News

• 8 February 2010
  AMERICA/EL SALVADOR - “The situations of violence are extremely serious and threaten the collapse of society,” Archbishop of San Salvador affirms San Salvador (Agenzia Fides) – The Catholic Church in El Salvador has today proposed to seek help from other nations, especially the United States and Brazil, to combat violence in the country, which she sees as “ver ...
• 8 February 2010
  AMERICA/COSTA RICA - Laura Chinchilla: first woman elected President of Costa Rica San Jose (Agenzia Fides) – In Costa Rica, for the first time a woman was elected to lead the country. Laura Chinchilla Miranda, topping the polls, managed to climb the last step. In fact, from 2006 to 2008 she had been ...
• 8 February 2010
  EUROPE/IRELAND - National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies appointed Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – Cardinal Ivan Dias, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, on January 1, 2010, appointed Fr. Gary Howley of Saint Patrick's Missionary Society, National Director o ...
• 8 February 2010
  AFRICA/SOUTH AFRICA - Local Catholic Church running international program for AIDS patients Johannesburg (Agenzia Fides) - “This event honors the commitment and success of the Catholic Church in caring for the world’s largest population of people with HIV,” said CRS (Catholic Relief Services) South Africa ...
• 8 February 2010
  AFRICA/GUINEA - “Tensions caused by underdevelopment in the area at the root of clashes in N'Zerekore,” local source tells Fides Conakry (Agenzia Fides) – "A simple traffic accident that has caused an explosion of violence reveals a worsening of Guinean society and, in particular, of that area of the country," a source from the Church in Guinea ...
• 8 February 2010
  ASIA/MALAYSIA - Evangelical Church in Borneo presents case for using “Allah” in the Bible Kuala Lumpur (Agenzia Fides) – The saga over the use of the name “Allah” for Christians in Malaysia is still holding court in Malaysian society, note sources of Fides from the local Church. The Evangelical Church ...
• 8 February 2010
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - Shazia and violence against Christian women in Pakistan Lahore (Agenzia Fides) – The sad story of Shazia - a Christian girl who was raped, tortured, and killed by her employer, a wealthy Muslim lawyer in Lahore (see Fides 25/01/2010) – is "a reminder to the public and the ...
• 6 February 2010
  ASIA/TAIWAN - Legion of Mary celebrates 60 years in Taiwan Tai Pei (Agenzia Fides) - On February 21, 1950, in a small room in the parish of Hua Sha, the first community of the Legion of Mary was begun in Taiwan. Sixty years later, its over 2,300 members, present in 206 communiti ...
• 6 February 2010
  AMERICA/BRAZIL - “Intermirifica.net” - a missionary opportunity Porto Alegre (Agenzia Fides) – The Continental Meeting of Catholic communities called "Mutirão de Comunicação” from Latin America and the Caribbean (Muticom) which was opened on February 3, closes today in Porto A ...
• 6 February 2010
  AMERICA/HAITI - “At times I feel so helpless, but knowing that I have many people praying for me helps me to continue doing the little I can...” Testimony from a volunteer in Haiti. Port-au-Prince (Agenzia Fides) - “There are no words to describe the devastation of the earthquake on this city.  All over the city there are signs -- 'We need help - water, food, medication, tents.' 'Please help us N ...
• 6 February 2010
  AFRICA/MALAWI - Malawi President's election as President of African Union, inspires hopes and fears Lilongwe (Agenzia Fides) – On January 31, the 14th African Union Summit elected the Head of State of Malawi, Bingu wa Mutharika, President of the Union. In his acceptance speech for such a highly pursued office, Muthar ...
• 6 February 2010
  AFRICA/CONGO DR - Yet another military operation in east Congo causes concern among missionaries Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) – The launch of a new military offensive in North and South Kivu (eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo) against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda raises several questions ...
• 6 February 2010
  ASIA/INDIA - “White Book” on violence, to bring reconciliation and justice to Orissa: appeal from Archbishop of Bhubaneswar Bhubaneswar (Agenzia Fides) – The government should establish a "White Book" on the state of Orissa, to address and resolve "neutrality and transparency" issues of displaced people, land restitution, and the right to a ...
• 6 February 2010
  AMERICA/BRAZIL - Bishop Lara Barbosa on the “Clean Card Law”: “We are open to dialogue, but without changes in the law.” Brasilia (Agenzia Fides) – The Movement for the fight against electoral corruption (MCCE) in Brazil, led by the Catholic Church and several social activists, today resubmitted its request to Congress not to amend the b ...
• 5 February 2010
  ASIA/INDONESIA - Archbishop of Medan tells Fides there is interreligious dialogue and friendship in Sumatra Medan (Agenzia Fides) – There have been no interreligious tensions in northern Sumatra following the recent violence against two Protestant houses of worship. "These are rare events, occurring in specific circumstances ...