News

• 22 June 2005
  EUROPE/SPAIN - June 18 Pro-family demonstration was only the ‘beginning” of a massive unprecedented family movement. Many other similar events to defend true marriage and the family could follow if government refuses to meet the demands made. Madrid (Fides Service) - “This is not the end, this is the beginning of a new unprecedented social movement, the family movement” said Benigno Blanco, Vice president of the Spanish Family Forum said with regard to th ...
• 22 June 2005
  ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - Day of prayer for national unity and reconciliation: culture of confrontation must give way to culture of harmony Seoul (Fides Service) - The present day culture of confrontation must give way to a culture of harmony and peaceful co-existence and reconciliation. This was the central message which emerged after a June 19th Day of Pr ...
• 22 June 2005
  ASIA/CHINA - Catholics mourn and pray with affection and gratitude for Cardinal Jaime Sin a giant of faith for all Asia Beijing (Fides Service) - Catholics in China are mourning Cardinal Jaime Sin, emeritus Archbishop of Manila in the Philippines, remembering him with affection and gratitude. Masses were said in various parts of the capit ...
• 22 June 2005
  ASIA/HONG KONG - Workshop for catechists on how to teach children about the Mystery of the Eucharist Hong Kong (Fides Service) - In this Year of the Eucharist Hong Kong diocese is giving special attention to the formation of Catechists whose duty it is to teach children about the mystery of the Body and Blood of Christ ...
• 22 June 2005
  EUROPE/ITALY - Meeting on healthcare in Africa: Italian NGOs build a bridge of assistance, research and solidarity with the sick Rome (Fides Service) - On 27 June an association of Italian NGOs will launch a programme to build an Italy-Africa bridge for assistance, research and solidarity for the sick”. The programme is sponsored by MED e MED O ...
• 22 June 2005
  AFRICA/BENIN - Religious and military doctors on mission in Benin “restore light” to the blind, Rome (Fides Service) - The mission of Doctors belonging to the St John of God Hospitaller Brothers Association for Distant Patients AFMAL and the Italian airforce continue their efforts to help the blind in Africa. Afte ...
• 21 June 2005
  OCEANIA/WALLIS AND FUTUNA - Bishop of Wallis and Futuna (Pacific Islands) resigns, successor appointed Vatican City (Fides Service) - The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI on 20 June 2005 accepted the renunciation of the pastoral government of the diocese of Wallis et Futuna (Pacific Islands) presented by Bishop Lolesio Fua ...
• 21 June 2005
  VATICAN - Holy See press office announces that Pope Benedict XVI will travel to Köln (Germany) for the 20th World Youth Day Vatican City (Fides Service) - It has been officially announced today that the Holy Father, Benedict XVI will travel to Cologne, Germany from August 18 to 21 on the occasion of the 20th World Youth Day. The Pope will dep ...
• 21 June 2005
  EUROPE/ITALY - Opus Dei all over the world will mark 30th anniversary of the death of Saint Josemaría Escriva on Sunday 26 June Rome (Fides Service) - Sunday 26 June is the 30th anniversary of the death of the founder of Opus Dei, Josemaria Escrivà, born in Barbastro (Spain) 9 January 1902 and died in Rome on 26 June 1975, canonised 6 October 20 ...
• 21 June 2005
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - Cardinal Jaime Sin Archbishop emeritus of Manila dies after a long illness: a figure of reference for the Catholic Church in the Philippines and the history of the entire nation Manila (Fides Service) - The death of Cardinal Jaime Sin former Archbishop of Manila closes an important page in the history of the Philippines as well as the Church in that nation. The Cardinal died in Manila during the ...
• 21 June 2005
  ASIA/INDIA - Tura diocese in north east India, an oasis of dialogue and harmony where the local Church helps Tribal subsistence farmers improve their life Tura (Fides Service) - The small Catholic community in the diocese of Tura led by Bishop George Mamalessery in north east India is an oasis of social harmony and solidarity and inter-religious dialogue in an area trouble ...
• 21 June 2005
  ASIA/HONG KONG - In preparation for World Youth Day in Germany 120 young Hong Kongers camp to “discover our treasure” Hong Kong (Fides Service) - In view of the World Youth Day organised by the universal Church to be held this time in Germany, the diocese of Hong Kong has organised various initiatives to help its young people participat ...
• 21 June 2005
  OCEANIA/AUSTRALIA - Government promises better treatment for asylum seekers and refugees: local Church welcomes the move Sydney (Fides Service) - The Catholic Church in Australia has welcomed Prime Minister John Howard’s announcement made on World Day for Refugees (June 20th ) that asylum seekers and refugees arriving in Australia will b ...
• 21 June 2005
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - Dramatic report from Luhwinja and Burinyi in south east Democratic Congo where war never stopped: although our country is rich we have to beg for clothes Bukavu (Fides Service) - This is one of the many forgotten wars. Here in the south eastern Kivu region of Democratic Congo guerrilla groups continue to terrorise the people despite the official peace agreement. Fides rec ...
• 21 June 2005
  AFRICA/ZIMBABWE - “Countless numbers of men, women with babies, children of school age, the old and the sick, continue to sleep in the open air at winter temperatures near to freezing” Catholic Bishops of Zimbabwe protest against government’s shanty town operation ‘clean up’ Harare (Fides Service)- The secretary general of the United Nations Organisation Kofi Annan has appointed Tanzanian Anna Kajumolo Tibaijuka UN special envoy to investigate alleged abuse by security forces during the Mura ...