News

• 16 February 2004
  EUROPE/SWITZERLAND “We must not make the victims of mines victims also of oblivion and discrimination.”: Holy See permanent Observer Archbishop Tomasi, tells standing committee of experts on the Convention prohibiting anti-personnel mines. Geneva (Fides Service ) - “In Asia and Africa I have personally seen the ravages caused by anti-personnel mines on the bodies of fleeing refugees and of working women and men in border villages. Such mines are a sour ...
• 16 February 2004
  EUROPE/GERMANY - “Children have a Voice ” is the slogan for 2005 Holy Childhood Star Singer collection for children in need and the symbol country is Thailand where “between 60.000 and 200.000 children are forced to prostitute themselves”, says Andreas Mauritz, president of the Association of German Catholic Youth BDKJ Aachen (Fides Service) - “Children have a Voice” is the motto chosen by the German branch of the Pontifical Mission Societies for 2005 for the Star Singer collection in January 2005 to help children in need. The coll ...
• 16 February 2004
  EUROPE/GERMANY - “It is time to act! - Uganda needs new peace initiatives“. Following talks with representatives of the different Churches in Germany organised by the National Office of the Pontifical Mission Societies, Ugandan leaders hope for new commitment for peace Aachen/Berlin (Fides Service) - A firm “no” to military solutions and a promise for more commitment for peace and the national and international level by German political leaders was the result of talks between Germa ...
• 16 February 2004
  EUROPE/ITALY - 150th anniversary of the proclamation of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary: Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate renew devotion to Our Lady and commitment to holiness: letter from Superior General Rome (Fides Service) - “Dear Brother Oblates, 150 years ago in 1854 the Successor of Peter solemnly recognised the Immaculate Conception of Mary as part of our faith. The 150th anniversary of the proclamation of the Do ...
• 16 February 2004
  AFRICA/THE GREAT LAKES REGION - Democratic Congo, Rwanda and Burundi. Rev. Ferdinando Colombo, vice president of VIS reports on progress of development programme launched three years ago by this Salesian volunteer aid agency Rome (Fides Service)- The Italian development agency VIS (Volontariato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo), sponsored by the Salesian Fathers has various programmes in the countries of the Great Lakes region of Africa, Democ ...
• 16 February 2004
  AFRICA/ETHIOPIA - Reports of more fighting in south west Ethiopia where ethnic tension, oil, gold and foreign interests make an explosive mixture Gambella (Fides Service)- The situation is still confused in Gambella, south west Ethiopia, where international media say that since January 200 people have been killed and at least 10,000 have fled their homes because o ...
• 16 February 2004
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - Postponed explorative talks between government and Muslim separatists: missionary tells Fides what’s in the way of peace Manila (Fides Service) - Explorative talks between the Philippines government and Muslim separatist rebels in the south scheduled for 16 February in Malaysia, have been postponed “for administrative reasons”, accordi ...
• 16 February 2004
  AFRICA/BURKINA FASO - Camillian Fathers caring for the sick in Africa: Fides speaks to one of the many missionaries who have chosen to live among some of the poorest people on earth Rome (Fides Service) - Forty years have passed since the first Camillian Fathers arrived in 40 Ouagadougou, capital of Burkina Faso, where today a parish dedicated to Saint Camillus stands in an area of 200 square km of ...
• 16 February 2004
  WHO and FAO concerned for bird flu: the epidemic continues. Out of 10 cases in Vietnam studied 8 persons died, only one recovered and the other is in critical conditions Rome (Fides) - Bird flue is lethal and human victims usually die in a few days after showing the first symptoms, coughing, difficult breathing. This has emerged from a study on cases of contagion among humans of the vir ...
• 14 February 2004
  ASIA/SRI LANKA - Politics, society religion in the present stage of the Island’s history Colombo (Fides Service ) - Today 14 February, Fides presents a special report on Sri Lanka, an all round view of the situation on the eve of elections, analysis of political, social and religious questions. News items, s ...
• 14 February 2004
  AMERICA/COSTA RICA - 4th Central American Meeting for vicars of pastoral and diocesan delegates for missions will outline pastoral plans suited to implement the conclusions of the Second American Mission Congress (CAM 2) San Jose (Fides Service) - “Offer a theological-pastoral interpretation of CAM2 to highlight the more significant elements and the pastoral dynamics which should animate mission ad gentes in Central America in the comi ...
• 13 February 2004
  VATICAN - Cardinal Lozano Barragan, President of the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Care of Health Workers and the Sick, speaks about costs of drug therapy Vatican City (Fides Service) - On his return from Lourdes where as the Pope’s special envoy he presided the main celebrations for the 12th World Day of the Sick, Cardinal Lozano Barragan President of the Pontifical Cou ...
• 13 February 2004
  VATICAN - Half a century of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Iran celebrated at the Gregorian University in Rome Vatican City (Fides Service) - The 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the Islamic Republic of Iran was celebrated on 12 February in Rome with a Seminar “Iran and the ...
• 13 February 2004
  ASIA/SRI LANKA - “Island in situation of political uncertainty. Dangerous mix of politics and religion”: a local missionary reports to Fides Colombo (Fides Service) - “The elections are unnecessary. The electorate is almost equally divided between the two main groups, supporters of President Kumaratunga and supporters of Prime Minister Wicremesinghe. If the ...
• 13 February 2004
  ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - Seoul archdiocese opens an Institute of Theological Studies for lay people Seoul (Fides Service) - It is a known fact that the laity are the engine of the Church in Korea: their valid cooperation in all fields of pastoral work puts the Church in South Korea among those which have better underst ...