News

• 30 January 2009
  ASIA/TURKEY - Preparing for the 5th World Water Forum in Istanbul: As the world faces a water crisis, “we need to protect this essential good for humanity” Rome (Agenzia Fides) – The planet's water sources are drying up. There is an urgent need for intervention, in order to protect them and administer their resources. This is the focus of attention for the international c ...
• 29 January 2009
  VATICAN - The Holy Father's telegram to the new Patriarch of Moscow and of All Russia, Kirill Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – The Holy Father Benedict XVI sent the following telegram to the new Patriarch of Moscow and of All Russia, Kirill. “I have received with gladness the news of your election as patriarch ...
• 29 January 2009
  VATICAN - Pope encourages faithful to pray to the Lord and to Saint Paul, that “as Christians, we can be ever more characterized, in relation with the society in which we live, as members of the 'family of God'...and that the pastors of the Church have increasingly more paternal sentiments, both gentle and strong, in the formation of the house of God, of the community, of the Church.” Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – The final letters of Saint Paul, called the pastoral letters, two sent to Timothy, and one to Titus, his close collaborators, were the focus of the catechesis of the Holy Father Benedict ...
• 29 January 2009
  VATICAN - WORDS OF DOCTRINE: Rev Nicola Bux and Rev Salvatore Vitiello - Revocation of excommunication: an act of real ecumenism. Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - The Holy Father Benedict XVI expressed a wish in a Letter which accompanied the Motu proprio “Summorum Pontificum”, addressed to the Catholic bishops of the world, on 7 July 2007: “ I ...
• 29 January 2009
  ASIA/HONG KONG - Father Quirino De Ascaniis, PIME missionary for 75 years in Hong Kong, dies at the age of 100, known and loved for his dedication and complete openness to God's will. Hong Kong (Agenzia Fides) - “He served the Church and the mission in the Chinese world with all his life and strength, dedicating himself to the parish, pastoral ministry, etc. with a great simplicity.” This was how ...
• 29 January 2009
  EUROPE/ITALY - 200th anniversary of the birth of Cardinal Guglielmo Massaja, first Apostolic Vicar of the Galla people, who shed “new light on the Catholic missions in Africa” Rome (Agenzia Fides) – Cardinal Guglielmo Massaja is considered one of the greatest missionaries of the 19th century. He was the first to go and evangelize the tribal people of Galla (southern Ethiopia), to study the c ...
• 29 January 2009
  EUROPE/ITALY - January 31 - youth in 400 cities worldwide will spend 24 hours in prayer for peace in the Holy Land: celebrations in Rome, Jerusalem, Africa, Asia, America Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – On Saturday, January 31, youth from across all the continents will join in a non-stop 24 prayer campaign that will cross oceans and nations, involving Masses and Eucharistic Adoration in ...
• 29 January 2009
  AFRICA/ZIMBABWE - Internal conflict in the opposition party threatens plans to reach an agreement on sharing power; 7 million Zimbabweans at risk for hunger Harare (Agenzia Fides) – While pressures from civil organizations and the Catholic Church in the countries of southern Africa in relation to the Mugabe regime continue (see Fides 28/1/2009), the nation-members of the S ...
• 29 January 2009
  AMERICA/DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - National Youth Day on January 31: “The youth need missionaries that carry out their apostolate with normality, energy, and joy.” Santo Domingo (Agenzia Fides) – On January 31, the Dominican Republic will celebrate its National Youth Day, organized by the National Commission for Youth Ministry, presided by Msgr. Julio Cesar Corniel. There will be ...
• 29 January 2009
  EUROPE/SPAIN - Supreme Court decides that the right to conscientious objection does not exist in the case of Education for Citizenship; parents who object say “the Government cannot ignore over 52,000 objections” Madrid (Agenzia Fides) – The Supreme Court, after nearly 3 days of debate, has ruled that “the right to conscientious objection does not exist” in the case of the academic course “Education for Citizenship,” in ...
• 29 January 2009
  AFRICA/MADAGASCAR - “Mayor Rajoelina has managed to spark the anger that was already present among the people,” reveal sources from Radio Don Bosco, the country's main Catholic radio station Antananarivo (Agenzia Fides) – High tension continues in Madagascar, although there are no signs of further incidents. The assessment from recent days continues raising its numbers (a total of 80 people have died natio ...
• 28 January 2009
  ASIA/THAILAND - The drama of the Rohingya “boat people” from Burma Bangkok (Agenzia Fides) – The debate continues over the humanitarian conditions of the Burman refugees of Rohingya ethnic origins. They are an ethnic minority and followers of the Muslim religion, who suffer persecutio ...
• 28 January 2009
  ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - Message for the Day of Consecrated Life: special attention to the youth Seoul (Agenzia Fides) – The consecrated life is a call to “live more radically following Jesus Christ, through prayer, action, service to others, and evangelization.” This is the Message for the Day of Consecrated ...
• 28 January 2009
  ASIA/CHINA - Missionary spirit of St. Paul was the theme of the Third Theological Seminar on the Year of St. Paul in the Diocese of Nan Chong Nan Chong (Agenzia Fides) – The Third Theological Seminar of the Year of St. Paul, organized by the Diocese of Nan Chong took place in the district of Da Zhou in recent days, on the theme: “The Missionary Spirit of S ...
• 28 January 2009
  VATICAN - Pontifical Academy for Life: International Congress "The New Frontiers of Genetics and the Risk of Eugenics" Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - On the occasion of the 15th General Assembly of its Members, the Pontifical Academy for Life will hold an International Congress on 20-21 February 2009, entitled: "The New Frontiers of Gene ...