News

• 12 May 2004
  AFRICA/SUDAN - 150,000 Sudanese refugees in Chad, 1 million internally displaced person in Sudan: growing concern among humanitarian organisations for situation in Dafur Rome (Fides Service) - Humanitarian organisations are intensifying efforts to assist Sudanese refugees in Chad fleeing violence in Darfur west Sudan. One of these organisations working in Chad is the Jesuit Refugee Servi ...
• 11 May 2004
  AFRICA/BURKINA FASO - Rev. Pierre Claver Malgo new Rector of Saint John the Baptist Seminary in Ouagadougou Vatican City (Fides Service) - Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples has 30 April 2004, appointed rector of the inter-diocesan Major seminary St John the Baptist in the d ...
• 11 May 2004
  VATICAN - General Assembly of the Pontifical Mission Societies: presentation of reports of activity of Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith and Pontifical Missionary Union Rome (Fides Service) - After a day of rest on Sunday, the work of the General Assembly of the Pontifical Mission Societies resumed on Monday 10 May. The pastoral session being concluded, the assembly will now focus on th ...
• 11 May 2004
  VATICAN - Pope John Paul receives the general assembly of the Pontifical Mission Societies: “I am happy to know that you are in the process of updating your statutes. This means you are ever more determined to carry out your mission of “mercy and peace”. Vatican City (Fides Service) - “You, in particular, are "tireless operators of God’s mercy and peace "... In these tumultuous times for humanity the Pontifical Mission Societies, which are at the service of the Churc ...
• 11 May 2004
  EUROPE/ITALY - Missionaries of Africa, White Fathers start 26th General Chapter: how to meet the new challenges of mission in Africa Rome (Fides Service) - The 26th General Chapter of the Society of the Missionaries of Africa, known also as the White Fathers, opened on May 10 at the general House in Rome with a solemn Concelebration of the Eucharist p ...
• 11 May 2004
  VATICAN/CANONISATIONS MAY 16 - Don Annibale M. Di Francia (1851-1927): prayer for vocations, service to the poor and the little ones Vatican City (Fides Service) - Annibale Maria Di Francia was born to noble parents at Messina (Italy) 5 July 1851. At a very young age praying in front of the Eucharist, the source of inspiration of his life, he felt div ...
• 11 May 2004
  VATICAN - Sylvester II Pope, Scientist and Homo Europeus: Day of Study to close 1000th anniversary of the death of a man who saw with a prophetic spirit the importance of Europe extended eastwards and soundly established on its Christian roots Vatican City (Fides) - To commemorate the outstanding figure of Gerbert d’Aurillac: scientist, musicologist, great teacher and first French Pope elected to the papacy in 999 taking the name of Sylvester II, the Pontifi ...
• 11 May 2004
  ASIA/INDIA - With education and development programmes Catholic missionaries help Tribals in under-developed communities become recognised citizens with full social and civil rights Raipur (Fides Service) - Before the arrival of Catholic missionaries tribal children in the area of Raipur, in the central Indian state of Chattisgarh, had never been to school, their families were hunters and ancient c ...
• 11 May 2004
  ASIA/TAIWAN - Spring Assembly of the Chinese Regional Bishops’ Conference re-elects members of commissions and outlines commitment for evangelisation ChaiYi (Fides Service) - During their Spring assembly held 12 to 16 April in ChaiYi the members of the Chinese Regional Bishops’ Conference discussed new initiatives for evangelisation and the work of their different C ...
• 11 May 2004
  OCEANIA/NEW ZEALAND - “Honest and constructive debate to settle differences between Maori and Pakeha (people of European origin) ”: Bishop Peter Cullinane, president of Catholic Bishops’ Conference Wellington (Fides Service) - “Maori have a deep need to know that the guarantee given them in Article 2 of the Treaty still holds. And Pakeha (people of European origin Fides) need to know that at the end of the day th ...
• 11 May 2004
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - Democratic Republic of Congo still the focus of regional interests. An analysis Kinshasa (Fides Service) -“We can say with reasonable prudence that Rwanda has not stopped its policy of interfering with Democratic Congo RDC” Italian Xaverian mission Loris Cattani, with years of experience in Cong ...
• 10 May 2004
  VATICAN - During his reflection at the midday Regina Cæli prayer the Pope encouraged those present to pray to Mary support of Christians and the whole world: “Since Christ loves with inexhaustible love” so too the immaculate heart of his Mother Mary has “the inexhaustibility of a mother ”. Vatican City (Fides Service) - The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God was the centre of Pope John Paul II’s midday reflection before the “Regina Cæli” prayer Sunday May 9. “During the month of May the People of ...
• 10 May 2004
  VATICAN/CANONISATION 16 MAY - Don Luigi Orione (1872-1940): “father of the poor and benefactor of the abandoned " Vatican City (Fides Service) - Luigi Orione was born at Pontecurone (AL), 23 June 1872, of humble parents. While still only a seminarian at the age of 20 he showed concern for poor children and opened a college for them ...
• 10 May 2004
  VATICAN - Mission is a challenge which draws young people today: General Assembly of the Pontifical Mission Societies examines proposal to create a universal Missionary Youth Movement. Rome (Fides Service) - At the meeting of the General Assembly of the Pontifical Mission Societies, on Saturday 9 May, Father Hermann Shaluck, National Director of the PMS in Germany, and Rev. Giuseppe Pellegrini, Vice di ...
• 10 May 2004
  EUROPE/GERMANY - Europe has the necessary resources to build brotherhood united under the banner of love Stuttgart (Fides Service) - Two words summarise the event which took place in Stuttgart, Germany on May 8: brotherhood and unity. At a decisive moment in history for the present and the future of Europe, Catholic, Protes ...