News

• 21 March 2006
  ASIA/HONG KONG - New Cardinal Zen tells delegates of Catholic parishes and associations: “parishes must give more attention to the formation of the laity” Hong Kong (Fides Service) - “Difficulties and scarcity of funds must not prevent us from restructuring the diocese’s system of formation which must be simplified and made more effective” said Bishop Joseph Zen of H ...
• 21 March 2006
  OCEANIA/AUSTRALIA - Mission and Spirituality newsletter offers Lenten reflections, update on the fight against AIDS, and new edition of the Bible Sydney (Fides Service) - A Lenten Reflection based on Pope Benedict XVI Message for Lent; anti-AIDS awareness campaign in Australia and Catholic involvement; in memory of Archbishop Oscar Romero, martyred in Salvador in ...
• 21 March 2006
  OCEANIA/AUSTRALIA - Cyclone Larry puts Queensland in state of emergency: churches offer shelter to homeless families Townsville (Fides Service) - A violent cyclone Larry struck the eastern coastal regions of Australia on March 19. The category 5 cyclone, the most destructive in thirty years, raged with winds up to 300km per hour along ...
• 21 March 2006
  AFRICA/KENYA - Drought consequences in north east Kenya ever more serious: flocks lost, herdsmen clash, refugee food rations cut Nairobi (Fides Service)- Serious prolonged drought in north east Kenya is having serious social consequences. Oxfam International says herdsmen who have lost their animals because of water shortage could take more than 1 ...
• 21 March 2006
  ASIA/INDONESIA - Moluccas and Sulawesi leaders say the only way to stop violence and prevent conflict is to promote a change of heart and for every member of the community to be committed to building peace and harmony Ambon (Fides Service) - Following a visit by the Indonesian president Susilo Bambanag Yudhoyono to the troubled provinces of Moluccas and Sulawesi the country’s religious, civil and political leaders have said the only ...
• 21 March 2006
  ASIA/CHINA - Three year refresher course for women religious in Han Dan diocese Han Dan (Fides Service) - Women religious in the diocese of Han Dan will be offered a three year updating course to foster spiritual and intellectual growth in view of ever better service in the work of evangelisation a ...
• 21 March 2006
  AMERICA/UNITED STATES - “It is our duty as pastors and teachers to promote, preserve, and protect marriage as it is willed by God”: US Catholic Bishops’ statement Washington (Fides Service) - “It is our duty as pastors and teachers - a responsibility we share with the Christian faithful and with all persons of good will - to promote, preserve, and protect marriage as it is wille ...
• 21 March 2006
  AFRICA - Africa discusses avian flu threat Libreville (Fides Service)- '”The appearance of avian flu in south east Asia, Europe and more recently in Africa is a cause for serious concern in the international community”, the president of Gabon Omar Bongo Ond ...
• 21 March 2006
  ASIA/CAMBODIA - Local Church opens John Paul II Pro-Life Centre for families with HIV/AIDS Kep City (Fides Service) - In 2003 in Cambodia 20 new cases of HIV-AIDS were registered every day. In 2005 in nine months 10,000 new cases of HIV and 19,811 cases of AIDS were registered, according to the Department of S ...
• 21 March 2006
  AFRICA/CAPE VERDE - Capuchin project provides decent homes for poor people in Cape Verde Praia (Fides Service) - To help some of the many people in Cape Verde, the elderly, the poor, single mothers, large families living in make shift homes or caves the local community Capuchin Fathers, who first arrived her ...
• 20 March 2006
  AMERICA/MEXICO - 2nd Continental Meeting for National Directors of Pontifical Mission Societies in America Mexico City (Fides Service) -Some 24 national directors of the Pontifical Mission Societies from all over American continent have arrived in Mexico City to take part in the 2nd Continental Meeting for National Directors ...
• 20 March 2006
  ASIA/CHINA - Catholic young people and immigrant foreign workers celebrate St Joseph national patron anxious to learn from him the virtue of humility Beijing (Agenzia Fides) - “In a world where so much importance is given in success and getting rich, and fundamental values of the family, faith and humility are undervalued St Joseph can be of great help” a priest i ...
• 20 March 2006
  VATICAN - The Pope’s Angelus: “St Joseph’s example urges us to carry out with fidelity, simplicity and modesty the task assigned to us by Divine Providence" Vatican City (Fides Service) - Before leading the recitation of the midday Angelus prayer on Sunday 19 March with people gathered in St Peter’s square to receive his blessing Pope Benedict XVI said: “Today 19 March i ...
• 20 March 2006
  OCEANIA/ SOLOMON ISLANDS From Africa to the Pacific South African Bishop Kevin Dowling in Melanesia on “choose life” campaign against AIDS Honiara (Fides Service) - It is a journey which has taken him to Papua New Guinea, Solomon Island and other parts of the Pacific to increase awareness on the theme of respect for life and the fight against HIV/AIDS: Bish ...
• 20 March 2006
  AMERICA - Viral haemorrhaging fevers have 80% mortality rate. Diagnosis kit for Ebola, Marburg and other infective diseases Rome (Fides Service) - Laboratory researchers on infective diseases at Columbia University have developed a quick test to identify viral haemorrhaging fevers like those caused by the Ebola and Marburg viruses. Increasi ...