News

• 19 October 2004
  AFRICA/IVORY COAST - Confusion grows as in addition to oppostion pressure for Prime Minister's resignation, farmers of the country's main export cacao call a strike Abidjan (Fides Service)- The 15 October has come and gone, the programme to disarm militia has not started (see Fides 14 October 2004) and the political crisis in Ivory Coast is increasingly complicated. Supporters of Pr ...
• 19 October 2004
  AMERICA/CHILE - First youth pastoral meeting in preparation for Youth Mission 2005 - “The main challenge for next year: going to youth in their different realities to announce the living Jesus Christ starting from our experience and sharing our testimony" Santiago (Fides Service) - Next year 27 March to 15 May 2005 Pentecost Sunday, young Catholics in Chile will take part in a Youth Mission to announce to their companions their experience of the living Jesus Christ. The i ...
• 18 October 2004
  ASIA/IRAQ - Attacks on Christians continue: Iraqi priest Father Nizar Semaan appeals for help to restore peaceful coexistence Baghdad (Fides Service)- “Fundamentalist criminals continue to attack our churches which have always been places of peace and symbols of traditional peaceful co-existence among Christians and Muslims in Iraq. I would m ...
• 18 October 2004
  VATICAN - The Pope’s reflection before the Angelus prayer: “In the wake of Vatican II and the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, the Year of the Eucharist intends to be a special time to encounter Christ, present in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood” Vatican City (Fides Service) - Addressing the crowds gathered in St Peter’s Square for the Midday Angelus prayer on Sunday 17 October, Pope John Paul focussed his attention on conclusion of the International Eucharisti ...
• 18 October 2004
  ASIA/IRAQ - Maronite Church voices solidarity with Iraqi Christians “there must be an international awareness campaign to protect Iraqi Christians” and voices concern for attack on Christians all over the Middle East Baghdad (Fides Service) - “We are close to you and we pray for you and we will help you” Maronite Christians assure Iraq’s Christians following attacks on five churches in Baghdad. In a statement issued on behalf ...
• 18 October 2004
  ASIA/IRAQ - Christian minority leaders issue joint statement on the situation Baghdad (Fides) - Following bomb blasts in five churches in Baghdad on 16 October, the Christians in Iraq stated that they would not be intimidated and they would remain in Iraq. In a joint statement the leaders of the ...
• 18 October 2004
  ASIA/IRAQ - “Long before the first Muslims arrived there were Christians in this region and we intend to stay here. We will not abandon our country”, a member of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Baghdad told Fides Baghdad (Fides Service) - “These attacks on churches clearly aim to frighten Christians and make them leave Iraq” a member of the Chaldean Catholic in Baghdad told Fides. The source said Christians are in fact leavin ...
• 18 October 2004
  VATICAN - The Pope opens the Year of the Eucharist, in live link with the Eucharistic Congress in Mexico: “The human heart, weighed down by sin, often disorientated and tired, tried by all sorts of suffering needs Light. The world in the difficult search for peace still far away, and at the beginning of a Millennium devastated and humiliated by violence, terrorism and war needs Light. The Eucharist is Light!” Vatican City (Fides Service) - On Sunday 17 October 17 in St Peter’s Pope John presided a concelebrated Mass to open the Year of the Eucharist. Cardinal Angelo Sodano, secretary of state celebrated the Mass at the a ...
• 18 October 2004
  AMERICA/MEXICO - At the end of the Eucharistic Congress Fides spoke with some of the participants: “The Congress was a cry to all men and women to remember that they are loved by God ” Guadalajara (Agenzia Fides) - “I think this Congress, the people’s fervour, enthusiasm and love for Jesus in the Eucharist will not fail to increase love for the Eucharist in the universal Church” Bishop Guillermo ...
• 18 October 2004
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - President Kabila makes first visit to eastern Congo. Another step towards peace Kinshasa (Fides Service)- Joseph Kabila President of Congo is visiting eastern Congo, a region held by antigovernment guerrillas for a long time. Yesterday 17 October the President went to the main town Kisangani where ...
• 18 October 2004
  EUROPE/ITALY - Communion and Liberation movement pilgrimage to Loreto for its 50th anniversary. At Mass Cardinal Sepe encourages the pilgrims to “continue to announce the beauty and joy of encounter with the Redeemer of mankind” Loreto (Fides Service) - On Saturday 16 October the church movement Communion and Liberation made a pilgrimage to Loreto on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of its foundation. At least 45,000 members of CL from all ...
• 16 October 2004
  ASIA/IRAQ - If the massacre continues what future for Iraq’s Christian community? Local community sends Fides “list of horror” with names of local Christians killed by Islamic fanatics Baghdad (Fides Service) - The most recent victim was a little Chaldean Christian girl brutally murdered by a group of Islamic terrorists in Baghdad. The group kidnapped the child and demanded ransom money for her release ...
• 15 October 2004
  AFRICA/CAMEROON - Bishop of Edea appointed Vatican City (Fides Service) - The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II has, 15 October 20004 appointed Bishop Jean-Bosco Ntep, Bishop of Edea (Cameroon) until now Mgr Ntep was Bishop of di Eseka (Cameroon). (S.L.) (Agenzia ...
• 15 October 2004
  AFRICA/CAMEROON - Bishop of Eseka appointed Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, has, 15 October 2004, ha appointed Bishop of Eseka (Cameroon) Bishop Dieudonné Bogmis, until now titular Bishop of Gadiaufala and auxiliary of the archd ...
• 15 October 2004
  AFRICA/CAMEROON - Bishop of Ebolowa-Kribi appointed Vatican City (Fides Service) - The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, has, 15 October 2004, appointed Bishop of Ebolowa-Kribi (Cameroon) Reverend Jean Mbarga, Vicar general of the archdiocese Yaounde (Cameroon). The Bish ...