News

• 20 December 2004
  EUROPE/ITALY - A journalist “investigates” the birth of Jesus: who was that Child in the manger? Rome (Fides Service) - “Inchiesta su Gesù Bambino” (Investigation on the Child Jesus) is the title of a book in Italian by Andrea Tornielli on sale since 16 December. The first edition sold out in two days and a sec ...
• 20 December 2004
  AFRICA/CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC - The Pope creates new Diocese of Alindao and appoints first Bishop Vatican City (Fides Service) -The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, on 18 December 2004, created the diocese of Alindao (Central African Republic), with territory taken from the diocese of Bangassou, making it suffragan o ...
• 20 December 2004
  EUROPE/GERMANY “Children have a voice”: 47th ‘Star Singer’ Solidarity Campaign organised by German branch of Pontifical Society for Holy Childhood, Thailand symbol country this year Aachen (Fides Service) - Once again this year, during the first week of the new year around the Feast of the Epiphany children all over Germany will go from house to house to sing Christmas carols and collect money for c ...
• 20 December 2004
  AFRICA/UGANDA - Car ambush in Paronga northern Uganda, Parish priest injured, government worker and wife of catechist killed: “Blood at Christmas again this year” a missionary told Fides Gulu (Fides Service)- “Blood at Christmas again this year” a missionary in northern Uganda told Fides from northern Uganda where a parish priest was injured during a car ambush this morning 20 December and two other ...
• 20 December 2004
  AMERICA/MEXICO - “Let us make room for Jesus so that Christmas is not a shiny empty glass ball, but a message of hope for better times for the poor” says Bishop Arizmendi Esquivel San Cristobal De Las Casas (Fides Service) - In his Christmas Message “Jesus hope of new life”, Bishop Felipe Arizmendi Esquivel of San Cristobal De Las Casas, Chiapas (Mexico) underlined the great value of Christma ...
• 20 December 2004
  AFRICA/EGYPT - Increasing Islamic fundamentalist anti-Christian pressure. “No Christmas Mass if anti-Christian violence does not stop Cairo (Fides Service)- An unusual Christmas. This is how a Fides source in Cairo describes the Christmas about to be lived by Christians in Egypt where anti-Christian pressure from Islamic fundamentalism increases with e ...
• 20 December 2004
  ASIA/SYRIA - Christmas in Syria: a feast for young people, Christian charity, ecumenism Damascus (Fides Service) - On the occasion of Christmas 2004, Fides asked for a contribution with regard to celebrations in Syria from His Beatitude Gregorios III Laham, Greek Melchite Patriarch of Antioch and the East ...
• 20 December 2004
  ASIA/INDONESIA - Threatened attacks on Churches at Christmas: double security measures in the Moluccas Islands Jakarta (Fides Service) - On Christmas day and all though the Christmas season the Indonesian army will guarantee special protection for all churches in Ambon, capital city in the Moluccas Islands. There is in fact growi ...
• 20 December 2004
  OCEANIA/AUSTRALIA - Australia’s Christians protest ‘Christ is being left out of Christmas’: pro Nativity youth campaign through Melbourne 21 December Melbourne (Fides Service) - Melbourne’s Catholic Youth Ministry CYM is organising a street protest 21 December to highlight the perceived reality that ‘Christ’ has been left out of ‘Christmas’, and reject cons ...
• 20 December 2004
  VATICAN - Official presentation of the Good Samaritan Foundation to support needy persons suffering from AIDS entrusted to the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Health Workers Vatican City (Fides Service) - In July Cardinal Lozano Barragan, President of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Health Workers share with Fides an important programme to “identify the most urgent needs an ...
• 20 December 2004
  ASIA/CHINA - Catholics in Beijing organise Christmas Party for children with disabilities at Hui Ling Centre Beijing (Fides Service) - Christmas is almost here and there is already an atmosphere of joy and goodwill in Catholic community in Beijing. Local sources told Fides that after Mass on the third Sunday of Advent local and ...
• 20 December 2004
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - “Let’s hope words are followed by action” a missionary in east Congo tells Fides after Rwanda’s announcement that it does not intend to attack Democratic Congo Bukavu (Fides Service)- “It sounds good but we want to see action” a local Church source in Bukavu, in the east of Democratic Congo told Fides with regard to the Rwandan government’s announcement that it does not i ...
• 17 December 2004
  EUROPA/SPAIN - 100.000 children members of Missionary Childhood will announce the joy of Christmas on the streets of Spain and thank people on behalf of missionaries for collections for the missions Madrid (Agenzia Fides) - At least 100,000 children will be on the streets in various towns and cities in Spain on 18 December for the start of the traditional Star Sowing Campaign when they give paper stars to passers-by ...
• 17 December 2004
  EUROPE/ITALY - Celebrations on 26 December for 105 young people from four different countries now free of drug addiction thanks to support from the Pope John XXIII Community Rimini (Fides Service) - On Sunday 26 December 105 former drug addicts members of 36 drug abuse rehabilitation centres belonging to the International Association John XXIII Community communities will be declared ready to ...
• 17 December 2004
  AMERICA/BRAZIL - “We are the image of Christ sent to announce the Good News and restore hope in the only Saviour” says President of the Brazilian Bishops’ Conference Brasilia (Fides Service) - “In Bethlehem Jesus did not find good will. In fact there was no place for him at the inn or in homes. There was no room among the rich. In Bethlehem Jesus was welcomed by the poor, the sheph ...