News

• 12 December 2008
  AMERICA/VENEZUELA - Continental Mission launched in Caracas “to strengthen the faith and Christian life of our people, through a new evangelization effort.” Caracas (Agenzia Fides) – The Archdiocese of Caracas is making intense preparations for the realization of the Continental Mission, which is “a program of intense pastoral activity to strengthen the faith and Christi ...
• 12 December 2008
  AFRICA/ZIMBABWE - Cardinal Maradiaga, President of Caritas Internationalis, expresses his concern for the whereabouts of human rights activists kidnapped in Zimbabwe Harare (Agenzia Fides) - “News of the abduction of Jestina Mukoko is disturbing. She is a respected human rights defender and valued partner of Caritas. Ms Mukoko and all other human rights defenders that have been abd ...
• 12 December 2008
  ASIA/CHINA - Three-year anniversary of the Ecclesial Base Community of the parish of Yong Nian, in the Diocese of Shang Hai Shang Hai (Agenzia Fides) – On December 6, the Parish of Yong Nian, in the Diocese of Shang Hai, celebrated the third anniversary of the Ecclesial Base Community, in the time in which we wait in expectance for the Lord ...
• 12 December 2008
  VATICAN - The Instruction “Dignitas personae”: a great “yes” to human life Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - “Dignitas personae,” the Instruction published today by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on several bioethical questions - updating information contained in “Donum Vitae ...
• 12 December 2008
  AFRICA/MALAWI - “The increase in grain prices is hurting families,” a missionary from Malawi says Lilongwe (Agenzia Fides) – The startled citizens are asking themselves, “Will famine return?” says Fr. Piergiorgio Gamba, a Monfortian missionary who has been working in Malawi for decades, in a brief update sent t ...
• 11 December 2008
  VATICAN - Benedict XVI, at the close of the Concert for the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “The rights of man are, therefore, ultimately founded in God the Creator, who has given each one the intelligence and freedom. If one ignores this solid ethical base, human rights remain fragile because deprived of a solid foundation.” Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – The Universal Declaration of Human Rights “still today constitutes a very high point of reference in the intercultural dialogue on liberty and the rights of man. The dignity of every ma ...
• 11 December 2008
  VATICAN - Pope at the General Audience speaks of Saint Paul's teachings on the sacraments: “through the Word and the Sacraments, the Lord is near in every aspect of our life” Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – In beginning the catechesis held during the General Audience on December 10, the Holy Father Benedict XVI repeated what he had spoke of the week before, on the beginnings of human history ...
• 11 December 2008
  VATICAN - “Human rights are always in need of being defended. They are in need of fidelity on our part, because they can be lost from view, reinterpreted in a restrictive way or actually denied.” Cardinal Bertone's address at the Commemorative Act for the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – In the Paul VI Hall in the Vatican, a solemn act was organized by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace on December 10, in honor of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaratio ...
• 11 December 2008
  EUROPE/POLAND - Day of Prayer for the Missions; Christmas Campaign for children in Papua New Guinea Czestochowa (Agenzia Fides) – Since 1900, Jasna Gora (Czestochowa) has celebrated a Day of Prayer for the Missions on a date near the feast on Saint Francis Xavier, Patron of the Missions. Agenzia Fides learned of this ...
• 11 December 2008
  AMERICA/GUATEMALA - Celebrating an authentically Christian Christmas, in simplicity and peace, centered in Christ: exhortation from Cardinal Quezada Toruño, Archbishop of Guatemala City Guatemala City (Agenzia Fides) – Cardinal Rodolfo Quezada Toruño, Archbishop of Guatemala City, has issued a Pastoral Exhortation for Advent and Christmas, in order to offer several reflections that can help the faith ...
• 11 December 2008
  AMERICA/PARAGUAY - Great Continental Mission officially launched to “strengthen the missionary dimension of the Church and the decision to journey together towards conversion, to become missionary disciples of Christ.” Asuncion (Agenzia Fides) - “The Church in Paraguay, as in all Latin America and the Caribbean, wishes to place itself in 'permanent state of mission.' It is an effort to strengthen the missionary dimension of the Churc ...
• 11 December 2008
  VATICAN - WORDS OF DOCTRINE: Rev. Nicola Bux and Rev. Salvatore Vitiello - Anyone who does not know God is without hope Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - In these times of the “politically correct”, the statement: “anyone who does not know God…is ultimately without hope”, might sound strange, especially to the ears of those most ac ...
• 11 December 2008
  ASIA/HONG KONG - Over 300 youth participate in the Encounter promoted by the Salesian Youth Pastoral Ministry make the commitment to observe Christian teachings on chastity and spousal fidelity Hong Kong (Agenzia Fides) - “A beautiful life, a life of happiness,” was the theme for the Prayer Encounter organized by the Salesian Community for Youth Pastoral Ministy in Hong Kong, on November 30, in an effort to ...
• 11 December 2008
  AFRICA/ZIMBABWE - “We have overcome the cholera,” President Mugabe says, while South Africa declares a health emergency in the area bordering Zimbabwe Harare (Agenzia Fides) – While Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe announces that the cholera epidemic has been “stopped,” South Africa is declaring a health emergency in the area of the country that borders Zimbabw ...
• 10 December 2008
  VATICAN - Message of the Holy Father Benedict XVI: “Intercultural and interreligious dialogue emerges as a priority for the European Union...Once diversity is received as a positive fact, it is necessary to make persons accept not only the existence of the other's culture, but also the desire to be enriched with it.” Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – On the occasion of the Study Day dedicated to the theme “Cultures and Religions in Dialogue,” (during the year dedicated to intercultural dialogue promoted by the European Union) that ...