News

• 12 July 2005
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - Administrative elections and voters’ rights: minority groups say “No” to discrimination on religious grounds Lahore (Fides Service) - The Lahore Commission for Peace and Development which promotes respect for the rights of minority groups in Pakistan has criticised the government for allowing discrimination in the upcoming elec ...
• 12 July 2005
  ASIA/INDIA - Christians decide to unite to produce a “Dictionary of Christianity in Southern Asia” to eradicate religious fundamentalism and restore traditional harmony New Delhi (Fides Service) - Christians in India have united to produce a ‘Dictionary of Christianity in Southern Asia’ which they hope will help people today realise the role played by the Christian faith in the last ...
• 12 July 2005
  OCEANIA/PAPUA NUOVA GUINEA - Listening and praying the Word of God: antidote for juvenile delinquency. Retreat in preparation for World Youth Day Port Moresby (Fides Service) - During a recent Retreat to conclude a year of preparation in view of World Youth Day a group of young Catholics from Port Moresby, capital of Papua New Guinea, reflected on God’s love for ...
• 12 July 2005
  AMERICA/ARGENTINA - “New religious movements and the challenge they pose to mission” Seminar Workshop on “Ecumenism and Mission” 16 and 17 July in Buenos Aires Buenos Aires (Fides Service) - To study, understand and appreciate ecumenism the Pontifical Mission Societies in Argentina have organised a Seminar Workshop on Ecumenism and Mission to be held at the PMS national offices ...
• 12 July 2005
  AMERICA/MEXICO - The serious challenges born of a mentality which is global, pragmatic and notoriously selfish, “call the Church and its Bishops to constantly revise their task of evangelisation”: statement from Mexican Bishops after 79th general assembly Mexico City (Fides Service) - Although there has been progress thanks to efforts on all sides to strengthen democracy and guarantee relative economic stability and respect for personal freedom, etc., nevertheless “seri ...
• 12 July 2005
  ASIA/CHINA - Precious contribution offered by the Prado Institute for the formation of priests and religious in China underlined during a recent visit by Superior General Rev. Robert Daviaud Shi Jia Zhuang (Fides Service) - “I think we and the Church in China are building a relationship of reciprocal trust, understanding and acceptance and ever deeper esteem” said Rev. Robert Daviaud, Superior General of ...
• 12 July 2005
  AFRICA/ZIMBABWE - South African ecumenical delegation in Zimbabwe to view conditions of people after the government’s ‘Restore Order’ operation Harare (Fides Service)- “Cruel and inuman” were the adjectives used by the South African Council of Churches to describe the present conditions of thousands of people in Zimbabwe who lost their homes in the governmen ...
• 12 July 2005
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - The Bishops of Democratic Congo deplore latest acts of violence and call for an investigation Kinshasa (Fides Service)- “The standing committee of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference in Democratic Congo deplores the sad events which ocurred on 30 June 2005” reads a statement signed by Archbishop Laurent Monsen ...
• 12 July 2005
  EUROPE/SPAIN - “Families and Catholics in Spain have taken to the streets and there is talk of a world campaign to protect the family” President of the Spanish Institute for Family Policies tells Fides Madrid (Fides Service) - “We can say that there are positive and negative aspects” Eduardo Hertfelder, President of the Spanish Institute for Family Policies IPF with regard to the present situation in Spain since am ...
• 12 July 2005
  AFRICA/NIGERIA - Dispute over oil profit sharing threatens National Conference on Political Reform Lagos (Fides Service)- While there is growing world concern for rising oil prices, oil profit sharing is at the centre of political discussion in Nigeria, Africa’s main producer of oil with 2.5 million barrels a day. ...
• 11 July 2005
  AFRICA/SOMALIA - Al Qaida alarm in Somalia. “Annalena Tonelli was the frist victim of a new fundamentalist group connected with the international network of terrorism which wants to turn Somalia into another Iraq” Mogadishu (Fides Service)- Italian doctor Annalena Tonelli, murdered on 5 October 2003 (see Fides 6 October 2003) at Borama, Somaliland (northern Somalia) was killed by a group linked with the international network of te ...
• 11 July 2005
  ASIA/CHINA - Queen Paola of Belgium visits Catholic community in Xi An Xi An (Fides Service) - During a recent official visit to China with her husband, Queen Paola of Belgium took time to pay a visit to a local Catholic community. The devout Catholic Queen was taken to visit the most activ ...
• 11 July 2005
  VATICAN - At the Angelus prayer the Pope mentions the feast day of St Benedict and the terrorist attacks on London: “We pray for the dead and the injured and their loved ones. But we also pray for the attackers... God loves life which he created, not death. In the name of God, stop!” Vatican City (Fides Service) - On 10 July Pope Benedict XVI dedicated his Sunday Angelus address to reflection on Saint Benedict Abbot, patron of Europe whose feast day is celebrated on July 11 and he also asked people t ...
• 11 July 2005
  VATICAN - unite forces to inform, educate and act: 1st International Meeting for Pastoral Care and Liberation of Street Women issues final statement Vatican City (Fides Service) - Include questions concerning sexual exploitation, trafficking and smuggling of human persons among matters discussed during Bishops’ ad limina visits; promote in schools and parishes prog ...
• 11 July 2005
  EUROPE/ITALY - Oasis magazine in Arabic and Urdu, with English, French and Italian, started by Cardinal Angelo Scola and published by Christians for Christians living in a Muslim world is one year old: Fides spoke to editor Roberto Fontolan Rome (Fides Service) - Oasis Magazine published in Arabic and Urdu, with English, French and Italian, distributed in Europe, Africa and Asia.was started one year ago by Cardinal Angelo Scola, Patriarch of Venice. This si ...