News

• 23 May 2005
  EUROPE - “Meeting emergencies, protecting human rights, building peace: new President of Caritas Internationalis illustrates priorities Paris (Fides Service) - “We intend to extend our action to meet emergency needs anywhere in the world: today our attention is on Darfur, Sudan and tsunami affected areas in east Asia”, said Denis Viénot, new Presid ...
• 23 May 2005
  EUROPE/SPAIN - Professionals Pro-ethics Memorandum: every adopted child has the right to have a female parent and a male parent, to belong to a family as similar as possible to the natural family and not to be exposed to traumatic experiments Madrid (Fides Service) - In response to the Spanish government’s proposal to amend the country’s Civil Code to allow children to be adopted by same-sex couples the Spanish Association of Professionals Pro-ethics issu ...
• 23 May 2005
  AFRICA/CÔTE D' IVOIRE - There is new hope in western Côte d'Ivoire but the spectre of ethnic war is still there Abidjan (Fides Service)- “The situation is improving every day. Basic services are beginning to work again and state administration has resumed” Capuchin Fathers in the diocese of Man told Fides. “Our mission is ...
• 23 May 2005
  AFRICA/KENYA - The rich North is like the ‘rich man’ but ‘Lazarus’ Africa deserves real aid not scraps. Bishops of Kenya Letter Pastoral on external debts of poor countries Nairobi (Fides Service)- “Kenyan debt is the cause of oppression, of poverty, we dare say of neo-modern slavery” the Catholic Bishops of Kenya said in a Pastoral Letter “On the Burden of International Debt” date ...
• 23 May 2005
  ASIA/MALAYSIA - Kuala Lumpur diocese celebrates 50th anniversary: “Harmony through reconciliation” Kuala Lumpur (Fides Service) - Today is an important day for Catholics in Kuala Lumpur, capital of Malaysia, the community is celebrating two major events, the 50th anniversary of the diocese established 25 February 1955 ...
• 23 May 2005
  OCEANIA/AUSTRALIA - 5,000 young Catholics of Sydney receive the sacrament of Confirmation amidst jubilant crowds evoking memories of the Holy Year 2000 Sydney (Fides Service) - Local media gave ample coverage to a “great spiritual and social event” a solemn Mass during which 5,000 children of the archdiocese of Sydney received the Sacrament of Confirmation in the pr ...
• 23 May 2005
  EUROPE/SWITZERLAND - Although 28% lower than ten years ago, the poverty rate in Republic di Guyana is still high particularly in rural areas, minister of health tells General Assembly of the World Health Organisation Rome (Fides Service) - The annual assembly of the World Health Organisation WHO will close on 25 May. One of the emerging questions was the budget of the health ministry in the central American Republic of Guyana. Rece ...
• 23 May 2005
  EUROPE/ITALY - Papal Envoy Cardinal Ruini, opens 24th National Eucharistic Congress: “the Eucharist is the heart of the Church, nourishment for every individual member” Bari (Fides Service) - “It is precisely in the Most Holy Eucharist, in the Mass we are celebrating at this moment and in every Mass all over the world that the mystery of God, three in one, is made present for us, is g ...
• 21 May 2005
  EUROPE/ITALY - 24th National Eucharistic Congress opens this evening in Bari: “We cannot live without Sunday”. 29 May closing Mass presided by Benedict XVI Bari (Fides Service) - At 5pm this afternoon, Saturday 21 May in Bari, the 24 Italian National Eucharistic Congress will be officially opened by the Archbishop of Bari-Bitonto Mgr Francesco Cacucci who will welcome the ...
• 21 May 2005
  EUROPE/SPAIN - Thousands of people accompanied by 52 Bishops make pilgrimage to Saragozza to re-consecrate the country to the care of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in this Year of the Immaculate Mary in Spain Saragozza (Fides Service) - Thousands of Catholics from all over Spain accompanied by 51 Spanish Bishops and the Pope’s representative in Spain, Papal Nuncio Archbishop Manuel Monteiro di Castro, are making a pilgrimag ...
• 21 May 2005
  AMERICA/PERU - “We and our communities are in a state of mission… In this year of the Eucharist, may the Lord Jesus Christ stay with us so we are able to communicate him to our brothers and sisters””: Closing Message of 30th CELAM meeting Lima (Fides Service) - During a media conference at the offices of the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference in Lima at the end of the 30th plenary assembly of the Council of Latin American Bishops’ Conferences CELAM, 17 to 2 ...
• 21 May 2005
  ASIA/INDIA - More than 50,000 gather to celebrate the raising of the head of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church Archbishop Cyril Mar Baselios to the dignity of Major Archbishop New Delhi (Fides Service) - More than 50,000 people including cardinals, bishops, priests, men and women religious and civil authorities attended a ceremony to celebrate the raising of the head of the Syro-Malankara Cat ...
• 21 May 2005
  ASIA/EAST TIMOR - Independence three years on: East Timor faces challenge of reconciliation and economic development Dili (Fides Service) - Today 20 May it is three years since East Timor proclaimed its independence from Indonesia. This tiny Asian country continues its toil to achieve national reconciliation and a future of prosperity. ...
• 21 May 2005
  AFRICA/TOGO - The number of Togo refugees in Ghana and Benin is stable says UN High Commission for Refugees Rome (Fides Service)- The flow of refugees from Togo towards Benin and Ghana, which rose to a total 32,000 from the 26,084 registered last week, appears to have stabilised according to the UN High Commission for Refugees ...
• 21 May 2005
  VATICAN - The Pope addresses Bishops from Rwanda: “May the Spirit of Pentecost render fruitful the efforts of those who strive to build brotherhood among all Rwandans in a spirit of truth and justice!” Vatican City (Fides Service) - This morning, Saturday 21 May Pope Benedict XVI received the Bishops of Rwanda on ad limina visit to Rome”. “Through you I greet affectionately your communities” the Pope said, encour ...