News

• 8 March 2006
  AFRICA/BURUNDI - President Nkurunziza denounces a plot to destabilise the country’s institutions Bujumbura (Fides Service)- “More than alarm the President’s words gave rise to perplexity in public opinion and the international community” say local Church sources after President Pierre Nkurunziza denounced the ...
• 8 March 2006
  AFRICA - Women can play an active part in running refugee camps, improving conditions and solving problems Rome (Fides Service)- Women refugees can be community leaders and offer fundamental help to solve specific community problems the Jesuit Refugees Service said in a statement issued today 8 March, UN International Day for ...
• 8 March 2006
  ASIA/INDIA - Authorities call for social peace and calm after bomb blasts in Varanasi; police all over the country on the alert New Delhi (Fides Service) - The Catholic Church in India has voiced deep sadness and firm disapproval after the attack on India’s most famous Hindu shrine in Varanasi in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. “The ...
• 7 March 2006
  EUROPE/SPAIN - "Let us put aside the fear and false modesty which many times paralyse us, let us put aside commodities which often make us act against our conscience, let us take a step forward like Francis of Xavier”: says Archbishop of Pamplona at first ‘Javierada’ for the 5th centenary of the birth of St Francis Xavier Pamplona (Fides Service) - Over 10,000 people braved icy temperatures last Sunday 5 March to make the first of the traditional 'Javierada' pilgrimages in the framework of celebrations for the 5th centenary of the birth o ...
• 7 March 2006
  ASIA/THAILAND - Meeting for Italian Fidei Donum priests on mission in Asia and Oceania: towards the 50th anniversary of the Fidei Donum Encyclical Chiang-Mai (Fides Service) - A Meeting for Italian Fidei Donum priests on mission in Asia and Oceania started yesterday 6 March in Chiang-Mai, Thailand. The meeting is part of initiatives to celebrate the 50th anniversar ...
• 7 March 2006
  AMERICA/URUGUAY - A call to all Catholics: may Lent be a time for increasing awareness and participation in view of 5th General Conference of the Council of Latin American Bishops’ Conferences in May 2007 Minas (Fides Service) - Bishop Francisco D. Barbosa of Minas, national co-ordinator for unified Lenten Pastoral 2006, has called on Uruguayan Catholics to work to increase awareness and involvement in view of the 5th CEL ...
• 7 March 2006
  ASIA/TAIWAN - Catholics mourn passing of Spanish Jesuit missionary Fr Fernando Zallo who devoted his life to mission in Taiwan and other parts of Asia Taipei (Fides Service) - “As we are gathered here for the funeral of Fr. Zallo we wish first of all to thank God for this missionary who dedicated his whole life to mission. He introduced us to Christ he distributed hi ...
• 7 March 2006
  ASIA/CHINA - Death of Bishop Joseph Sun Yuanmo of the diocese of Linfen: “He always encouraged us to pray, particularly in front of the Blessed Sacrament” Beijing (Fides Service) - Chinese Catholic Bishop Joseph Sun Yuanmo of the diocese of Linfen in the Shanxi province of mainland China, died on 23 February after a long illness. Joseph Sun Yuanmo was born on 7 November ...
• 7 March 2006
  OCEANIA/AUSTRALIA - Women and young people for peace, pastoral care for Aborigines, Lenten Message also MP3: upcoming initiatives of the Church in Australia Sydney (Fides Service) - Lent 2006 will be a period of intense missionary vivacity and initiatives in Australia. According to Australia’s Catholic monthly “Mission & Spirituality News”, tomorrow 8 March in Melbourn ...
• 7 March 2006
  AMERICA/PERU - Meeting for Forest Youth Pastoral in Requena Apostolic Vicariate Requena (Fides Service) - From 8 to 12 March young people of the Apostolic Vicariate of Requena will gather in Yurimaguas for the 11th Meeting for Forest Youth Pastoral promoted by the Peruvian Bishops’ Commission for ...
• 7 March 2006
  AMERICA/UNITED STATES - “Only a union between a man and a woman fulfils God’s plan both for sexuality and for marriage itself”: Catholic Bishops of Arizona issue statement on the importance of marriage Arizona (Fides Service) - “Why is marriage important for the Catholic Church?” is the question-title of a Pastoral Statement dated March 1 issued by the Catholic Bishops of Arizona in the United States. In a joint st ...
• 7 March 2006
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - New inter-confessional Bible in Tagalog: the Word of God for remote communities with little schooling Manila (Fides Service) - A warm welcome has been given to new inter-confessional Bible in Tagalog, the official national language of the Republic of the Philippines where English is also used in public administration. T ...
• 7 March 2006
  ASIA/THAILAND - Tensions and protests in electoral campaign in view of 2 April vote; local Catholic Church calls for calm Bangkok (Agenzia Fides) - Street protests in Thailand continue: for four weeks in a row thousands of demonstrators in the streets of Bangkok have been calling for Premier Thaksin Shinawatra to resign. It is feared that t ...
• 7 March 2006
  AFRICA/ANGOLA - Sixty days before drought in southern Angola becomes an emergency. “After that we will be faced with a much more serious and life threatening situation” says government minister Luanda (Agenzia Fides)- “The situation in the three provinces at present is concerning. It is not yet an emergency but it requires immediate attention on the part of the central government” the Angolan minister for L ...
• 7 March 2006
  AFRICA/NIGERIA - “Let us never tire of conquering evil with goodness, sowing love wherever there is hatred, and overcoming discord with peace” Catholic Bishops’ statement on recent riots Lagos (Fides Service)- “It seems to us that the Nigerian state has once again failed to secure the lives and properties of innocent citizens against the criminally minded in the society,” the Catholic Bishops of Nige ...