Edito of the week of 29/07/2022 with Camille: Archie Battersbee, the pope in Canada, persecution in China, Sydney McLaughlin

In the editorial of the week with Camille on video, discover the topics that animated the Christian sphere this week from articles published on the InfoChrétienne website.

Archie Battersbee, 12, suffered severe brain damage after an incident on April 7. He was found unconscious by his mother after taking part in a "challenge" on the internet. Placed on life support, he has not regained consciousness since.

While the doctors want to stop the treatments, her parents are fighting to counter this decision. His mother, Hollie Dance, believes that "it is up to God to decide what should happen to Archie, including if, when and how he should die" and asks that her son's religious beliefs be respected.

Monday, the courts once again sided with the medical profession and the Court of Appeal refused to take their case to the United Nations. The parents announced on Wednesday that they would apply to the Supreme Court asking him to reverse this decision. Their goal is to present their request to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Monday July 25, Pope Francis on a “penitential” trip to Canada asked for forgiveness “for the evil committed” against the natives, in particular in the boarding schools for native children run by the Catholic Church.

Wednesday in Quebec, the second leg of his visit, he again denounced the "policies of assimilation and uprooting" which had "destroyed many indigenous families", renewing his "ask for forgiveness" with "shame and pain" for the actions of "many Christians".

François is going to the Arctic this Friday for the last leg of his journey to meet the Inuit, who in turn are waiting for an apology for the residential schools but also for strong words on "sexual abuse".

Yang Kai, a member of a church destroyed by the Chinese authorities in Shanxi province, call Christians around the world to unite in prayer for the persecuted church in China.

He also calls for prayers for those who are currently imprisoned in the country, including seven leaders of his church, “that the Lord Jesus protect them from the suffering they are enduring”.

Still in China, we learned this week the destruction of an "underground" Catholic church by the authorities in Hebei province. The bishop of this parish had refused to comply with the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, an organization that allows the state to control churches.

China is ranked 17th in the 2022 Global Christian Persecution Index by the NGO Open Doors. The organization indicates that “the churches are increasingly monitored” and that the Beijing regime is doing everything possible to “create a Christianity compatible with Chinese communist ideology”.

Sydney McLaughlin, 22-year-old American, was crowned world champion in the 400m hurdles by beating her own record, in 50 sec 68, last Friday in Eugene, Oregon.

“I have to start by saying all the glory goes to God,” the athlete said following the win. On her Instagram account, the fervent believer also recalls that with the Lord "everything is possible"!

Camille Westphal Perrier