Whatever the merits or disadvantages of any deal, it could hardly come at a more awkward time.