Africa

• 5 April 2005
  AFRICA/TOGO - Togo declares National Mourning for John Paul II: grieving Catholics fill churches Lome (Fides Service)- “Our whole nation is mourning the passing of John Paul II” Father Carlos Olympio, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Togo told Fides. “Grieving Catholics attend the praye ...
• 5 April 2005
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - Thousands expected to attend Requiem Mass for John Paul II in Bukavu at the same time as the Funeral Mass in Rome Bukavu (Fides Service)- “We have organised a death watch for the Pope” said Xaverian Father Luigi Lo Stocco, Director of Radio Maria Queen of Peace in Bukavu, east Democratic Congo. “We are in profound communion ...
• 5 April 2005
  AFRICA/SOUTH AFRICA - The bishops of southern Africa mourn the Pope who asked for forgiveness for the slave trade carried out in the name of Christianity Pretoria (Fides Agency) - “His death, after he bore his sickness with dignity and faith, put an end to 26 years of pontificate. During these years he has guided the Church with extraordinary charisma”. In a message s ...
• 5 April 2005
  AFRICA/ALGERIA - “Your Father has died: we share your mourning”. Algerian Muslims offer their condolences to the local Catholics Algiers (Fides Agency) - “Your Father has died: our condolences”. With these words the Algerian Muslims share the mourning of the small local Catholic Community for the death of Pope John Paul II. Sources of the Whit ...
• 3 April 2005
  AFRICA/MADAGASCAR - A photograph of John Paul II hugging two little Malagasy children in his arms will remain forever in the hearts of the people of Madagascar Antananarivo (Fides Service)- “Malagasy Catholics are stricken with grief for the death of John Paul II. People are flocking to churches to pray for him” said Reverend Luca Treglia, who works with Radio Don Bosco in ...
• 3 April 2005
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - The Pope is mourned in Congo particularly at the shrine of Isiro-Niangara the burial place of the country’s first martyr beatified by John Paul II twenty years ago Isiro-Niangara (Fides Service)- “On behalf of the people of Isiro-Niangara diocese in north east Democratic Congo, the people of Congo in general and those in the town Isiro where there is the Bishop’s Residence, I ...
• 3 April 2005
  AFRICA/MADAGASCAR - “A wonderful Pope” says Cardinal Armand Razafindratandra from Madagascar Antananarivo (Fides Service)- “A wonderful Pope who will remain forever in the hearts of the people of Madagascar who remember with affection the visit Pope John Paul II made to Madagascar in 1989. The Malagasy are par ...
• 3 April 2005
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - Young Catholics in Bukavu gather around their World Youth Day Cross to give their embrace to Pope John Paul II Bukavu (Fides Service)- “People are crowding into parish churches across the country for special prayers for the Pope” said Fr Gianni Bretagnani, regional Superior of the Xaverian missionaries in Bukavu in the east o ...
• 2 April 2005
  AFRICA/SUDAN - Even in the poorest and remotest regions of Sudan people are praying for the Pope Turalei (Fides Service)- Even in the remote region of the Nuba Mountains in the heart of Sudan people are praying for the Holy Father. “Bishop Macram Max Gassis of El Obeid, went to that area to preside Easter liturgie ...
• 2 April 2005
  AFRICA/EGYPT - Catholics in Egypt who share the later Season of Lent with Orthodox majority, offer Rosary, Stations of the Cross, Masses for the Pope and his intentions. Egyptian Muslims also pray for the Pontiff, a man of peace and unity says Chaldean Bishop Youssef Sarraf from Cairo Cairo (Fides Service) - Catholics in Egypt are praying intensely for the Pope. The community has just entered the season of Lent in preparation for Easter which it celebrates in early May with the Copt Orthodox majority ...
• 2 April 2005
  AFRICA/GUINEA BISSAU - Catholics in Guinea Bissau shed tears as they pray for the Pope Bissau (Fides Service)- “Yesterday the church was filled with people who had come to pray for the Pope and I saw many faces lined with tears” said Italian PIME missionary Father Dioniso Ferraro, parish priest at Our ...
• 2 April 2005
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - “As soon as the news was given that the Pope’s condition had become critical the town ground to a halt” a missionary in Bukavu told Fides Bukavu (Fides Service)- “The whole town has been praying for the Pope since yesterday. In church people recite the rosary and take part in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Young members of movements, for example Cat ...
• 1 April 2005
  AFRICA/UGANDA - A ‘Hail Mary’ for the Pope on the lips of an Italian missionary working among 1.5 million refugees in northern Uganda Kitgum (Fides Service)- “Pray for us now and at the hour of our death”, Father Tarcisio Pazzaglia, Italian missionary in northern Uganda prays instinctively as he learns from Fides the critical situation of the Pope� ...
• 1 April 2005
  AFRICA/SOUTH AFRICA - Refugees in Cape Town pray for the Pope Cape Town (Fides Service)- “I informed my parishioners about the critical situation of the Pope’s health and we started to pray for him at this difficult time in his life” Scalabrini missionary Father Mario who wor ...
• 1 April 2005
  AFRICA/UGANDA - Uganda’s sick Catholics in hospitals and at home unite in prayer to sustain the Holy Father Lachor (Fides Service) - At St. Mary’s Hospital di Lachor Catholic patients pray intensely for Pope John Paul II at this difficult moment. The sick, in hospital and at home united now more than ever with the ailing and ...