News

• 4 April 2005
  OCEANIA/PAPUA NEW GUINEA - Papuan Catholics mourn and pray for the Pope, with warm memories his visit in 1995 - many will be in Rome for the funeral Port Moresby (Fides Service) - Catholics in the rain forests of Papua New Guinea are mourning John Paul II and praying that he may be “welcomed in heaven”, Divine Word missionary Father Nicholas De Groot told Fides. ...
• 4 April 2005
  OCEANIA/AUSTRALIA - “One of the greatest Popes in the history of the Church": Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference Canberra (Fides Service) - In Australia over the past week Catholics have been flocking to church to pray for the Pope John Paul II. The Catholic Bishops issued a statement in which they express their grief but also thei ...
• 3 April 2005
  VATICAN - Message from the Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe on behalf of the Congregation, the Pontifical Mission Societies all over the world, missionaries involved in spreading the Gospel. Vatican City (Fides Service) - The whole Catholic flock mourns its Shepherd, Pope John Paul II. The entire missionary Church, starting with the Congregation’s staff in Rome, the local Bishops around the world, clergy, ...
• 3 April 2005
  ASIA/LEBANON - “A great Pope who kept a special place in his heart for Lebanon” Cardinal Pierre Nasrallah Sfeir, Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites Beirut (Fides Service)- “A great Pope who always kept a special place in his heart for Lebanon” was how Pope John Paul II was described by Cardinal Pierre Nasrallah Sfeir, Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites speaki ...
• 3 April 2005
  AFRICA/MADAGASCAR - A photograph of John Paul II hugging two little Malagasy children in his arms will remain forever in the hearts of the people of Madagascar Antananarivo (Fides Service)- “Malagasy Catholics are stricken with grief for the death of John Paul II. People are flocking to churches to pray for him” said Reverend Luca Treglia, who works with Radio Don Bosco in ...
• 3 April 2005
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - The Pope is mourned in Congo particularly at the shrine of Isiro-Niangara the burial place of the country’s first martyr beatified by John Paul II twenty years ago Isiro-Niangara (Fides Service)- “On behalf of the people of Isiro-Niangara diocese in north east Democratic Congo, the people of Congo in general and those in the town Isiro where there is the Bishop’s Residence, I ...
• 3 April 2005
  ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - Grief and gratitude fill the hearts of Catholics in Korea as Bishops prepare to send a delegation to Rome Seoul (Fides Service) - “We are filled with grief for his death but at the same time we are profoundly grateful for his life” Bishop Andreas Choi Chang mou, secretary of the Korean Catholic Bishops’ Conference told ...
• 3 April 2005
  ASIA/INDIA - “The whole nation is showing sympathy with the Catholic community, this Pope was everyone’s Pope” said Fr Donald De Souza, vice secretary of the Bishops’ Conference. Unprecedented sympathy and affection shown by unending flow of Hindus, Buddhist and Muslims New Delhi (Fides Service) - “The whole country is shaken and shares our grief. This demonstration of solidarity and affection is unprecedented and totally unexpected. The entire nation appears to be in mourning”, sai ...
• 3 April 2005
  EUROPE - Bishop Amedee Grab, president of the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences: John Paul II, Europe will always rely on you. The Bishops of Europe say “thank you”. Rome (Fides Service) - “You have been a “prophet of a new Europe” and you never made a secret of your “passion” for our continent. You dedicated almost one thousand addresses to Europe. You watched over us with ...
• 3 April 2005
  AFRICA/MADAGASCAR - “A wonderful Pope” says Cardinal Armand Razafindratandra from Madagascar Antananarivo (Fides Service)- “A wonderful Pope who will remain forever in the hearts of the people of Madagascar who remember with affection the visit Pope John Paul II made to Madagascar in 1989. The Malagasy are par ...
• 3 April 2005
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - Young Catholics in Bukavu gather around their World Youth Day Cross to give their embrace to Pope John Paul II Bukavu (Fides Service)- “People are crowding into parish churches across the country for special prayers for the Pope” said Fr Gianni Bretagnani, regional Superior of the Xaverian missionaries in Bukavu in the east o ...
• 3 April 2005
  VATICAN - “Commitment for peace and reconciliation: the Pope’s legacy which Caritas Inernationalis intends to carry forward”; said Maronite Archbishop Fouad el-Hage of Tripoli (Lebanon), President of Caritas Internationalis Rome (Fides Service ) - “It is with great solemnity that all the 162 members of Caritas Internationalis mark the passing of His Holiness Pope John Paul II. Archbishop Fouad el-Hage President of Caritas Internationalis ...
• 2 April 2005
  ASIA/HOLY LAND - Today all the Christians here are praying for him and remembering with gratitude all he has done for us and for our land Jerusalem (Fides Service) - “The atmosphere is one of fervent and confident prayer. The Christian communities in the Holy Land are in heart and mind with the Pope who loves this Land and has done and prayed so much to ...
• 2 April 2005
  AFRICA/SUDAN - Even in the poorest and remotest regions of Sudan people are praying for the Pope Turalei (Fides Service)- Even in the remote region of the Nuba Mountains in the heart of Sudan people are praying for the Holy Father. “Bishop Macram Max Gassis of El Obeid, went to that area to preside Easter liturgie ...
• 2 April 2005
  AFRICA/EGYPT - Catholics in Egypt who share the later Season of Lent with Orthodox majority, offer Rosary, Stations of the Cross, Masses for the Pope and his intentions. Egyptian Muslims also pray for the Pontiff, a man of peace and unity says Chaldean Bishop Youssef Sarraf from Cairo Cairo (Fides Service) - Catholics in Egypt are praying intensely for the Pope. The community has just entered the season of Lent in preparation for Easter which it celebrates in early May with the Copt Orthodox majority ...