News

• 21 July 2005
  ASIA/IRAQ - “A clear sign of civilisation” says Iraqi priest Fr Nizar Semaan commenting the nation’s 3 minutes silence to commemorate victims of terrorism Baghdad (Fides Service)- “A clear sign of civilisation” said Iraqi Catholic priest Fr Nizar Semaan in Mosul with regard to yesterday’s 3 minutes silence held all over the country to commemorate the victims of terro ...
• 21 July 2005
  EUROPE/SPAIN - “They seem to want to impose the principle that any personal life style may be made a public institution” Benigno Blanco told Fides after Canada approves same sex “marriage” Madrid (Fides Service) - “What is happening in many parts of the world is a syndrome of our day as absolute relativism establishes its reign in more and more consciences in the West and people no longer know the truth ...
• 21 July 2005
  AFRICA/KENYA - Clashes over draft Constitution : “This is the start of the fight for 2007 elections” Nairobi (Fides Service)- “The unrest over the past few days are connected with the electoral campaign for 2007 which has already opened” said local sources with regard to clashes between police and demonstrators in N ...
• 21 July 2005
  ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - “We must offer hope to the world and promote a culture of life”: Bishops issue pastoral letter on bio-ethics and stem cell research Seoul (Fides Service) - “The embryo is life. We have all been embryos. We have no right to meddle with human life” Bishop Francis Xavier Ahn Myong-ok, president of the Korean Bishops’ Commission for the Doctrine of ...
• 21 July 2005
  ASIA/CHINA - The Sisters of the Immacolate Heart of Mary continue to welcome new vocations: three sisters make perpetual vows, eight others take temporary vows Lin Fen (Fides Service) - The Congregation of Sisters of the Immacolate Heart of Mary in Li nFen diocese, Shan Xi province of mainland China continues to welcome new vocations. Recently on the same day that three new Sis ...
• 21 July 2005
  OCEANIA/AUSTRALIA - Muslim-Christian dialogue in Australia: prejudice and sterotypes must be put aside says Auxiliary Bishop of Melbourne Melbourne (Agenzia Fides) - Following the terrorist attacks in London, Bishop Christopher Prowse Auxiliary of Melbourne stressed the need to build good relations and bonds of friendship between Christian and Muslim commu ...
• 21 July 2005
  AMERICA/CANADA - Canada is the fourth country to legaliste same sex “mmarriage” but the country’s Catholic Bishops say the question is not closed: “the fundamental and universal reality of marriage remains the exclusive union of a man and a woman for life” Ottawa (Fides Service) - On 20 July the Canadian Senate approved Bill C-38 to redefine marriage, recognising same-sex unions as marriages with 47 votes in favour, 21 against and 3 abstensions. Canada is the fourth countr ...
• 21 July 2005
  AFRICA/MALAWI - Save the Children promotes programmes for health and education involving two million people Rome (Fides Service) - Save the Children organisation has launched programmes in Malawi to improve healthcare and education mainly by involvement of local communities. Save the Children has operated in Malawi since 1983 ...
• 20 July 2005
  ASIA/INDIA - New Rector appointed for Khristo Jyoti Mohavidyaloyo inter-diocesan seminary at Sambalpur Vatican City (Fides Service) - Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples on 17 June 2005 appointed Rector of Khristo Jyoti Mohavidyaloyo inter-diocesan seminary in Sambalpur ...
• 20 July 2005
  ASIA/SRI LANKA - Catholic church in diocese of Anuradhapura sacked and torched - Buddhist fundamentalist extremists cause rising tension and concern Colombo (Fides Service) - A Catholic church in the diocese of Anuradhapura centre north Sri Lanka has been sacked and set on fire by a group of masked extremists. Fides only just received the news of the incident which h ...
• 20 July 2005
  EUROPA/SPAIN - Spain will send about 50,000 young people and 47 Bishops to World Youth Day celebrations in Germany: from 15 August see WYD pilgrim’s diary on Spanish Bishops’ Conference official web site Madrid (Fides Service) - The Commission for Lay Apostolate of the Spanish Bishops Conference estimates that about 50,000 young people will travel from Spain to Cologne in Germany to take part in the 20th World Youth day ...
• 20 July 2005
  AFRICA/ANGOLA - An outbreak of Marburg virus in which over over 300 people died appears to be slowing down Rome (Fides Service) - From Africa, continually afflicted by lethal pandemics, comes good news at last. The recent outbreak of Marburg virus in which over 300 people have died may be slowing down. The United Nations W ...
• 20 July 2005
  AFRICA/MOZAMBIQUE - Presentation in Mozambique of two new programmes to fight AIDS Rome (Fides Service) - On Sunday 17 July in Mozambique, on the first lap of a visit to six African countries by former US president Bill Clinton to promote the fight against the most devastating epidemic on the continent ...
• 20 July 2005
  VATICAN - Released today official programme of Pope Benedict XVI’s apostolic journey to Germany for the 20th World Youth Day Vatican City (Fides Service) - The programme of Pope Benedict XVI’s four day apostolic journey 18 to 21 August, to Cologne in Germany for the 20th World Youth Day was released today at the Holy See press office. The Po ...
• 20 July 2005
  AFRICA/KENYA - Thousands attend funeral of assassinated Italian missionary Bishop. “There is no need to preach because the life of Bishop Locati speaks for itself ” says apostolic administrator at the funeral homily Nairobi (Fides Service)- “There is no need to preach because the life of Bishop Locati speaks for itself” said Mgr John Ngue, Amministratore Apostolic administrator of Isiolo (north-east Kenya) in his homily during t ...