News

• 22 April 2005
  ASIA/CHINA - Death of Bishop Joseph Shi Hongchen auxiliary of Tianjin, Tianjin (Fides Service) - The auxiliary Bishop of Tianjin Joseph Shi Hongchen, died on March 3 in Tianjin. The Bishop suffered an ictus in 2001 which left him in a wheel chair but lucid in mind. Joseph Shi Hongchen was b ...
• 22 April 2005
  AMERICA/BOLIVIA - A person in central Bolivia has died of Hanta virus. A few particles of this virus are sufficient to infect thousands of people Rome (Fides Service) - A patient being treated for Hanta virus at the state hospital in Cochabamba died last week and another patient is in a serious condition. The patients come from different villages but the same tro ...
• 22 April 2005
  EUROPE/SPAIN - Statement issued by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Spain with regard to marriage between homosexuals: “The State cannot recognise a non existent right except by acting in an arbitrary manner which oversteps its competencies and will cause serious harm to the common good” Madrid (Fides Service) - Yesterday, 21 April, a Bill to Reform the Civil Code and allow marriage between two persons of the same sex was approved by the lower house of the Spanish parliament with 183 votes in favour and ...
• 22 April 2005
  EUROPE/SPAIN - "The approval of the bill to legalise homosexual marriage is an attack on the family. They are promoting disorder social with serious consequences" the Rector of Marcia University told Fides. Murcia (Agenzia Fides) - " The approval of the bill to legalise homosexual marriage is an attack on the family " Rev. José Luis Mendoza Pérez, Rector of Murcia Catholic University told Fides. Rev. Mendoza Pérez is al ...
• 22 April 2005
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - “Civilian population caught in cross-fire”: report from the European network of NGOs active in Central Africa on the situation in eastern Congo Bukavu (Fides Service) - Civilian population caught in cross-fire, subject to extortion and violence by the troops which should protect them. This situation is reported by EurAC the European network of NGOs active in Ce ...
• 21 April 2005
  EUROPE/GERMANY - “After the tragic events of the 20th century the fact that this latest Successor of St Peter is German is for us a great honour and a promise for reconciliation among all peoples” : Superiors general of religious orders and lay Catholic associations in Germany pledge prayers and support for Benedict XVI: Bamberg/Bonn (Fides Service) - In a message to Fides the Union of Superiors General in Germany (Vereinigung Deutscher Ordensoberen, VDO) wrote: “For the new Pope Benedict XVI we ask God’s help and abundant blessings ...
• 21 April 2005
  AMERICA/BOLIVIA - In Bolivia people and Bishops rejoice for election of Benedict XVI and pray the Holy Spirit will guide him in his apostolic service La Paz (Fides Service) - In a brief message signed by Bishop Jesús Juárez Párraga, Secretary general of the Bolivian Bishops Conference, the Bishops express great joy for the election of Pope Benedict XVI as Succes ...
• 21 April 2005
  AMERICA/VENEZUELA - The Church in Venezuela thanks God for giving the Church a new universal Shepherd a sign of continuity in the faith founded on the rock which is Peter Caracas (Fides Service) - In a letter of congratulations addressed to His Holiness Benedict XVI the Church in Venezuela said “ we thank God, Three in One, for giving the Church a new universal Shepherd a sign of cont ...
• 21 April 2005
  AMERICA/CHILE - Solemn Mass to thank God for the election of Benedict XVI Santiago de Chile (Fides Service) - On Friday 22 April at midday at the national Shrine of Maipu, the Bishops of Chile united with the Catholics of the nation will thank God for the election of the Supreme Pontiff Benedi ...
• 21 April 2005
  EUROPE/GERMANY - “The Pope’s smile will win the hearts of children”: National Director of Holy Childhood in Germany expresses his joy for the election of Benedict XVI Santa Cruz (Fides Service) - When Pope Benedict XVI imparted his first Blessing Urbi and Orbi on 19 April, Mgr. Winfried Pilz, director of Holy Childhood in Germany, was in Santa Cruz, in Bolivia, where he followed even ...
• 21 April 2005
  EUROPE/RUSSIA - “Pope Benedict XVI is God’s gift to the Church” Catholic Archbishop Kondrusiewicz of the Mother of God diocese in Moscow tells Russia’s Catholics Moscow (Fides Service) - With regard to the election of Benedict XVI in a message to his people to be read on Sunday 25 April in all the Catholic churches in the diocese Catholic Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz of Moth ...
• 21 April 2005
  EUROPE/AUSTRIA - Missio Austria: Commitment for peace and justice, always necessary, was particularly important for John Paul II and so it will be for Benedict XVI Vienna (Fides Service) - “With all those involved in missionary activity I express great joy for the election of the new Pope Benedict XVI” national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Austria - Missio A ...
• 21 April 2005
  ASIA/LEBANON - Lebanese Catholics say of Benedict XVI “his face is illuminated by the Holy Spirit ” Beirut (Fides Service) - “This Pontiff will know how to guide the Church of the present day on a safe course”, Syrian Catholic Bishop Raboula Antoine Beylouni in Lebanon told Fides. “Catholics in Beirut are very ha ...
• 21 April 2005
  ASIA/INDIA - Indian Catholics rejoice: “The new Pope will advocate for third world countries and work for the rebirth of the Church everywhere particularly in Europe” New Delhi (Fides Service) - India’s 16 million Catholics are rejoicing for the election of Pope Benedict XVI whom they assure of their loyalty, devotion and obedience, the All India Catholic Union which represents Ca ...
• 21 April 2005
  AFRICA/TANZANIA - Catholics in Mbulu welcome the Pope from Bavaria whose compatriots helped build the local cathedral Dar es Salaam (Fides Service)- “The news of the election of Pope Benedict XVI was welcomed with cheers and applause and the ringing of church bells all over the diocese of Mbulu” Fr. Reginald Barhe in Mbulu diocese ...