News

• 23 November 2004
  ASIA/THAILAND - info: Vatican City (Fides Service) - On the occasion of Cardinal Sepe’s pastoral visit to Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, here is some information on Thailand. Area 513,115 sq. km Population: 63,500,000 (density ...
• 23 November 2004
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - “I am grateful to the Pope for this act of confidence in me” the newly appointed Bishop of Bokungu-Ikela in Congo told Fides Rome (Fides Service)-“I am deeply moved by my appointment as Bishop of the diocese of Bokungu-Ikela” Capuchin Father Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, O.F.M. Vice-Provincial of his religious Order in Democratic Congo told Fi ...
• 23 November 2004
  AFRICA/SUDAN - Cease fire in Darfur violated. Government declares state of emergency Khartoum (Fides Service)- Peace seems unattainable in Darfur, the martyred north western region of Sudan where a violent civil war has raged for many months. On Sunday 21 November fresh fighting caused some 30,000 people ...
• 23 November 2004
  AMERICA/GUATEMALA - Some 5,000 participants expected for Missionary Feast in Guatemala City to mark first anniversary of CAM 2 and open local initiatives for the Year of the Eucharist Guatemala City (Fides Service) - At least 5,000 people from parishes all over the archdiocese are expected to gather for a great Missionary Feast on Sunday 28 November in Guatemala City to encourage missionary vocations ...
• 23 November 2004
  OCEANIA/AUSTRALIA - Season of Advent and Christmas a good time to rediscover mission in the family: call from National Director Pontifical Mission Societies Australia Sydney (Fides Service) - Christmas is a time for giving and “getting involved in charity can be a very rewarding experience for families, especially at Christmas” Father Terence Bell National Director of the Pontific ...
• 23 November 2004
  AFRICA/MADAGASCAR - The figure of the priest, the Year of the Eucharist and Africa’s Year of the Bible, the fight against AIDS were some of the topics discussed by the Catholic Bishops of Madagascar during their recent plenary assembly Antananarino (Fides Service) - The Catholic Bishops of Madagascar recently met in the capital Antananarino, for the annual assembly of the local Church Bishop Gustavo Bombin Espino of Tsiroanomandidy reported to Fides. T ...
• 23 November 2004
  ASIA/CHINA - HanDan diocese welcomes 23 new Sisters of the Holy Spirit and the Mother of God: 1,500 attend celebration Han Dan (Fides Service) - Recently in Han Dan diocese a local congregation of women Religious, Sisters of the Holy Spirit and the Mother of God, welcomed 23 new professed Sisters, celebrating the highest number of perpe ...
• 23 November 2004
  ASIA/INDIA - Fight against AIDS, pastoral care for families, free schooling for poor children: Syro-Malabar Synod pinpoints commitments Cochin (Fides Service) - To intensify efforts to fight AIDS, give more attention to family pastoral, continue to offer free schooling for poor children were three priority commitments pinpointed by the Syro Malabar Catho ...
• 23 November 2004
  EUROPE/ITALY - Convention of European University Students and pilgrimage of Icon Maria Sedes Sapientiae just returned for Gt. Britain: preparations for 20th World Youth Day in Germany Rome (Fides Service) - As every year Pope John Paul II will preside the annual December Mass for Rome’s university students in St Peter’s on 14 December. A full agenda of initiatives has been planned in preparation f ...
• 23 November 2004
  EUROPE/ITALY - World AIDS Day: awareness campaign focuses on women. Initiatives, photograph exhibition organised by Spallanzani Institute in Rome Rome (Fides Service) - On the occasion of World AIDS Day on 1 December the Spallanzani Italian national institute for infectious diseases in Rome which specialises in treatment and research on HIV/AIDS, has organised a s ...
• 22 November 2004
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - Christians and Muslims together run New Centre for children in need in southern Philippines Zamboanga (Agenzia Fides) - Joint efforts of Christians and Muslims in Zamboanga in the southern part of Mindanao in the southern Philippines has led to the opening of a new Centre for poor children and families. The ne ...
• 22 November 2004
  VATICAN - The Pope recalls the Lumen Gentium Constitution promulgated 40 years ago by Vatican II: “a milestone on the Church’s pilgrimage along the roads of the modern world”. Appeal to support communities of contemplative life Vatican City (Fides Service) - “Today, the last Sunday of the Liturgical Year, we celebrate the solemnity of Jesus Christ King of the Universe. It was to Him that the Council Fathers looked when they promulgated on 21 ...
• 22 November 2004
  ASIA/IRAQ - “Courageous Catholics in Iraq continue to rebuild destroyed churches” Catholic priest in northern Iraq told Fides Baghdad (Fides Service)- “The week was dramatic and very difficult for everyone here” Father Nizar Semaan, a Catholic priest in the northern city of Mosul, told Fides with regard to violence in over the past few days ...
• 22 November 2004
  VATICAN - Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe pastoral visit in Myanmar: “The Feast of Christ, King of the Universe, reminds each one of us that, as disciples, we form part of his Kingdom which we want to extend to the whole world and, in particular, to this Nation Myanmar.” Vatican City (Fides Service) - On Saturday 20 November, Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, started a pastoral visit to a few countries in south east Asia. He arrived ...
• 22 November 2004
  AFRICA/LIBERIA - Africa: pouring of refugees from one state to another continues to threaten stability in countries such as Liberia, trying to recover from a dramatic civil. At least 13,000 Ivorians have fled to north eastern Liberia Monrovia (Fides Service)- “So far the flow of Ivorian refugees has not caused tension although local radios have appealed to United Nations forces in Liberia to be on guard to prevent Ivorian militia from recruiting am ...