News

• 6 April 2006
  AFRICA/DR CONGO - Provisional list of presidency candidates: 32 out of 73 candidatures accepted as valid Kinshasa (Fides Service) - A provisional list has been announced of candidates in presidential elections in Democratic Congo in June: 73 people presented their candidature and the Independent Electoral Commission accepte ...
• 6 April 2006
  ASIA/EAST TIMOR - New Catholic orphanage in Baucau diocese: local Church also engaged in social field to alleviate poverty Baucau (Fides Service) - A new Catholic Orphanage was recently inaugurated in the diocese of Baucau in East Timor: the Home, opened by the local Church and the Salesians, can take 60 children. The orphanage named after S ...
• 6 April 2006
  ASIA/INDIA Defending human rights and freedom of conscience: India’s Christians stage 7 April Delhi peaceful protest demonstration New Delhi (Fides Service) - To call for respect for human rights, religious freedom in particular, and government protection for the life and activity of the different religious communities in India in keeping with the ...
• 6 April 2006
  ASIA/CHINA - On the national day for commemorating the dead, 5 April, Catholics pray for their loved ones in a Christian spirit Beijing (Fides Service) - Chinese Catholics live Qing Ming the national Day for the Commemoration of the Dead in April 5 in the spirit of the Christian faith. According to a local church source in Beijing Qing Ming is an ...
• 6 April 2006
  OCEANIA/AUSTRALIA - St Francis Xavier Jubilee: Australian Jesuits promote initiatives to mark 500th anniversary of the birth of the great missionary of Asia Canberra (Fides Service) - April 7th 2006 is the 500th anniversary of the birth of St Francis of Xavier whom Australian Jesuits adopted as their special “patron”. In Australia as in many other parts of the world ini ...
• 6 April 2006
  EUROPE/ITALY - “Working together for Health”: the world population grows but the number of health workers is insufficient. World Health Day focus, medical “labour force” crisis Rome (Fides Service) - “Working together for health” is the slogan of initiatives planned for World Health Day 7 April by the UN World Health Organisation WHO. There are about 53 million health workers in the world ...
• 6 April 2006
  AFRICA/SUDAN - After 20 years of exile first 500 refugees return to Southern Sudan from Ethiopia Khartoum (Fides Service) - About 500 Sudanese refugees have returned home as part of repatriation operations from Ethiopia to Blue Nile State in Southern Sudan promoted by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees ...
• 6 April 2006
  EUROPE/SPAIN - “People are still attracted by the figure of St Francis Xavier because of the lucidity of his criteria and values, the generosity and joy of his dedication, the conviction and enthusiasm with which he preached Jesus Christ”: interview with Rector of Javier Shrine Navarra (Fides Service) - Friday 7 April is the 500th anniversary of the birth of St Francis Xavier (1506-1549), the patron saint of missions. Central events will be celebrated in Navarra, Spain. According to the recto ...
• 5 April 2006
  AFRICA/GHANA - New National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies Vatican City (Fides Service) - Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples on 3 March 2006 appointed National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Ghana for a five ye ...
• 5 April 2006
  AMERICA/MEXICO - Assessing preparations for CAM 3, COMLA 5 and study of new PMS statutes focus of Meeting for PMS National Directors of America Mexico City (Fides Service) - From 21 to 24 March the 2nd meeting for National Directors of the Pontifical Mission Societies in America was held in Mexico City. The participants were 31 delegates from the PMS national ...
• 5 April 2006
  AMERICA/PERU - Pontifical Mission Societies organise “Easter with Young People”: an alternative way of living Holy Week and growing in personal mission responsibility awareness Lima (Fides) - As part of on-going efforts to spread a spirit of mission among young people the Pontifical Mission Societies in Peru through its missionary youth movement ‘Jóvenes sin Fronteras’, has organised the 2 ...
• 5 April 2006
  ASIA/HONG KONG - On the basis of Deus Caritas est Encyclical Catholic community leaders in Hong Kong discuss Church/society relation Hong Kong (Fides Service) - The secretary of the Justice and Peace Commission said a Seminar on the encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI ‘Deus Caritas est’ was promoted to discuss relations between the Church and society ...
• 5 April 2006
  VATICAN - Thursday afternoon first meeting of Benedict XVI with young people of his diocese of Rome in preparation for 21st World Youth Day on Palm Sunday Vatican City (Fides Service) - Continuing the tradition started by John Paul II on Thursday 6 April in St Peter’s Square Pope Benedict XVI will meet young people of his diocese of Rome as part of preparations for the 2 ...
• 5 April 2006
  EUROPE/SPAIN - “The steel thread of religion may appear fragile but it is still a strong bond of solidarity and unity”: impressions of Fr Justo Lacunza-Balda at 2nd international meeting of Rabbis and Imams held in Seville Seville (Fides Service) - The 2nd International Meeting of Imams and Rabbis for Peace was held from 19 to 22 March in Seville (see Fides 16/3/2006). The meeting, organised by the Hommes du Parole Foundation, had as its m ...
• 5 April 2006
  AFRICA/CÔTE D' IVOIRE - “Rebuilding trust among Ivorians to restore peace in the country”: a priority in the present situation for the Archbishop of Gagnoa Rome (Fides Service)- “Prospects for evangelisation in Côte d'Ivoire are good as we can see from many signs of vitality in the local Church” says Archbishop Jean-Pierre Kutwa of Gagnoa, Côte d'Ivoire presently in R ...