News

• 28 January 2009
  AFRICA/ZIMBABWE - Catholics in Botswana, South Africa, and Swaziland taking action in support of the people of Zimbabwe: February 15 declared day of prayer and solidarity Harare (Agenzia Fides) - The Catholic Bishops of Botswana, South Africa and Swaziland (members of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference, SACBC) have asked the Catholic community in their countries to contribut ...
• 28 January 2009
  EUROPE/SPAIN - Spanish Bishops declare 2009 the “Year of Prayer for Life” beginning February 2 Madrid (Agenzia Fides) – Upon the proposal made by the Bishops' Subcommittee for the Family and Defense of Life, Chaired by Bishop Juan Antonio Reig Pla of Cartagena, and upon the approval of the Executive Committee of ...
• 28 January 2009
  AMERICA/PUERTO RICO - “Episcopal Leadership in Today's World, in the Spirit of Aparecida,” a course for Bishops in Latin America, begins San Juan (Agenzia Fides) – From January 20-31, the University of the Sacred Heart in San Juan and the Saint Vincent Ferrer Preaching House in Bayamon are hosting a course entitled: “Episcopal Leadership in Today's Wo ...
• 28 January 2009
  ASIA/TAIWAN - Message for Chinese New Year from the President of the Regional Bishops' Conference of Taiwan: “remain joyful, remember charity, blessed are the poor” Tai Pei (Agenzia Fides) - “Do not forget your Christian identity.” This is what Archbishop John Hung, SVD of Tai Pei, President of the Regional Bishops' Conference of Taiwan, has told his faithful in his message for ...
• 28 January 2009
  AFRICA/MADAGASCAR - Assessment of yesterday's fighting reveals at least 40 are dead, while diplomatic efforts continue Antananarivo (Agenzia Fides) – The international community continues its efforts to resolve the serious political crisis in Madagascar (see Fides 27/1/2009). According to local Church sources in contact with Agenzia Fi ...
• 28 January 2009
  EUROPE/ITALIA - “In the end, death awaited us all”: a book from Wanda Poltawska, one of the only living survivors of the Nazi medical experiments, presented on January 27 Rome (Agenzia Fides) – On January 27, 1945, Soviet troops entered the city of Auschwitz, coming upon the concentration camp; they knocked down the walls and freed the survivors that were left, nearly 7,000. That day wo ...
• 27 January 2009
  VATICAN - Program for the Holy Father Benedict XVI's first apostolic trip to Africa: Cameroon and Angola (March 17 - 23) Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – The Holy See Press Office has released the program for the Apostolic Journey of the the Holy Father Benedict XVI to Cameroon and Angola (March 17-23, 2009). The Pope will depart from Rome ...
• 27 January 2009
  VATICAN - Pope entrusts the youth with the task of evangelizing the “digital continent” in his Message for the 43rd World Communications Day Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - “The new digital technologies are, indeed, bringing about fundamental shifts in patterns of communication and human relationships. These changes are particularly evident among those young ...
• 27 January 2009
  AMERICA - Second meeting of CELAM's Support Team for Life Issues: publication on biological rights, bioethics course for Latin American Bishops, Statute for bioethics committees among proposals Mexico City (Agenzia Fides) – In the spirit of the 6th World Meeting of Families in Mexico, CELAM's Support Team for Life Issues has held their second meeting, January 19-21, 2009. The meeting was organized by Bishop A ...
• 27 January 2009
  AMERICA/PERU - Triduum of Prayer in all parishes for Cardinal Cipriani on his 10th anniversary of the beginning of his pastoral ministry as 32nd Archbishop of Lima Lima (Agenzia Fides) – The Archdiocese of Lima has come together to pray on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the beginning of the pastoral ministry of Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne in the Archdiocese. As pr ...
• 27 January 2009
  AMERICA/VENEZUELA - Priestly Council of the Archdiocese of Caracas comes out in support of Cardinal Urosa and the country's Nuncio Caracas (Agenzia Fides) – The Priestly Council of the Archdiocese of Caracas has issued a statement entitled “Blessed are the peacemakers,” expressing their solidarity and communion with their Archbishop, Cardinal ...
• 27 January 2009
  VATICAN - Benedict XVI reminds Bishops of the Chaldean Church, in their Ad Limina visit, of their fundamental role “in the establishment of a new society in which each person can live in harmony and mutual respect” Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – The Holy Father Benedict XVI opened his address to the Bishops of the Chaldean Church, whom he received in audience on January 24 upon their “Ad limina Apostolorum” visit, with the mo ...
• 27 January 2009
  OCEANIA/AUSTRALIA - “Young Christian Workers” on the rise: yet another fruit of WYD Sydney (Agenzia Fides) – The ecclesial movement “Young Christian Workers” is showing a rapid increase in the number of registered participants in Australia. This is yet another one of the fruits of the World Youth ...
• 27 January 2009
  AFRICA/NIGERIA - A Catholic priest kidnapped in the Niger Delta area; Church expresses disapproval Abuja (Agenzia Fides) – A Catholic priest, Fr. Pius Vii, was kidnapped by gunmen in Port Harcourt, in Rivers State (southern Nigeria). According to the local press, it seems that Fr. Pius was kidmapped shortly after ha ...
• 27 January 2009
  AFRICA/MADAGASCAR - “We're trying to avoid the worst,” one local Church source from Antananarivo tells Fides, after yesterday's chaos Antananarivo (Agenzia Fides) - “The situation is extremely tense, but we are still hopeful of finding a peaceful solution to the crisis,” Agenzia Fides was told by local Church sources in Antananarivo, the capital of ...