Africa

• 12 January 2006
  EUROPE/FRANCE - Society of African Missions (SMA) celebrates 150th anniversary Lyons (Agenzia Fides) - This year the Lyons Society for African Missions SMA is celebrating the 150th anniversary of its foundation. It was one of many missionary institutes started in the mid 19th century to evangelise ...
• 12 January 2006
  AFRICA/CAMEROON - “women religious are a precious and irreplaceable resource for the Church in Cameroon”. says Pontifical Mission Societies national director Yaounde (Fides Service)- “The history of the Church in Cameroon is a detailed testimony of women religious from 1892 to our day” says rev. Boniface Bouobda, national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Ca ...
• 12 January 2006
  AFRICA/KENYA - “The local Catholic Church is the institution most committed to helping people suffering the consequences of drought ” Nairobi (Fides Service)- “The local Catholic Church is probable the institution most involved in helping people who suffer the consequences of the prolonged drought which has affected many parts of the country” said ...
• 11 January 2006
  AFRICA/CÔTE D' IVOIRE - In Côte d'Ivoire Clerics of St Viator mark 50 years of service and solidarity Abidjan (Fides Service)- The Clerics of St Viator in Côte d'Ivoire are celebrating 50 years of presence in this African country. Celebrations will culminate on 25 June. The Clerics’ charisma is teaching Catholic doctr ...
• 11 January 2006
  AFRICA/DR CONGO - “We will continue to help the Congolese people choose honest and capable political leaders” says Cardinal Etsou in first Pastoral Letter of 2006 Kinshasa (Fides Service) - The Catholic Church in DR Congo has confirmed its commitment to promote civic education in order to build a society of justice and peace, truth and brotherly love. Cardinal Frédéric Nzambi Ba ...
• 10 January 2006
  AFRICA/SUDAN - “Sudan is the country with the second highest number of refugees and displaced persons in the world” says Laura Boldrini of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees Rome (Fides Service)- “Sudan is the world’s second largest “producer” of refugees after Afghanistan” says Laura Boldrini, of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees UNHCR. “At present there are over 7 ...
• 9 January 2006
  AFRICA/KENYA - “We appreciate the government’s decision to declare a state of emergency for the food shortage in the north east regions of the country” says President of the Bishops’ Conference Kenya Nairobi (Fides Service)- “We appreciate the government’s decision to declare a national state of emergency” said Bishop Cornelius Kipng’eno Arap Korir, Catholic Bishop of Eldoret and President of the Bishops' Ke ...
• 9 January 2006
  AFRICA/NIGER - Catholic Church in Niger looks back on 75 years of service and good relations in this mainly Muslim country Niamey (Fides Service) - In this new year 2006 the small Catholic Church in Niger with only two dioceses, is marking 75 years of service in this mainly Muslim country. In fact the people of Niger are 98% Muslim. The ...
• 23 December 2005
  AFRICA/UGANDA - “Christmas finds children in northern Uganda in the same situation as the Holy Infant Jesus who had to flee into Egypt” a Catholic missionary says Gulu (Fides Service)-“Christmas finds children in northern Uganda in about the same situation as the Holy Infant Jesus who had to flee into Egypt” says a missionary in the north of Uganda where majority of the popula ...
• 21 December 2005
  AFRICA/DR CONGO - Clear lead of “yes” votes in referendum to approve new Constitution. “This is the civil and peaceful response from a people who suffered so much in so many years of violence and abuse” says local missionary Kinshasa (Fides Service)- “Yes” votes should make a clear win in the referendum on the Constitution in the Democratic Republic of Congo according to the first official results after a third of the votes had been coun ...
• 21 December 2005
  AFRICA/ANGOLA - UN High Commission for Refugees voluntary repatriation programme completed Luanda (Fides Service) - The repatriation of a group of 42 Angolan refugees from Botswana last Sunday 18 December marked the end of a three year voluntary repatriation programme launched by the United Nations High Commis ...
• 20 December 2005
  AFRICA/TUNISIA - “Christmas passes almost unnoticed in Tunis in the eyes of the world but not in the eyes of the faith: we are a tiny flock but we live this important Feast Day with deep devotion " says Fr. Eugenio Elías Tunis (Fides Service) - Christmas celebrations in Tunis are far less visible than in many other parts of the world, says Fr. Eugenio Elías, a member of the Institute of the Incarnate Word, first of all because the perce ...
• 19 December 2005
  AFRICA/DR CONGO- Congo’s constitutional referendum continues. Operations to verify the vote of representatives of the Catholic Church are coordinated by different religious confessions present in the country Kinshasa (Fides Service) - Observers of various different religions are monitoring voting in the constitution referendum taking place in Democratic Congo. This monitoring service is organised by Inter-diocesan Hall at th ...
• 19 December 2005
  AFRICA/DR CONGO - Voters flock to vote Bukavu in the grip of “referendum fever” Bukavu (Fides Service) - In Congo where a two day constitutional referendum is underway parish priests remind people that voting is a right and a duty. “This Sunday is a memorable day for our country. Each one of us is ...
• 17 December 2005
  AFRICA/DR CONGO - On the eve of the referendum President Kabila says he is moving his office to Bukavu in eastern Congo to promote stability in that part of the country where war is still a threat Bukavu (Fides Service)- “This is a positive signal and it will give the people in the east of the country new hope although prudence is necessary” say local sources in Bukavu the main town in the south Kivu region of ...