Europe

• 17 March 2004
  EUROPE/BELGIUM - The family must be a priority for the European Union: COMECE statement Brussels (Fides Service) - The COMECE Secretariat has today 16 March 2004 published detailed proposals for an EU Family Strategy designed to make the enlarged EU "the most family-friendly region of the world by 2010". ...
• 15 March 2004
  EUROPE/PORTUGAL - The family: first school of solidarity: The more solidarity is lived in the family, the more hope there will be for a future with more solidarity Lisbon (Fides Service) - On the occasion of national Caritas Day in Portugal, 14 March, 3rd Sunday of Lent, the Bishops’ Commission for Social and Charitable Action issued a message on The Family: first school of solid ...
• 12 March 2004
  EUROPE/SPAIN - “Faced with the tragedy which struck Spain yesterday, new evangelisation should constantly underline the urgent need for conversion of heart, because only a heart which is converted, can open to forgiveness, love and respect for human rights and is therefore able to respect the lives of others”: Archbishop Francisco Pérez González, National Pontifical Mission Societies Director and Archbishop Military Ordinate speaks to Fides Madrid (Agenzia Fides) - Archbishop Francisco Pérez González, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Spain voiced to Fides his deep grief after the tragic terrorist attacks yesterday in Spain (with a ...
• 12 March 2004
  EUROPE/SCOTLAND/SPAIN - On behalf of the Bishops and Catholics of Scotland Cardinal Keith O'Brien expresses deepest sympathy to the people of Spain after the terrifying terrorist attacks yesterday in Madrid Rome (Fides Service) - Speaking from Rome this morning Cardinal Keith O'Brien, President of the Bishops' Conference of Scotland sent the following message to the Spanish Ambassador to the United Kingdom and the Bishops' ...
• 12 March 2004
  EUROPE/SPAIN - “There can never be any moral justification for terrorism”: Spanish Bishops’ Conference voices firm condemnation of bomb blasts in Madrid yesterday Madrid (Fides Service) - “There can never be any moral justification for terrorism” the Conference of Catholic Bishops in Spain affirmed in statement issued immediately after the tragic bomb blasts in Madrid’s unde ...
• 6 March 2004
  EUROPE/ITALY - Cause for the beatification of Opus Dei Prelate Alvaro del Portillo: opening diocesan stage in Rome Cardinal Ruini said: “An exemplary Bishop of extraordinary spiritual depth ”. Rome (Fides Service) - On 5 March in the Hall of the Conciliation at the Lateran Palace, in the Vicariate of Rome, Cardinal Camillo Ruini presided the opening session of the Ecclesiastic Court of the Vicariate of Rome fo ...
• 5 March 2004
  EUROPE/ITALY - “In their service in Argentina the sons of Don Orione fulfil the passionate longing of their Founder to render more dignified the life of the humble people”: Don Orione Director General comments appointment of Orione Bishop as Bishop of Anatuya diocese, one of the poorest in Argentina Rome (Fides Service) - “The Pope has appointed our confrere Father Adolfo Armando Uriona Bishop of the diocese of Anatuya. We welcome the news as a sign of confidence in our Father Adolfo and a sign of esteem and affec ...
• 4 March 2004
  EUROPE/SPAIN - Hispanic America Day: “Efforts for evangelisation must not wane, they must increase to meet new challenges ” Madrid (Fides Service) - On March 7 the Church in Spain will mark Hispanic America Day with the motto “United in Missionary Efforts ”, in communion with the American Missionary Congress held in Guatemala last Novemb ...
• 3 March 2004
  EUROPE/ITALY - Poor and abandoned youth “weigh on the conscience of society which wants and has globalised its economy but not its commitment for the development of peoples and the promotion of the dignity of every human person” says Salesian Rector Major Rev. Chavez Rome (Fides Service) - The precarious conditions of so many children and young people in many parts of the world and Don Bosco’s work in favour of poor, abandoned children, referred to today as ‘young people at risk� ...
• 3 March 2004
  EUROPE/SCOTLAND - “Love one another”: for Lent Cardinal O’Brien recalls Jesus' commandmentand calls Christians in Scotland to defend Christian schools, assist refugees and reject a draft Sexual Health Bill at variance with Catholic teaching Glasgow (Fides Service) - “What I wish to remind you of on the occasion of this Lenten Station Mass is quite simply that our journey toward Christ and the Sacraments is a journey toward love. Among the last words of Je ...
• 2 March 2004
  EUROPE/SPAIN - Preparations for the canonisation of Blessed Giuseppe Manyanet y Vives, the “prophet of the family”: “every home must become the home of Nazareth”. Barcelona (Fides Service) - Next Sunday, the first Sunday in March in every parish where there are Sons of the Holy Family of Jesus Mary and Joseph and Missionary Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, preparations will ...
• 1 March 2004
  EUROPE/SWITZERLAND - “We must take care of the brothers and sisters in the faith living in the land of Jesus Christ where Christianity was born” say Bishops of Switzerland calling Swiss Catholic to be generous in giving to the Holy Week collection which this year will go to help Christians in the Holy Land Friburg (Fides Service) - In a Pastoral Letter for Lent the Bishops of Switzerland called on the Swiss Catholic to be generous in giving to the Holy Week collection which this year will go to help Christians in the Holy ...
• 27 February 2004
  EUROPE/GERMANY - “Give us our daily bread…today.” - Hunger in the world is the theme of a 2004 Lenten Solidarity Campaign organised by the German Bishops starting on the first Sunday of Lent Bamberg (Fides Service) - On February 29, first Sunday in Lent, the annual Lenten Solidarity Campaign launched by the charity organisation of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Germany ,Misereor, will start with a sol ...
• 26 February 2004
  EUROPE/FRANCE - On the first day of Lent French Cardinal Barbarin calls Christians and all people of good will to show solidarity with earthquake victims in Morocco Lyons (Fides Service) - On the first day of Lent the season of fasting, prayer and sharing, Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, Archbishop of Lyons, urged Catholics to show solidarity towards victims of the earthquake in Morrocc ...
• 24 February 2004
  EUROPE/SERBIA - MONTE NEGRO - Presidents of Catholic Bishops Conference of South East Europe end annual meeting: the Church must strengthen its Christian witness, proclaiming the Gospel and promoting fundamental values including respect for life and the family Belgrade (Fides Service) - The presidents of 7 Bishops' Conferences (Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Serbia & Montenegro and Turkey) met from 20th to 22nd February in Belgrade - a city sometimes t ...