News

• 30 December 2003
  VATICAN - BUILDING PEACE IN THE NAME OF CHRIST THE CHURCH’S MISSIONARIES AND DIPLOMATS LABOUR AT EVERY LEVEL Vatican (Fides Service) – The name of Archbishop Michael Aidan Courtney, Nuncio in Burundi, is the last on the list for 2003 men and women martyrs for the Cause of the Gospel in many different parts of the world faithf ...
• 29 December 2003
  POPE JOHN PAUL II FOR JANUARY 2004: “THAT EVERY MISSION CHURCH MAY ENGAGE ITSELF IN THE TRAINING OF APOSTOLIC PERSONNEL”.Comment by Archbishop Robert Sarah, Secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples . Vatican City (Fides Service) – “In all areas of Church life formation is of primary importance. People who have never had the chance to learn cannot really know the truths of faith, nor can they perform actions which ...
• 29 December 2003
  ASIA/BANGLADESH – MYMENSINGH DIOCESE, REV. PAUL PONEN KUBI APPOINTED AUXILIARY Vatican City (Fides Service) – The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, has, 12 December 2003, appointed Auxiliary of the diocese of Mymensingh (Bangladesh) Reverend Father Paul Ponen Kubi, C.S.C., Vice-Provincial of the Co ...
• 29 December 2003
  VATICAN - AT THE ANGELUS PRAYER ON HOLY FAMILY SUNDAY, THE POPE RECALLS THE “IMPORTANCE OF THE FAMILY BASED ON MATRIMONY” AND HE CALLS ON THE WORLD TO HELP EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS IN IRAN Vatican City (Fides Service ) – At midday on Sunday 28 December – Feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth - Pope John Paul II appeared at his study window to pray with the crowds and impart his blessing on several thous ...
• 29 December 2003
  AFRICA/CAMEROON - GERMAN CLARETIAN MISSIONARY FOUND MURDERED ON CHRISTMAS EVE Yaounde (Fides Service) – On Christmas Eve German Claretian missionary, Father Anton Probst, was found dead at the Claretian Novitiate at Akono about 60 kilometres south of the capital Yaounde. The body of the priest, ...
• 29 December 2003
  ASIA/TAIWAN - TWO RELIGIOUS CONGREGATIONS MARK 75TH ANNIVERSARY WITH ORDINATIONS Taichung (Fides Service) – On 27 December, feast of Saint John the Apostle, the Little Brothers of St. John the Baptist (CSJB) and Little Sisters of St. Teresa di Lisieux (CST) locally founded congregations marked thei ...
• 23 December 2003
  ASIA/INDIA - 10,000 VOLUMES ON SHOW AT “BOOK FESTIVAL” ORGANISED BY PAULINE SISTERS IN MUMBAI: KEEN INTEREST AMONG VISITORS Mumbai (Fides Service) – Every year around Christmas the Pauline Editions organise a Book Festival in Mumbai. This year it was held from 28 November to 8 December at the House of the Pauline Sisters in Mumbai. The fest ...
• 23 December 2003
  AMERICA/BRAZIL - “MAY THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM CONTINUE TO SHINE AMIDST DIFFICULTIES AND FEAR, VIOLENCE AND PROBLEMS TO HELP US BUILD A NEW HUMANITY ”: BRAZILIAN BISHOPS’ CHRISTMAS MESSAGE Brasilia (Fides Service) – In a special Message for Christmas the Bishops of Brazil say they hope that the “star of Bethlehem may continue to shine amidst difficulties and fear, violence and problems to help us build ...
• 23 December 2003
  AMERICA/CHILE - DIOCESAN MISSION: YOUTH ON MISSION FROM 3 TO 11 JANUARY Melipilla (Fides Service ) – In Chile Christmas falls in Summer for many a time of rest and vacation but for the young people of Melipilla diocese, according to a diocesan church bulletin sent to Fides, the Summer vaca ...
• 23 December 2003
  AFRICA/LIBERIA - MISSIONARIES SPEND CHRISTMAS WITH REFUGEES, “THIS IS MORE LIKE THE LORD’S FIRST COMING IN HUMILITY AND POVERTY Monrovia (Fides Service)- “Sadly we will celebrate the coming of Holy Peace this year without peace” Consolata Missionary Sisters Harbel, 50 km south of Monrovia, capital of Liberia told Fides. “The disarmament pro ...
• 23 December 2003
  OCEANIA/PAPUA NEW GUINEA - PRISON INMATES WILL HAVE CHRISTMAS MASS AND PARTY WITH ARCHBISHOP BARNES: PNG CULTURE GIVES PRIDE OF PLACE TO CHILDREN Port Moresby (Fides Service) – Archbishop Brian James Barnes of Port Moresby will celebrate Christmas mass at the local prison: “It has become a tradition every year to pay a visit to the prison at Christmas. We cele ...
• 23 December 2003
  AFRICA/BURKINA FASO - MAY CHRISTMAS OPEN HEARTS AND EXTEND SCIENTIFIC HORIZONS TO EMBRACE AND CARE FOR ALL WHO SUFFER: CHAPLAIN OF YALGADO OUEDRAOGO HOSPITAL Ouagadougou (Fides Service) – Camillian Father Edgard Yameogo is chaplain at Yalgado Ouedraogo state hospital in Ouagadougou and director of the Camillian Centre for Health Care Pastoral in Burkina Faso. On the occasio ...
• 23 December 2003
  ASIA/INDIA - CHRISTMAS MESSAGE FROM SYRO-MALANKAR ARCHBISHOP CYRIL BASELIOS: MAY CHRISTMAS PEACE AND JOY DISSOLVE SOCIAL, POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS TENSION New Delhi (Fides Service ) – “Let us pray that Christmas will increase good will and comprehension among ourselves to enable us to be signs of the presence of Jesus in the world today”. This is the Christmas Messag ...
• 23 December 2003
  ASIA/TAJIKISTAN - CHRISTMAS CONCERT BY INTERRELIGIOUS CHOIR OFFERS FIRST EVER PERFORMANCE OF HANDEL’S MESSIAH Dushanbe (Fides Service) – For the first time the notes of Handel’s “Messiah” resounded in Tajikistan. Parts of the work regarding the birth of Christ and the majestic final were performed at a Christmas concert ...
• 23 December 2003
  ASIA/HOLY LAND - CHRISTMAS MESSAGE FROM LATIN PATRIARCH OF JERUSALEM Jerusalem (Fides Service) – “Fear not. Hark, I bring you tidings of great joy: unto us a Saviour is born” (Lk 2,10-11). This passage from St Luke’s Gospel was the centre of a Christmas Message addressed to Christ ...