America

• 4 January 2005
  AMERICA/PERU - Caritas Peru joins solidarity campaign for south east Asia seaquake victims and asks Peruvians to join international solidarity chain Lima (Fides Service) - Caritas Peru has joined the chain of solidarity launched by Caritas Internationalis in close collaboration with Caritas India and Caritas Sri Lanka to provide prompt relief aid to the victims of t ...
• 29 December 2004
  AMERICA/CHILE - The Catholic Church in Chile organises aid for seaquake victims in south Asia: nation wide special collection at Sunday masses on 9 January. Caritas network engaged in monitoring damage and needs Santiago de Chile (Fides Service) - Responding to Pope John Paul II’s call for solidarity for the peoples of Asia, and in a spirit of brotherhood, the Church in Chile has arranged for a nation wide special collection ...
• 23 December 2004
  AMERICA/BOLIVIA - Live Nativity Scene on Christmas Eve in Tupiza and “Las Posadas” in Concepcion: various aspects of Christmas in a country of many cultures and peoples Sucre (Fides Service) - Christmas came to Bolivia from Europe taking on local customs and traditions. Although also in Bolivia consumerism threatens to hide the real meaning of Christmas, a religious feast, for most fami ...
• 23 December 2004
  AMERICA/VENEZUELA - Christmas in Venezuela lasts forty days with all kinds of customs and celebrations Caracas (Fides Service) - Venezuela is a country rich in cultural traditions as a result of a process of immigration and integration of Europeans, Africans and people of mixed races. Christmas customs reflect this mixin ...
• 22 December 2004
  AMERICA/CUBA - Some Cubans are rediscovering the meaning of Christmas but many younger ones have never known a traditional Christmas Havana (Fides Service) - Christmas celebrations used to begin on December 8 with the feast of the Immaculate Conception, popularly called “the little Christmas Novena”, the national director of the Pontifical Mission ...
• 22 December 2004
  AMERICA/ECUADOR - Summer time Christmas, widespread devotion to the Baby Jesus and solidarity with the poor Quito (Fides Service) - Snow and ice would seem to be essential elements at Christmas. But not everywhere. In Ecuador people go to midnight Mass in the heat of the Summer night. People here love coloured lights, music, f ...
• 22 December 2004
  AMERICA/MEXICO - Mexicans revive “Las Posadas” tradition commemorating the journey Mary and Joseph made to Bethlehem and their unsuccessful search for a room at the Inn Mexico City (Fides Service) - Mexico is rich in Christmas traditions, including “las Posadas” (the Inns) which dates to the 16th century and commemorates the journey Mary and Joseph made to Bethlehem and their unsuc ...
• 21 December 2004
  AMERICA/PERU - “This Christmas let us live solidarity and sow hope in our country” : Christmas wish of the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference Lima (Fides Service) - Bishop Hugo Garaycoa Hawkins of Tacna and Moquegua, President of the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference, together with Bishop Juan José Larrañeta Olleta, OP, Bishop of the Apostolic Vicariate of Pu ...
• 20 December 2004
  AMERICA/MEXICO - “Let us make room for Jesus so that Christmas is not a shiny empty glass ball, but a message of hope for better times for the poor” says Bishop Arizmendi Esquivel San Cristobal De Las Casas (Fides Service) - In his Christmas Message “Jesus hope of new life”, Bishop Felipe Arizmendi Esquivel of San Cristobal De Las Casas, Chiapas (Mexico) underlined the great value of Christma ...
• 17 December 2004
  AMERICA/BRAZIL - “We are the image of Christ sent to announce the Good News and restore hope in the only Saviour” says President of the Brazilian Bishops’ Conference Brasilia (Fides Service) - “In Bethlehem Jesus did not find good will. In fact there was no place for him at the inn or in homes. There was no room among the rich. In Bethlehem Jesus was welcomed by the poor, the sheph ...
• 17 December 2004
  AMERICA/NICARAGUA - “Only Christ illuminates minds and moves hearts to break down barriers of division” Catholic Bishops say in the Christmas Message Managua (Fides Service) - The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nicaragua has published its message for Christmas. In a “Message from the Bishops of Nicaragua on the occasion of Christmas”, dated 15 December, the Bis ...
• 16 December 2004
  AMERICA/CHILE - With the slogan “In communion, with Christ we will rebuild Chile’s soul” more than 1,600 university students prepare to undertake a mission programme “Mision Pais” to be extended all over the country this year Santiago (Fides Service) - In January, from 6-16 more than 1,600 university students from Chile and other countries of Latin America will start a second edition of Mision Pais social programme of solidarity to be extend ...
• 13 December 2004
  AMERICA/BRAZIL - “We urge everyone to cultivate a culture of life, not death. Contempt for life always leads to escalation of violence, insecurity, poverty and hunger”. Catholic Bishops respond to Federal Government’s decision to revise the law on abortion Brasilia (Fides Service) - “The revision of the Abortion Law” was the title of a message issued on 9 December by the Catholic Bishops of Brazil, signed by Cardinal Geraldo Majella Agnelo, Archbishop of São Salvador ...
• 13 December 2004
  AMERICA/VENEZUELA - Where is mission in Venezuela directed? National Assembly of Pontifical Mission Societies focuses look at progress made and plans for the future Caracas (Fides Service) - Progress made by diocesan and national offices of the 4 Pontifical Mission Societies and offices for Youth Mission and mission animation plans in 2005 was the theme for discussion at the 30th a ...
• 10 December 2004
  AMERICA/ECUADOR - Bishops Conference denounce forced interpretations of constitutional norms which threaten to plunge the nation into anarchy or dictatorship Quito (Fides Service) - In a statement “For the Constitution and the Nation” dated 9 December 2004, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ecuador CEE voiced deep concern for “forced interpretations of constitution ...