News

• 16 June 2003
  ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - CHURCH IN KOREA CHALLENGES YOUNG PEOPLE TO USE EYES OF FAITH TO VIEW INTERNET, CHAT-LINES, DRESS AND DISCOS Seoul (Fides Service) – Evangelisation and formation of youth is a major priority for the Catholic Church in Korea which emphasises in its pastoral work the need to empower the activity of Catholic laity in the social, ...
• 16 June 2003
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - CHRISTIAN AND MUSLIM RELIGIOUS LEADERS TELL PEOPLE OF MINDANAO: “HAVE COURAGE, DIALOGUE, FORGIVE AND MAKE PEACE” Zamboanga City (Fides Service) – “Have courage! This is the message of God at the times of confusion and conflict”. This is the exhortation addressed to the people of Mindanao Island in southern Philippines by the ...
• 16 June 2003
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - WILL FUNDAMENTALIST EXTREMISM BRING ARMY OF SUICIDE BOMBERS TO THE PHILIPPINES? A RESPONSE BY FATHER D’AMBRA PIME MISSIONARY IN MINDANAO Zamboanga (Fides Service) – “The only possible way to end the conflict in southern Philippines is to promote dialogue and marginalise the more radical rebel fringes”. This is the opinion of Father Sebastian D’Amb ...
• 13 June 2003
  VATICAN - THE POPE RECEIVES IN AUDIENCE PARTICIPANTS AND ORGANIZERS OF 100 PAPAL JOURNEYS: SINCE THE DAY OF MY ELECTION AS BISHOP OF ROME I HAVE HEARD IN MY HEART JESUS’ COMMAND: “GO OUT TO THE WHOLE WORLD AND PREACH THE GOSPEL TO EVERY CREATURE” (Mk 16,15) Vatican City (Fides Service) – “The one hundredth journey I have just completed offers me the opportunity to renew my heartfelt gratitude to Divine providence for allowing me to achieve this important pastoral projec ...
• 13 June 2003
  VATICAN - THE POPE SAYS THAT DESPITE THE DIFFICULTIES IT ENCOUNTERS FAMILY INSTITUTION HAS GREAT RESOURCES SINCE IT IS FIRMLY ROOTED IN HUMAN NATURE Vatican City (Fides Service) – “In Europe today the institution of the family suffers from concerning fragility which is even greater when its members are not prepared to assume their responsibilities with attitudes ...
• 13 June 2003
  VATICAN - MEETING OF PRESIDENT OF EUROPEAN BISHOPS CONFERENCES’ COMMISSIONS FOR THE FAMILY AND LIFE: SECULARISATION, SOME LAWS THREATEN THE FAMILY IN EUROPE AND EVERYWHERE Vatican City (Fides Service) – From 11 to 14 of June the Presidents of European Bishops Conferences’ Commissions for the Family and Life attended a meeting promoted by the Pontifical Council for the Family. This is t ...
• 13 June 2003
  EUROPE/ITALY - TOMORROW 7,000 CHILDREN WILL RECEIVE MISSIONARY MANDATE FROM THE POPE TO MARK 160TH ANNIVERSARY OF PONTIFICAL SOCIETY MISSIONARY CHILDHOOD Rome (Fides Service) – On June 14 Pope John Paul II will meet boys and girls, members of Missionary Childhood society, on the occasion of the 160th anniversary of the society’s founding (1843-2003). At least 7,000 ch ...
• 13 June 2003
  EUROPE/ITALY - ST JOHN OF GOD HOSPITALLER ORDER SERVES POOR SICK CHILDREN IN AFRICA Rome (Fides Service) – The Italian charity association “Uniti per Tanguieta e Afagnan” UTA supports hospitals in Tanguieta in Togo and Afagnan in Benin opened respectively in 1961 and 1970 by the Italian Lombardo-V ...
• 13 June 2003
  EUROPE/TURKEY - ALSO TURKEY SUFFERS FROM TOURISM CRISIS: CAPUCHIN MISSIONARIES CALL FOR A CONCRETE ANSWER Antioch (Fides Service) – With the war in Iraq, Turkey is living another economic crisis because of the decline in tourism: this increases poverty particularly among the lower social classes which find themselves plung ...
• 13 June 2003
  AFRICA/LIBERIA - UN SAYS LIBERIA’S PRESIDENT IS ACCOMPLICE TO DIAMOND SMUGGLING BETWEEN SIERRA LEONE AND LIBERIA, THE CHARGE COULD ENDANGER PEACE TALKS Monrovia (Fides Service) – Peace talks organised under the aegis of the 15 countries of the Economic and Development Community of West African Nations, open today at Akosombo, near Accra. But Charles Taylor has said th ...
• 13 June 2003
  ASIA/INDIA - AGENDA FOR NEXT ASIAN YOUTH DAY: GLOBALISATION, WAR ON TERRORISM, AIDS, DRUG ABUSE, ENVIRONMENT IMBALANCE, UNEMPLOYMENT, FUNDAMENTALISM, CONSUMERISM, VALUES CRISIS Bangalore (Fides Service) - More than one thousand youth delegates from various dioceses in many Asian countries will attend Asian Youth Day in Bangalore India, 9-16 August 2003 at the invitation of the Indian Bishops’ ...
• 12 June 2003
  VATICAN - THE POPE SAYS AT GENERAL AUDIENCE: “TO THE LORD WHO FOR ONE HUNDRED TIMES OPENED FOR ME THE ROADS OF THE WORLD AND NATIONS…I OFFER FROM THE DEPTH OF MY HEART DEEPEST GRATITUDE” Vatican City (Fides Service) – “I would like in thought to retrace with you the visit to Croatia I was able to make a few days ago…it was my one hundredth apostolic journey! To the Lord who for one hundred times op ...
• 12 June 2003
  EUROPE/ITALY - RECTOR OF PONTIFICAL INSTITUTE FOR ARAB AND ISLAMIC STUDIES, FATHER LACUNZA, MAKES STATEMENT TO FIDES SERVICE WITH REGARD TO PREACHERS OF HATRED: “HAVING DEDICATED 30 YEARS TO THE STUDY OF ISLAMIC WRITINGS, PERHAPS I TOO AM CONSIDERED AN ENEMY OF ISLAM?” Rome (Fides Service) – “There can be no place for people who encourage hatred and incite to kill. This is insanity. It is a matter of public order which the government must face. To use institutional places such as c ...
• 12 June 2003
  AFRICA/DJIBOUTI - WITNESSES TO THE FAITH IN DJIBOUTI TODAY: CATHOLIC BISHOP OF DJIBOUTI ADDRESSES PASTORAL LETTER TO HIS LITTLE FLOCK Djibouti (Fides Service) – “You shall be my witnesses in Djibouti” is the title of a Pastoral Letter issued by Bishop Giorgio Bertin of Djibouti at the end of special Church Meeting of reflection on the presence of ...
• 12 June 2003
  AFRICA/KENYA - LOOKING TO THE FUTURE, DESPITE FLOODS, STATE DEFICIT AND THREAT OF TERRORISM Nairobi (Fides Service) – At last the torrential rains which pounded Kenya for the past month have ceased. The most affected regions were in the east, particularly Nyanza Province and West Province. The situation has ...