Asia

• 31 May 2014
  ASIA/TURKEY – Mobilisation to reconvert Ayasofya Musem back into a mosque Istanbul (Agenzia Fides) – In an Istanbul braced for the first anniversary of the Gezi Park revolt, the Saudi Imam Abdullah Basfar is to lead street prayers organised for Saturday 31 May in front of Ayasofya Museum to ...
• 30 May 2014
  ASIA/PAKISTAN – The local Church: crimes to avenge honour, an evil practice which must be eradicated Lahore (Agenzia Fides) – “We firmly condemn the brutal killing of Farzana Parveen Bibi, a pregnant mother stoned to death by family members in the precinct of Lahore High Court. The old custom of crimes to avenge hon ...
• 30 May 2014
  ASIA/MYANMAR – Blessed father Vergara and Blessed Isidoro will give “impulse to vocations and to mission” Loikaw (Agenzia Fides) – “We rejoice for the beatification of PIME missionary Fr Vergara and the lay catechist Isidoro. We are proud of them both. It was Fr Mario Vergara who evangelised us and we see it as a blessin ...
• 28 May 2014
  ASIA/INDIA - The Hindu fundamentalists: request to ban the Muslim call to prayer in India Mangalore (Agenzia Fides) - In a seemingly provocative act, tended to disturb the harmony between different religious communities in India, the Hindu group "Rashtriya Hindu Andolan", based in Mangalore, has requested tha ...
• 27 May 2014
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - Asia Bibi's case disappears from the list of hearings, the possibility of an appeal diminishes Lahore (Agenzia Fides) - The first hearing of the appeal for Asia Bibi, a Christian woman sentenced to death for blasphemy, will not take place today, 27th May, and no one knows if and when it will be scheduled again. Th ...
• 27 May 2014
  ASIA/VIETNAM - Tensions with China: the faithful pray for justice and peace Hanoi (Agenzia Fides) - More than 2,000 faithful Catholics gathered for a prayer vigil and Mass with the intention of praying intensely for justice and peace, while between China and Vietnam, tension remains high because ...
• 26 May 2014
  ASIA/CHINA - 20 000 baptisms celebrated at Easter in the Catholic community in mainland China Shi Jia Zhuang (Agenzia Fides) - "Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel" (1 Cor 9: 16), in the spirit of Paul's exhortation, the Catholic community in mainland China reaped the fruits of evangelization at Easter 2014. ...
• 26 May 2014
  ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - South Korea invites a group of North Korean Catholics to the Pope's Mass in Seoul Seoul (Agenzia Fides) - South Korea has invited members of the Catholic community of North Korea to participate in the Mass that Pope Francis will celebrate in Seoul at the end of his pilgrimage from August 14 to 18: thi ...
• 23 May 2014
  ASIA/THAILAND - After the coup, Bishops and religious leaders become mediators between the warring parties Bangkok (Agenzia Fides) - The Bishops and other religious leaders of Thailand will play a role and offer their contribution to mediate between the warring factions and find a political solution to the crisis: is what His ...
• 23 May 2014
  ASIA/HOLY LAND - Even the Catholic Patriarchs of the East welcome the Pope in the Holy Land Rome (Agenzia Fides) - All the Patriarchs of the Eastern Catholic Churches that have patriarchal exarchates and community of believers in the Holy Land, will welcome Pope Francis during the three-day pilgrimage that will ...
• 22 May 2014
  ASIA/IRAQ - National elections: Premier al-Maliki prevails, 5 seats reserved for Christians Baghdad (Agenzia Fides) - The official results of the Iraqi national elections held on 30 April, issued in recent days by the Independent Electoral Commission, have also made public the assignment of 5 parliamentary seat ...
• 22 May 2014
  ASIA/MALAYSIA - A Catholic nun dies after being assaulted Kuala Lumpur (Agenzia Fides) - Sister Juliana Lim, 69, of the Congregation of the Infant Jesus, died yesterday after a violent attack suffered on May 14 in Seremban, a town near Kuala Lumpur. This is confirmed to Fides A ...
• 21 May 2014
  ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - The Cardinal of Seul visits North Korea Seoul (Agenzia Fides) - Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-jung, Archbishop of Seoul, is the first Roman Catholic Cardinal to set foot in North Korea: today, May 21, the Archbishop crossed the border and made a brief visit to the ...
• 21 May 2014
  ASIA/NORTH KOREA - North Korea: Religious freedom denied Seoul (Agenzia Fides) - Religious freedom is completely denied in North Korea, considered the world's most hostile nation to Christianity: the report "World Watch List 2013", released by the American organization "Open D ...
• 21 May 2014
  ASIA/JORDAN - Syrian refugees await Pope Francis. The director of Caritas Jordan: they hope that the world will remember them Amman (Agenzia Fides) - A Syrian Muslim refugee from Homs and a Christian Iraqi refugees will tell Pope Francis their stories full of pain and fatigue during the meeting that the Bishop of Rome will have with refugees, t ...