Asia

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  5 October 2017
  ASIA/TAIWAN - The life of seafarers and fishermen between forced labor and human trafficking Kaohsiung City (Fides Service) - The XXIV World Congress of the Apostleship of the Sea (AoS), on the theme: 'Caught in the net' is being held in Kaohsiung City until October 7. The chosen theme expresses the concern of ...
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  4 October 2017
  ASIA/MIDDLE EAST - The annual Synods of the Chaldean Church and the Syro-Catholic Church have begun Harissa (Agenzia Fides) - The annual Synods of the Syro-Catholic Church and the Chaldean Church have begun almost simultaneously. The Syro-Catholic Bishops, under the presidency of Patriarch Ignatius Youssif III Younan ...
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  4 October 2017
  ASIA/MYANMAR - Cardinal Bo: "It is urgent to stop the violence on the Rohingya" Yangon (Agenzia Fides) - "It is urgent to stop any form of violence on the Rohingya population. It is dramatic that, with fighters coming from abroad, a new conflict front in the state of Rakhine is being opened. The gov ...
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  4 October 2017
  ASIA/THAILAND - Preparations for the funeral of 'the Greatest King of Siamese History' Bangkok (Agenzia Fides) - Over 500 officers of the Thai Navy have participated in the preparations for the Royal Cremation of the revered late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died last October at the age of 88. The funeral ...
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  3 October 2017
  ASIA/INDIA - New consecrated women in the Catholic Community of Orissa Bhubaneswar (Agenzia Fides) - The Catholic community in the Indian state of Orissa (or Odisha), which has suffered violence and massacres in recent years, is not discouraged and generates new vocations to consecrated lif ...
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  3 October 2017
  ASIA/IRAQ - Bishops of Local Churches: the clash on the independence of Kurdistan independence must not be "internationalized" Erbil (Agenzia Fides) - Potential conflicts triggered by the referendum on the independence of Iraqi Kurdistan can only be prevented by "genuinely sitting at the table of negotiation for dialogue". The clash between the ...
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  3 October 2017
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - Religious minorities under attack: it is urgent to repeal the blasphemy law Lahore (Agenzia Fides) - Christian Washaal Masih and his colleague Bhola Ram of Hindu religion, two humble workers, employed in the town of Behawalnagar, in the South of Pakistani Punjab, were arrested for blasphemy, wit ...
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  2 October 2017
  ASIA/TURKEY - Erdogan to the US: we will release Evangelical pastor Brunson if in return you hand over Fetullah Gulen Ankara (Agenzia Fides) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is willing to release US Evangelical pastor Andrew Craig Brunson - detained in Turkey for one year and accused of espionage (see Fides 29/8/2017) if in exch ...
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  2 October 2017
  ASIA/LEBANON - Maronite Patriarch and the leader of Hezbollah: Syrian refugees must return to Syria Beirut (Agenzia Fides) - The presence of Syrian refugees in Lebanon is creating an unsustainable situation that can only be addressed by promoting the return of Syrian refugees to their Country. This is what Maronite Pat ...
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  2 October 2017
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - Jesuits: One cannot build a nation on the dead bodies of the Filipino people Manila (Agenzia Fides) - "We cannot build a nation on the dead bodies of the Filipino people. We cannot fight evil with guns and bullets", said the Jesuits of the Philippines in a widespread appeal to all the dioceses, c ...
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  29 September 2017
  ASIA/SYRIA - A Christian becomes President of the Syrian Parliament Damascus (Agenzia Fides) - Hamoudeh Sabbagh ied, 59, is the first Christian elected President of the People's Assembly (the Syrian Parliament) in decades. In the election, which took place on Thursday 28 September, Chris ...
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  29 September 2017
  ASIA/MYANMAR - In Parliament the new law against "hate speech": a step forward Yangon (Agenzia Fides) - The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture of Myanmar has submitted a draft law against "hate speech" to Parliament. The measure will be discussed and submitted to legislators for possible cha ...
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  28 September 2017
  ASIA/JAPAN - "Is the Gospel needed in Japan?" Tokyo (Agenzia Fides) - "A question remains carved in our minds and in our hearts. A question that Cardinal Fernando Filoni provocatively left us during his pastoral visit: Is the Gospel needed in Japan? Where and how to ...
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  27 September 2017
  ASIA/INDIA - Promotion of health care in rural villages, not "proselytism" Gumla (Agenzia Fides) – The Daughters of Sant'Anna, Catholic Sisters present in the Indian state of Jharkhand, are at the forefront of health care assistance for those people who do not have it, especially in rural are ...
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  27 September 2017
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - A woman converts from Islam to Christianity: now she and her family risk their lives Lahore (Agenzia Fides) - A Pakistani woman from Punjab who has chosen to convert from Islam to Christianity has been threatened with death and forced to flee from her home, to take refuge in a secret place and is hiding ...