News

• 26 February 2005
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - Catholics in the Philippines use SMS messages to build chain of prayer across the country to sustain and comfort the Pope in hospitalL “the Holy Father has always shown deep affection for our people” Manila (Fides Service) - Catholics in the Philippines are passing the word to build a chain of prayer to sustain the Pope in hospital. SMS messages, a popular means of communication in the Philippines, are serving to pro ...
• 26 February 2005
  OCEANIA/SOLOMON ISLANDS - Widespread attention in Solomon Islands for the health of Pope John Paul II: Sunday Masses offered for the Holy Father Honiara (Fides Service) - “The media in Solomon Islands are giving ample space to the health conditions of Pope John Paul II. Local newspapers, radio and television are following the situation at the Gemelli Hospital i ...
• 26 February 2005
  ASIA/THAILAND - “The Holy Father’s difficulty with old age, sickness and suffering makes him all the more loved, just as he is,” says Father Contarin, director of the Camillian Social Centre for HIV/AIDS patients Rayong (Fides Service) - “In our small community at the Camillian Centre we always pray for the Pope and remember that he is lives human suffering, the same suffering which we see and live every day, with an intensity ...
• 26 February 2005
  AMERICA/BRAZIL - Testimonial from one of those missionaries sent by don Giussani and who is now a bishop in Brazil. Rome (Fides Service) - “One day - said Rev. Filippo Santoro in the 1980s a simple priest in Puglia - don Giussani came to Puglia for a series of meetings and I was sent to fetch him at the airport. In the car he said, ...
• 25 February 2005
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - “The heart of Africa sends message of good wishes for a speedy recovery to the Shepherd of the universal Church” director of Radio Maria in Bukavu east Congo Bukavu (Fides Service)- “Our radio is following the development of the Pope’s health condition, minute by minute. Our listeners want to be constantly updated with the latest information with regard to Pope John Paul ...
• 25 February 2005
  ASIA/TURKEY - Christians of all confessions are praying for the Pope who is greatly esteemed by all in Turkey: national media give continual updates on the Pontiff’s condition Istanbul (Fides Service) - The people of Turkey, mostly Muslims, but also Christians of various confessions, are anxious about the health condition of Pope John Paul II. Christians gather in prayer and national media kee ...
• 25 February 2005
  ASIA/ SRI LANKA - “The Holy Father is in the hands of God in whom we have total trust and so we go about our pastoral duties” President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka tells Fides Kandy (Fides Service) -Commenting the critical health condition of Pope John Paul II, Bishop Vianney Fernando of Kandy who is also President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka told Fides: “We thank the Lor ...
• 25 February 2005
  ASIA/INDONESIA - “We pray the Lord will sustain the Holy Father at this time of suffering in his person”: says Catholic Bishop in Sumatra Padang (Fides Service) - From Sumatra, affected by the tsunami disaster last December, Bishop Martinus Situmorang, OFM Cap, of Padang shares his thoughts with regard to the Pope’s health: “In our part of the world th ...
• 25 February 2005
  ASIA/HONG KONG - “News that the Pope had been admitted to hospital again spread via SMS messages. We love the Pope and are praying for him non-stop. We can assure you that Catholics on mainland China are praying for the Holy Father too” Bishop John Tang auxiliary of Hong Kong told Fides Hong Kong (Fides Service) - Because the Catholic Bishop of Hong Kong Bishop Joseph Zen was not available Fides asked Auxiliary Bishop John Tong how Catholics in Hong Kong had taken the news of the Pope’s return to hosp ...
• 25 February 2005
  ASIA/TAIWAN - Father Francis King notary for Taipei archdiocese recalls appeal launched by Bishops’ Conference and assures prayers for the health of the Pope Taipei (Fides Service) - In the absence of the Archbishop of Taipei and the president of the Regional Bishops’ Conference Cardinal Paul Shan, both attending a meeting at the Catholic University of Taipei, Father Franc ...
• 25 February 2005
  ASIA/INDIA - Catholic Bishops encourage all dioceses to organise special prayers for the speedy recovery of Pope John Paul II New Delhi (Fides Service) - “The Church in India is following the condition of the Pope with apprehension. As soon as the Bishops heard that he had been admitted to hospital again they called on Catholics all over the ...
• 25 February 2005
  ASIA/HOLY LAND - Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Michel Sabbah calls on Christians in the Holy Land to offer special prayers for the Pope Nazareth (Fides Service) - The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Michel Sabbah sent a letter to the Bishops of the Holy Land asking for special prayers for Pope John Paul II. Auxiliary Bishop Giacinto Boulos Marcuzzo told Fid ...
• 25 February 2005
  AMERICA/MEXICO - The Church in Mexico shares this time of apprehension but is convinced that the Pope will carry on his mission and like Jesus, he will not come down from the cross: the Bishops pray to Our Lady of Guadalupe to protect the Pope Mexico City (Fides Service) - The Church in Mexico, hearing the news that the Pope was admitted to hospital a second time, while invoking the maternal help and protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Guadalupe, also vo ...
• 25 February 2005
  AMERICA/URUGUAY - “We ask Our Lady to protect the Pope with her maternal love to help him overcome this difficult moment so he may continue to lead the Church" say Catholic Bishops of Uruguay Montevideo (Fides Service) - United in faith and charity and in ecclesial affection for the Successor of Peter, the Catholic Bishops of Uruguay, together with the ecclesial community of the whole country offer prayers fo ...
• 25 February 2005
  AMERICA/BRAZIL - The Church in Brazil is close to the Pope with affection and prayers: Bishops urge Catholics to pray for the Pope that God may strengthen and comfort him at this time of suffering Brasilia (Fides Service) - The Bishops of the standing Council of the Brazilian Bishops’ Conference issued a statement on 24 February calling the nation to pray for the health of Pope John Paul II. In the statement sig ...