News

• 9 December 2003
  AFRICA/NIGERIA – ISSELE-UKU DIOCESE: BISHOP EMMANUEL OTTEH RESIGNS, REV. MICHAEL ODOGWU ELUE APPOINTED Vatican City (Fides Service) – The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II has (14 November 2003) appointed Bishop of Issele-Uku in Nigeria, Reverend Father Michael Odogwu Elue, Dean of Theology at Uhiele major seminary. The ...
• 9 December 2003
  VATICAN - THE POPE SAYS AT DECEMBER 8 ANGELUS PRAYER: “FAITH SHOWS US THAT THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF MARY IS A PROMISE OF SALVATION FOR EVERY HUMAN CREATURE PILGRIM ON EARTH. FAITH REMINDS IS THAT MARY IS OUR UNWAVERING SUPPORT IN THE DIFFICULT BATTLE AGAINST SIN AND ITS CONSEQUENCES ” Vatican City (Fides Service) – Addressing from his window the crowds gathered in St Peters Square for the midday Angelus prayer and blessing on December 8th Feast of the Immaculate Conception, a bank holiday in Italy a ...
• 9 December 2003
  AFRICA/LIBERIA - YOUNG GUERRILLAS DEMAND BETTER CONDITIONS TO DISARM: SHOOTING CONTINUES IN SOME PARTS OF MONROVIA Monrovia (Fides Service )-“Difficulties encountered with regard to the disarmament operation are a sign that the process to peace is still long” Father Mauro Armanino SMA Superior Provincial in Monrovia, capital of L ...
• 9 December 2003
  EUROPE/AZERBAIJAN – SPECIAL CHRISTMAS PRESENT FROM CONGREGATION FOR THE EVANGELISATION OF PEOPLES’ CHARITY AUCTION WILL HELP REBUILD CHURCH DESTROYED BY STALIN AND PROVIDE FOR ORPHANS AND HOMELESS PEOPLE Baku (Fides Service) – Catholics in Azerbaijan are a small community, 150 people, but they are deeply committed to fighting poverty and restoring hope among orphaned and abandoned children and homeless people. The Baku ...
• 9 December 2003
  ASIA/INDIA - HOW TO PROTECT THE ASIAN FAMILY: VARIOUS RELIGIONS AND ORGANISATIONS ATTEND STUDY WEEK Chennai (Fides Service ) – How to protect families in Asia from fragmentation and threats such as abortion, divorce, superficial and temporary relationships. This was the objective of a study week promoted by the Servi ...
• 6 December 2003
  VATICAN - PAPAL MESSAGE FOR 41ST WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS: “OUR FIRST DUTY IS TO PRAY TO THE "MASTER OF THE HARVEST" FOR THOSE WHO ALREADY FOLLOW CHRIST MORE CLOSELY IN THE PRIESTLY AND RELIGIOUS LIFE AND FOR THOSE WHOM, IN HIS MERCY, HE CONTINUES TO CALL FOR THESE IMPORTANT CHURCH DUTIES Vatican City (Fides Service) – “On the occasion of the 41st World Day of Prayer for Vocations, traditionally set for the 4th Sunday of Easter, the faithful unite in fervent prayer for vocations to the priesthood, th ...
• 6 December 2003
  VATICAN - THE POPE ADDRESSES 32ND CONFERENCE OF THE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANISATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS: HUNGER AND MALNUTRITION, AGGRAVATED BY SPREADING POVERTY REPRESENT A THREAT TO PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE Vatican City (Fides Service) – On Friday 5 December in the Sala Clementina in the Vatican Pope John Paul II granted a special audience to participants 32nd Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the Un ...
• 5 December 2003
  ASIA/PAKISTAN – REVEREND RANJIT ABEYSINGHE APPOINTED RECTOR OF ST FRANCIS XAVIER MAJOR SEMINARY IN LAHORE Vatican City (Fides Service) – Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples has appointed (14 November 2003), Rector of St Francis Xavier Major Seminary in Lahore in Pakistan ...
• 5 December 2003
  VATICAN - THE POPE RECEIVES NEW PATRIARCH OF BABYLON OF THE CHALDEANS: “HARMONY IS ALL THE MORE NECESSARY IF WE LOOK AT YOUR LAND TODAY MORE THAN EVER IN NEED OF AUTHENTIC PEACE, TRANQUILLITY AND ORDER. WORK TO "UNITE THE EFFORTS" OF ALL BELIEVERS FOR RESPECTFUL DIALOGUE WHICH FAVOURS AT ALL LEVELS THE BUILDING OF A STABLE AND FREE SOCIETY.” Vatican City (Fides Service) – On December 3 Pope John Paul II received the new Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans His Beatitude Emmanuel III Delly, and members of the Synod of the Chaldean Catholic Church in a priv ...
• 5 December 2003
  VATICAN - PAPAL MESSAGE TO MARK 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF "HOLODOMOR", FAMINE PROVOKED TO BEND UKRAINE: “THE COMMEMORATION INTENDS TO REVIVE IN ALL HEARTS THE SENSE OF THE DIGNITY OF EVERY PERSON WHATEVER HIS OR HER NATIONAL ORIGIN.” Vatican City (Fides Service) – On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the "Holodomor", (great famine), provoked by Stalin between 1932 e il 1933 to force the people of Ukraine to accept policies of forced collecti ...
• 5 December 2003
  AMERICA/CHILE - BIO-ETHICS COMMISSION OF THE CHILEAN BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE SAYS EDUCATION IN HUMAN SEXUALITY MUST BE BASED ON THE DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON Santiago (Fides Service) – The Bio-Ethics Commission of the Chilean Bishops’ Conference has called the public’s attention to the danger of AIDS prevention campaigns, imposing the use of condoms generating false sec ...
• 5 December 2003
  AMERICA/PERU - THE CHALLENGES OF PACEM IN TERRIS FOR A GLOBALISED WORLD : 7TH SOCIAL WEEK ORGANISED BY BISHOPS CONFERENCE Lima (Agenzia Fides) – The 7th Social Week organised by Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Peru will take place from 9 to 12 December 2003, at the Collegio De Jesús, Pueblo Libre, Lima, with the theme “The Challenges ...
• 5 December 2003
  VATICAN - THE CHURCH CAN DO MUCH TO MAKE GLOBALISATION MORE HUMAN: SAID PRESIDENT OF PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE CARDINAL RENATO MARTINO, ADDRESSING INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION ON LEO XIII Vatican City (Fides) – The urgent need to give meaning to globalisation in order to overcome its many ambiguities and to put it more at the service of mankind was underlined by the President of the Pontifical Council f ...
• 5 December 2003
  EUROPE/ITALY - SALESIAN SISTERS: 1ST SEMINAR ON THEMES EMERGING FROM GENERAL CHAPTER Rome (Fides Service) – From 2-7 December 33 Salesian Sisters are meeting at the FMA Generalate in Rome to reflect on themes which emerged during the recent general chapter of the Daughters of Mary Auxiliatrix (FMA). Ni ...
• 5 December 2003
  AFRICA/IVORY COAST - REBELS REJECT 15 DECEMBER DISARMAMENT DATE PROPOSED BY PRESIDENT GBAGBO. MISSIONARIES ASK FOR PRAYERS THAT CHRISTMAS MAY BRING PEACE AT LAST Abidjan (Fides Service)- “Listening to recent declarations by President Laurent Gbagbo, peace would appear to be within reach. But the rebels are still diffident and in my opinion the situation will not be settled imme ...