News

• 25 June 2009
  ASIA/CHINA - With deep devotion Zhou Zhi diocese and the Chinese communities everywhere celebrate Feast of St John the Baptist; on the same day Fr. John Baptist Zhang Yong Shan, “exemplary worker in the Lord's vineyard ” died at the age of 93. Zhou Zhi (Agenzia Fides) – Prayers for all priests in this Year of the Priesthood called by the Holy Father Benedict XVI, prayers for all who bear the name of John Baptist, prayers for all the faithful that “followin ...
• 25 June 2009
  AMERICA/HAITI - Campaign to support Haiti, the poorest country in Latin America Port au Prince (Agenzia Fides) – The Work of pontifical right Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has launched a campaign to support the people of Haiti, which suffers the drama of infantile under nourishment and extreme p ...
• 25 June 2009
  AFRICA/MADAGASCAR - On the eve of Independence Day gendarmes arrest suspected authors of dynamite attacks Antananarivo (Agenzia Fides)- On the eve of Madagascar's Independence Day, tomorrow 26 June, the gendarmes have arrested a group of persons, at least 8 according to some sources, suspected of belonging to a network of at ...
• 25 June 2009
  AFRICA - Falling demand for traditional drugs, but rising consumption of synthetic drugs in developing countries, according to a UN Report on drugs in the world Vienna (Agenzia Fides)- “ As long as demand for drugs persists, weak countries will always be targeted by traffickers. If Europe really wants to help Africa, it should curb its appetite for cocaine”, said Antonio Mar ...
• 25 June 2009
  EUROPE/ITALY - Sisters of the Sacred Heart and the Community of S. Egidio, help former child-soldiers in Uganda and Sudan rediscover their dignity and to reinsert themselves into society Roma (Agenzia Fides) – “For 21 years the rebels of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) have been spreading violence, sacking, terror among the people, using children a preys of war ”: with these words Sr Rosemary Ny ...
• 25 June 2009
  EUROPE/MOLDAVIA - MISSION AND EMIGRATION - “The suitcase tied with string”: “They made me dream, they lied to me. Clients kept on coming and going. I want to tell girls: don't go abroad. Fairy tales! Realty is terrible” Chisinau (Agenzia Fides) - Testimony from a Moldavian girl, victim of human trafficking. Deceived by many promises and forced to prostitute herself in various countries of Europe, she represents many, many young girls, s ...
• 25 June 2009
  VATICAN - WORDS OF DOCTRINE: Rev Nicola Bux and Rev Salvatore Vitiello - Year of the Priesthood: identity and mission Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - On 19 June, solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Holy Father Benedict XVI inaugurated, with Vespers in St Peter's Basilica, the Year of the Priesthood. A whole year dedicated to pri ...
• 25 June 2009
  VATICAN - Catechesis of Benedict XVI: Saint Paul and the saintly Cure of Ars “differ considerable in the path of life which characterised them, however they have something fundamental in common: total identification with the ministry, their communion with Christ ” Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – “Why a Year of the Priesthood? Why commemorate the saintly Cure of Ars who apparently did nothing extraordinary?” These two questions were posed by the Holy Father Benedict XVI at the ...
• 24 June 2009
  AFRICA/SUDAN - Concerned for the situation in Southern Sudan, the international community meets in Washington to save the 2005 peace agreement Khartoum (Agenzia Fides)- Representatives of 32 different countries and international organisations met yesterday, 23 June in Washington to save the Southern Sudan peace agreement. The signing of the Comprehensive Peace ...
• 24 June 2009
  AFRICA/MALAWI - Backed by an unprecedented majority in parliament, Head of State prepares settles down to govern for another five years; Fides asks the opinion of a missionary Lilongwe (Agenzia Fides)- One month has passed since political and presidential elections in Malawi gave a second mandate to outgoing President Bingu wa Mutharika (see Fides 22/5/2009). Italian Monfort missionary, Fr Pie ...
• 24 June 2009
  AMERICA/COLOMBIA - In the Year of the Priesthood “Adopt a priest ” Prayer Campaign, to obtain for priests the spiritual strength necessary for the mission Medellin (Agenzia Fides) - The “Bonds of Marian Love” Movement based in Medellin (Colombia), has launched a prayer campaign “Adopt a Priest” as part of the Year of the Priesthood opened on 19 June. The aim of the campaign is to pray for one priest “as a commitment for this Year of the Priestho ...
• 24 June 2009
  ASIA/VIETNAM - Chronicle of the history of the Catholic Church in Vietnam Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - On the occasion of the Ad Limina Apostolorum Visit of the Bishops of Vietnam, 22 June, Fides publishes information on the life of the local Catholic Church, other religions present, the economy and society. Chronicle of the history of the Catholic Church in Vietnam: Catholicism was introduced in Vietnam in the 16th century by Portuguese, Spanish and French missionaries: 1533: A European called Inekhu (Ignatius?) arrives ...
• 24 June 2009
  ASIA/CHINA - Prayers for the sanctification of priests and ordination of 5 deacons open the Year of the Priesthood in the diocese Shang Hai; initiatives in many other mainland dioceses Shang Hai (Agenzia Fides) – “Pray for the sanctification of the 408,000 Catholic priests in the world, pray for these 5 deacons, future priests, that they may have the holiness which the name of apostle of Jesus dese ...
• 24 June 2009
  ASIA/CAMBODIA - The Year of the Priesthood opens at Saint Jean Marie Vianney major seminary in Phnom Penh in the presence of the Saint relics; intense programme of activities Phnom Penh (Agenzia Fides) – Friday 19 June, the Year of the Priesthood was solemnly opened at Saint Jean Marie Vianney major seminary in Phnom Penh, in the presence of the Vicar apostolic of Phnom Penh, Bishop Emile D ...
• 24 June 2009
  EUROPE/ITALY - Darfur and southern Sudan: Caritas Internationalis forum on the dramatic crisis Rome (Agenzia Fides) – Figures in Darfur and southern Sudan are dramatic: decades of civil war, nine out of ten people living on less than a dollar a day, 300,000 people killed, 2.7 uprooted from their homes, 290.000 m ...