News

• 30 March 2005
  AFRICA/ZIMBABWE - In pastoral letter on elections Catholic Bishops of Zimbabwe urge all citizens to play their part to ensure a vote which is fair and peaceful Harare (Fides Service) - In pastoral letter for elections tomorrow 31 March the Catholic Bishops of Zimbabwe “invite all Christians to pray for our leaders and would-be-leaders in all sections of our society so that th ...
• 30 March 2005
  AFRICA/ZIMBABWE - Elections 2005 in Zimbabwe: less violence but a vote nevertheless marked by irregularities in the electoral campaign Harare (Fides Service)- Almost 6 million voters will be eligible to take part tomorrow 31 March in legislative elections in Zimbabwe, a country which has suffered years of serious political crisis due mainly to the deci ...
• 30 March 2005
  EUROPE/ITALY - 10th general assembly of the priestly Fraternity of the Missionaries of St Charles Borromeo Rome (Fides Service) - The 10th general assembly of the Fraternity of the Missionaries of St Charles Borromeo opened on March 29 in Ariccia (Rome) and will close on Sunday 3 April. The assembly coincides with the 20th a ...
• 23 March 2005
  ASIA/MONGOLIA - Catholic Community welcomes 50 newly baptised Christians - “The little Church in Mongolia grows steadily”, Apostolic Prefect of Ulan Bator told Fides Ulan Bator (Fides Service) - The Catholic community in Mongolia has an extra reason for rejoicing this Easter as it welcomes 50 new members most of them aged between 15 and 25. “This sign of great vitality is an immens ...
• 23 March 2005
  AFRICA/MOROCCO - Archbishop of Tangiers resigns Vatican City (Fides Service) - The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, on 23 March 2005, accepted the renunciation of the pastoral government of the Archdiocese of Tangiers (Morocco) presented by Archbishop José Antonio Pe ...
• 23 March 2005
  ASIA/HONG KONG - Catholic Bishop of Hong Kong praises the work of Catholic volunteers who put the virtue of charity into practice in every day life Hong Kong (Fides Service) - “Catholics are called to serve not only the Church but also society”, said Bishop Joseph Zen of Hong Kong recently when he addressed the members of the newly established Hong Kong Council ...
• 23 March 2005
  EUROPE/RUMANIA - “This people and this land in this part of eastern Europe are a field for new evangelisation”: Oblate Missionaries of Mary Immaculate report on popular mission Bucharest (Fides Service) - From 13 to 20 March four Oblate Missionaries of Mary Immaculate held a popular mission in the parish of St John of Capestrano, in Targu Jiu, archdiocese of Bucharest (see Fides 11/3/2005). On ...
• 22 March 2005
  AFRICA/CÔTE D'IVOIRE - Bishop of Daloa resigns the Pope appoints new Bishop Vatican City (Fides Service) - The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, on 22 March 2005, accepted the renunciation of the pastoral government of the diocese of Daloa (Côte d'Ivoire) presented by Bishop Pierre-Marie Coty in ...
• 22 March 2005
  EUROPE/AUSTRIA - New National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies Vatican City (Fides Service) - Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, 26 January 2005 appointed National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Austria for a fiv ...
• 22 March 2005
  EUROPE/GERMANY - Where and when to go to church: information on Easter services via the Internet. Ecumenical initiative involving 12,000 different Catholic and Lutheran parishes Bonn (Fides Service) - Easter is here and churches everywhere will be filled to capacity for these Christian services the most important of the year. Although many people go away for Easter they wish all the same to go t ...
• 22 March 2005
  AMERICA/PERU - Confessions via the Internet are not valid, the indispensable requisite for the celebration of a Sacrament, including the sacrament of Reconciliation, is the physical presence of the believer and the minister: Peruvian Bishops warn the faithful about “cyberspace confessions” Lima (Fides Service) - Faced with a growing misinformation with regard to the possibility of celebrating the Sacrament of Penance via the Internet “cyberspace confessions”, in conformity with the Code of Canon Law ( ...
• 22 March 2005
  AFRICA/NIGERIA - Despite an overall drop in the number of deaths due to measles there is alarm for 76 deaths already this year Rome (Fides Service) - One of the goals for this year 2005 adopted by the World Health Organisation and UNICEF is to halve the number of deaths caused by measles. Although the number of mortal cases of measles in the 1 ...
• 22 March 2005
  ASIA/INDIA - “From our cloister we help promote peace and harmony in India and all over the world” say Carmelite Sisters in Pune Pune (Fides Service) - A community of Carmelite nuns who live a life of contemplation and prayer in their enclosed convent in Pune, in the state of Maharashtra tell how prayers help promote peace and social harmony in In ...
• 22 March 2005
  ASIA/CHINA - Faithful flock to celebrate Palm Sunday, many come from the country to live Holy Week and Easter in Beijing in crowded churches Beijing (Fides Service) - According to a local Church source, churches in Beijing were filled to capacity for Palm Sunday services last Sunday. Masses were held from six in the morning onwards and people of all ages, inc ...
• 22 March 2005
  EUROPE/ITALY - Thursday 24 March, World TB Day: about 9 million people have TB. To fight it new diagnostic tests are needed Rome (Fides Service) - About 9 million people develop tuberculosis every year, most live in developing countries where 99% of deaths recorded are due to TB. In view of World TB Day on March 24 the humanitarian organisa ...