Asia

• 17 November 2014
  ASIA/INDONESIA - The Bishops: not only tolerance but authentic fraternity Jakarta (Agenzia Fides) - Catholics are called to build "true brotherhood, based on love and mutual respect" in Indonesia: says the final message, written at the conclusion of the General Assembly of the Indonesian Bisho ...
• 15 November 2014
  ASIA/LAOS - Families evicted from villages after converting to Christianity Vientiane (Agenzia Fides) - Seven Hmong Christians were arrested in the province of Luang Namtha, northern Laos, on November 2, after converting from animism to Christianity. As Fides learns, after a few days five of the ...
• 15 November 2014
  ASIA/SYRIA - 25 Christian families still in Raqqa. Obligation to pay a "protection tax" Raqqa (Agenzia Fides) – In Raqqa, the city of northern Syria which has become a stronghold of the jihadists of the Islamic State (IS) since 2014, counts only 23 Christian families of the 1500 who lived there before the ...
• 15 November 2014
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - Cardinal Tagle: "The Pope's visit, a blessing that invokes responsibility" Manila (Agenzia Fides) - "The papal visit will surely bring much blessing to the Filipinos, especially to the poor, the survivors of recent natural and human-caused calamities, and the victims of injustices. The concern ...
• 14 November 2014
  ASIA/MYANMAR - The poor and vulnerable children in the Country seek refuge in Thailand Naypyidaw (Agenzia Fides) - In order to attend school, children in Myanmar are forced to emigrate on their own, without their parents, towards camps in the mountainous forests of Thailand. Decades of war and neglect have ...
• 14 November 2014
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - Blasphemy in Pakistan, data on victims: who will pay off all the suffering? Lahore (Agenzia Fides) - The blasphemy law continues to claim victims in Pakistan and religious minorities are the most vulnerable. According to the data collected by an NGO network in Pakistan "Awaz-e-Haq Itehad" (AHI) ...
• 14 November 2014
  ASIA/SYRIA - Archbishop Hindo: if the US attack the Syrian army, we will have a second Libya Hassaké (Agenzia Fides) - "If the US-led intervention against the jihadists of the Islamic State eventually turns against the Syrian army, we could have a second Libya in Syria". This is how Archbishop Jacques Behnan Hi ...
• 13 November 2014
  ASIA/LEBANON - Syrian Orthodox Church: international protection for Christians in the Nineveh Plain is needed Beirut (Agenzia Fides) - The international community must take charge of the return and protection of Christians in the Nineveh Plain, the area of northern Iraq where many cities have suffered the predominantly Christian ...
• 13 November 2014
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - Christian and Muslim leaders: justice and prayer for the couple burned alive Lahore (Agenzia Fides) - Eminent Christian and Muslim leaders in Pakistan gathered today in Lahore to demand justice and to pray for the Christian couple burned alive in Kasur because accused of blasphemy (see Fides 04/1 ...
• 13 November 2014
  ASIA/LEBANON - The Maronite League: no foreign Country can decide on the future of Lebanon Beirut (Agenzia Fides) - For all the Lebanese "it is inconceivable that foreign parties or factions claim to determine the demographic and political scenarios of Lebanon for decades to come". It is unacceptable "to entru ...
• 12 November 2014
  ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - Catholic students: bring the message of Christ in schools and universities Seoul (Agenzia Fides) - It is now more urgent than ever to proclaim the message of Christ and give Christian witness in schools and universities: says the Federation of Catholic Students, a movement that celebrated the 6 ...
• 12 November 2014
  ASIA/HONG KONG - Pilgrims in Yim Tin Tsai recall St. Joseph Freinademetz Hong Kong (Agenzia Fides) – The Catholic community on the island of Yim Tin Tsai, in Hong Kong, is paying tribute to the great Divine Word missionary St. Joseph Freinademetz (1852-1908), who lived in these places durin ...
• 12 November 2014
  ASIA/SYRIA - Negotiations for a truce in Aleppo. Bishop Abou Khazen: it is only useful if it brings us closer to true peace Aleppo (Agenzia Fides) - "Among the population of Aleppo there is hope, but also skepticism regarding the hypothesis of a truce to silence the weapons in the region of Aleppo": this is how Bishop Georges Abou Khazen OFM, ...
• 12 November 2014
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - The state has given the St. Francis school back to the Church Lahore (Agenzia Fides) - The Archdiocese of Lahore obtained the restitution of the St. Francis school, among the properties nationalized in the past by the Pakistani government. As reported to Agenzia Fides by local sour ...
• 11 November 2014
  ASIA/HOLY LAND - The Heads of Churches in Jerusalem visit the Esplanade of the Mosques Jerusalem (Agenzia Fides) – On Monday 10 November, a delegation of Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem visited the Esplanade of the Mosques, Haram al Sharif. The area of the Holy City is again at the center ...