News

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  21 August 2024
  AFRICA/ETHIOPIA - Kidnappings for ransom on the rise Addis Ababa (Fides News Agency) – Kidnappings for ransom are on the rise in several regions of Ethiopia. These are carried out by criminal gangs as well as guerrilla movements that use ransom money to finance themselve ...
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  21 August 2024
  VATICAN/GENERAL AUDIENCE - The Pope: Christians spread the fragrance of Christ, not the stench of their own sins Vatican City (Fides News Agency) - "We are, before God, the fragrance of Christ". Pope Francis quotes Saint Paul and asks Catholics to commit so people may feel "the fragrance of the Spirit of Christ" surrounding each be ...
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  21 August 2024
  EUROPE/UKRAINE - This is how the Orthodox Church connected with the Moscow Patriarchate has been banned from Ukraine by Chiara Dommarco Kiev (Fides News Agency) – On Tuesday, August 20, the Verkhovna Rada, the unicameral Parliament of Ukraine, approved, in its second reading, Bill 8371, entitled "On the protection of the constitut ...
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  20 August 2024
  AFRICA/NIGERIA - Concern for the fate of the 20 medical students abducted on August 15 Abuja (Fides News Agency) - Still no news of the 20 medical students abducted on August 15th in Benue State, in east-central Nigeria. The students were en route to the annual national congress held by the Federation of C ...
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  19 August 2024
  AFRICA/DR CONGO - "The crisis in North Kivu is not just neglected but tolerated" says the UN Humanitarian Coordinator to the DRC Kinshasa (Fides News Agency) - "6 humanitarian operators were killed and 11 kidnapped between January and June of this year, with upwards of 200 incidents which directly targeted humanitarian operators on the field", sai ...
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  19 August 2024
  AMERICA/COLOMBIA - Eln proclaims an "armed strike". The bishops: "Violence is never the answer" Bogota (Fides News Agency) - The stalemate in peace negotiations and the dialogue crisis between the National Liberation Army (ELN) and the government have plunged Colombia into an increasingly tightening spiral of viole ...
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  19 August 2024
  AFRICA/SOUTH SUDAN - The governor of Unity State bans forced marriages Juba (Fides News Agency) - Enough with forced marriages for women and girls. This is what Riek Biem, governor of Unity State in South Sudan, has established. "I am the governor of this State and I declare today: let us s ...
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  18 August 2024
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO - Sixty years after martyrdom, the missionaries of Uvira proclaimed Blessed Uvira (Fides News Agency) – Blessed are the Xaverian missionaries killed out of an odium fidei during the Mulelist uprising against the Congolese Government. Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, Archbishop of Kinshasa, r ...
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  18 August 2024
  VATICAN/ANGELUS Pope Francis: "The Eucharist is necessary, Jesus saves us by nourishing our lives with His" Vatican City (Fides News Agency) – "The Eucharist is necessary, for everyone. Jesus takes care of our greatest need: he saves us, nourishing our lives with his, and does it forever". These are the words of Pope Francis ...
• 15 August 2024
  AFRICA/KENYA - Appointment of Military Ordinary for Kenya Vatican City (Fides News Agency) - The Holy Father has appointed H.E. Msgr. Wallace Ng'ang'a Gachihi - titular Bishop of Thucca di Mauritania and Auxiliary of Nairobi - as Ordinary of the Military Ordinariate of Kenya. ...
• 15 August 2024
  ASIA/INDIA - Appointment of the Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Kannur Vatican City (Fides News Agency) - The Holy Father has appointed the Rev. Msgr. Dennis Kuruppassery, of the clergy of Kottapuram - hitherto Nunciature Counselor in service at the Pontifical Representation in Malta - as A ...
• 15 August 2024
  AFRICA/KENYA - Appointment of the Bishop of the Diocese of Embu Vatican City (Fides News Agency) - The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Peter Kimani Ndung 'u S.A.C. - of the clergy of the Archdiocese of Nairobi, hitherto National Chaplain of the Prison Service of Kenya - Bishop ...
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  15 August 2024
  VATICAN/ANGELUS - The Pope: our destination is Heaven, "Mary precedes us on this journey" by Fabio Beretta Vatican City (Fides News Agency) - The goal of every Christian is Heaven. And Mary "precedes" us on this "journey". Pope Francis said it this morning overlooking a sweltering St. Peter's Square for t ...
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  15 August 2024
  EUROPE/UKRAINE - Zuppi-Li Hui phone call: China and the Holy See working to promote dialogue Vatican City (Fides News Agency) - "On the morning of August 14, 2024, a cordial conversation was held between Mr. Li Hui, Special Representative of the Chinese Government for Eurasian Affairs, and Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, ...
• 14 August 2024
  AFRICA/MADAGASCAR - Appointment of the Bishop of Ambatondrazaka Vatican City (Fides News Agency) - The Holy Father Francis has appointed the Reverend Orthasie Marcellin Herivonjilalaina, S.A.C - thus far the Rector of the Major Philosophical Seminary of Toamasina - Bishop of the Dioc ...