Asia

• 15 March 2004
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - Christians assist family of Muslim bus driver shot dead for trying to prevent kidnapping of little Christian school girl. Missionary in the Philippines tells of many such stories of Christian-Muslim reciprocal solidarity Pikit (Fides Service) - Fighting in Mindanao is not a war between Muslims and Christians, Father Robert Layson, Oblate Missionary of Mary Immaculate (OMI), parish priest in Pikit and head of the OMI interreligious dialog ...
• 15 March 2004
  ASIA/INDIA - Indian Catholic Press Association marks 40th anniversary “The Catholic community was among the first to take an interest in the field of the media, often thanks to work of missionaries”, Father Babu Joseph, spokesman of the Indian Bishops Conference told Fides Bangalore (Fides Service) - “At the age of forty a person is mature. And the Indian Catholic Press Association, ICPA is marking its 40th year of activity looking at the past and to the future”. Father Babu Joseph, s ...
• 13 March 2004
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - “To uproot child labour a greater effort must be made to eliminate poverty”: Archbishop Lawrence Saldhana, President of Bishops’ Conference tells Fides - The local Church provide child workers with free afternoon schooling Lahore (Fides Service) - “To eliminate the tragedy of child labour, poverty must be eliminated and families must be enabled to live a life of dignity” said Archbishop Lawrence Saldhana of Lahore and President of the ...
• 13 March 2004
  ASIA/INDIA - The Church keeps close watch on child labour: religious institutes and lay associations provide valid assistance New Delhi (Fides Service) - “The Catholic Church in India is actively involved in initiatives to prevent child labour. Many dioceses and religious institutes work to address this problem by assisting families, providin ...
• 12 March 2004
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - Bishops-Ulema Conference channels Government grants to poor people for development projects in southern Philippines Manila (Agenzia Fides) - The Philippines government has granted 50 million pesos (about 730mila Euro) to the Bishops Ulema Conference BUC, formed of Christian and Muslim religious leaders, to fund development projects i ...
• 12 March 2004
  ASIA/INDIA - Christians request is granted: Good Friday will remain a bank holiday in Karnataka state Bangalore (Fides Service) - The governor of Karnataka in India has said that Good Friday will remain a Bank Holiday, as requested by the local Christian community in that state. Fides received the news from Bangalore dio ...
• 12 March 2004
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - Muslims and Christians called to share solidarity projects: 430 people attend meeting organised by the Catholic Bishops’ Commission for Interreligious Dialogue Kasur (Fides Service) - Working together on solidarity projects is a way to strengthen relations between Christians and Muslims: this was affirmed by an interreligious assembly of more than 430 people including Muslim an ...
• 11 March 2004
  ASIA/INDIA - “Christian are small in numbers but they can be important for the vote in India. We hope that fundamentalist Hindus do not prevail ”: Director of Pontifical Mission Societies in India speaks to Fides Bangalore (Fides Service) - “In the coming elections the Christian community, though a minority in India can play a vital role in some parts of the country. In some places the votes of Catholics can even affect the fi ...
• 11 March 2004
  ASIA/INDONESIA - Building a culture of peace and reconciliation: Lenten commitment in Jayapura diocese Jayapura (Fides Service) - A Lenten campaign to build reconciliation and tolerance has been launched in Jayapura diocese in the Indonesian province of West Papua, (or Irian Jaya), affected by violence and fighting as the ...
• 10 March 2004
  ASIA/INDIA - Catholic Bishops of India appeal to the electorate to cast ‘responsible vote’ in April general elections New Delhi (Fides Service) - An appeal to fulfil the duty to vote and to choose candidates who respect life, promote human dignity, social equality, religious harmony and national unity has been launched to the Catholics ...
• 10 March 2004
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - Seven year old Catholic school girl kidnapped in Jolo, southern Philippines, rescued by security forces Jolo (Fides Service) - Everyone in Jolo, Christians and Muslims, is relieved and happy that seven year old Catholic school girl Rachel Ann Gujit kidnapped on 19 February is safe and sound. In a massive operation on March ...
• 10 March 2004
  ASIA/VIETNAM - ‘Make Lent a time of prayer, sharing and evangelisation’ say Vietnamese Bishops Ho Chi Minh City (Fides Service) - A call to live the Season of Lent as a good time for evangelisation has been issued by Bishops in Vietnam after the Catholic Bishops’ Conference declared 2004 the Year of Evangelisati ...
• 9 March 2004
  ASIA/CHINA - Arrest of Catholic Bishop Wei Jingyi; from China a call for prayers Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - On the basis of reliable information Fides confirms that the Catholic Bishop of the diocese of Qiqihar in mainland China, Bishop Wei Jingyi, was arrested on Friday 5 March. The grounds for ...
• 9 March 2004
  ASIA/IRAQ - “The new constitution is a step forward for a democratic and united Iraq and an example for other countries in the region ” says Father Nizar Semaan, a local Catholic priest Baghdad (Agenzia Fides)-“This is certainly a positive step for national unity and the birth of a new Iraq which respects all minority groups” a local Catholic priest Father Nizar Semaan in the diocese of Ninive told ...
• 9 March 2004
  ASIA/SRI LANKA - Guarantee peace and religious freedom: Catholic Bishops of Sri Lanka issue message to political leaders and voters in view of 2 April elections Colombo (Fides Service) - Peace and religious freedom are the main focus of a message issued by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka in view of general elections on 2 April. The message was signed by Archbisho ...