CDI Staff

2025 Asia Theological Association Triennial General Assembly

Conclave to elect new Pope to begin May 7, Vatican announces

Cardinals from around the world will gather in a secret conclave beginning May 7 to elect the next pope, the Vatican announced. The closed-door meeting will take place inside the Sistine Chapel and involve approximately 135 cardinals. The conclave follows the death of Pope Francis, who died at the age of 88 on Easter Monday. His funeral was held on Saturday.

Sarang Church in Seoul, host of WEA General Assembly in October, begins search for next Senior Pastor

Sarang Church in Seoul, the host church for the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) General Assembly this October, has launched the search for its third senior pastor, forming a nine-member search committee on April 13, according to Korean Christian news outlet iGoodNews.

Religiously unaffiliated now outnumber Catholics and Protestants in Germany, survey finds

For the first time in modern German history, more Germans identify as religiously unaffiliated than as Roman Catholics or Protestants, according to a new survey published by the Weltanschauungen research group (Fowid) and reported by Evangelical Focus.

Grand Canyon University concludes 75th anniversary with record number of graduates

Grand Canyon University is closing out its 75th anniversary school year with the largest graduating class in its history—more than 31,000 students—as the private Christian institution continues to grow despite regulatory hurdles and national higher education headwinds.

Pakistan’s national leadership, Christian leaders call Pope Francis’ death ‘irreparable loss for entire world’

Tributes poured in from Pakistan’s national leadership and church officials following the death of Pope Francis, the 266th Bishop of Rome, whose papacy left a global mark on peace, justice and interfaith dialogue.

Panel in Pakistan approves bill for minority rights body

In a significant move towards institutionalizing the protection of minority rights in Pakistan, a subcommittee of the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights last week approved a much-anticipated bill aimed at creating a minority rights body in accordance with international standards and regulations.

COMIBAM2025: Ibero-American Mission Congress

Pope Francis dies at 88: first Latin American pontiff emphasized care for marginalized, courted theological controversy

Pope Francis, the first Jesuit and Latin American pope, has died at the age of 88 following a period of worsening health, the Vatican confirmed Monday. The pontiff, who had been hospitalized in recent weeks for respiratory complications, leaves behind a complex and contested legacy that reshaped the modern papacy—while raising significant theological and political controversy.

Pakistani province marks historic civil service appointment of Christian woman as deputy commissioner

A provincial government in Pakistan has appointed a Christian officer as the province’s first-ever Christian Deputy Commissioner, assigning her to lead a major district, marking a significant milestone toward greater representation of religious minorities in Pakistan’s civil service.

Following president's impeachment, Korean church leaders call for national repentance through ‘Mizpah Square’ prayer meetings

In a renewed call for national repentance and spiritual awakening, South Korean Christian leaders will launch weekly “Revival Korea Mizpah Square Prayer Meetings” beginning April 19 in Seoul’s Yeouido district, aiming to unite believers in prayer for the nation in the weeks leading up to the presidential election on May 31.

Killing Fields, Living Fields: New edition of classic book marks 50 years since fall of Phnom Penh and rise of Khmer Rouge

As Cambodia marks the 50th anniversary of the fall of its capital Phnom Penh to the Khmer Rouge, a final edition of a landmark book chronicling the rise of one of the 20th century’s most brutal regimes has been released to commemorate the occasion. “Killing Fields, Living Fields” by Don Cormack, first published in 1997, returns in its eighth and final edition this week, coinciding with the anniversary of April 17, 1975 — the day when Khmer Rouge forces seized Phnom Penh and began evacuating the