News

• 12 January 2005
  AFRICA/BURUNDI - Burundi famine alarm in north east. Thousands face food shortage. Tsunami and other emergencies test solidarity among peoples Bujumbura (Fides Service) - A hunger alarm has been raised in northern Burundi. The government in Bujumbura says dozens are dying and thousands are in danger of starving to death in the provinces of Kirundo in the north ...
• 12 January 2005
  ASIA/INDIA - “Stop Funding Hate”: aid for tsunami victims must not go to Hindu fundamentalist groups Calcutta (Fides Service) - Donations in aid of tsunami victims must not find their way to the pockets of Hindu fundamentalist groups which spread religious hatred and social discriminate, Indian citizens resident in the ...
• 12 January 2005
  EUROPE/ITALY - Every minute of every day another person is infected with leprosy: 30 January 52nd World Day. AIFO Solidarity Honey campaign and other initiatives to fight leprosy which affects 513,798 people all over the world Rome (Fides Service) - It is estimated that more than 6 million people suffer physical and social effects of leprosy of which in 2003 a total number of 513.798 cases was reported, 457,792 of whom are receiving treatment. ...
• 12 January 2005
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - Don Bosco school pupils in Pakistan send help to children victims of the tsunami Lahore (Fides Service) - In Pakistan pupils at Don Bosco in Lahore were quick to forget their own troubles and turn to helping children victims of the December 26 tsunami, organising charity raffles to collect money to s ...
• 11 January 2005
  ASIA/INDONESIA - Islamic fundamentalists warn Catholic priest humanitarian helper not to try to convert Muslim orphans Banda Aceh (Fides Service) - Father Chris Riley, an Australian Catholic priest who arrived in tsunami-ravaged Indonesian province of Aceh on 7 January to set up an orphanage, sparked a warning from hard-line Islamic grou ...
• 11 January 2005
  AFRICA/MOZAMBIQUE - Sicknesses connected with poverty still main cause of death for 700,000 people in Beira. CUAMM, Doctors with Africa, undertake public health intervention Rome (Fides Service) - Since January 2004 Beira and the healthcare district of Dondo, 30 km from the city are the object of an intervention of public health undertaken by CUAMM Doctors with Africa to improve the health c ...
• 11 January 2005
  VATICAN - Dear young people, Christ is asking you to "put out into the deep" and the Virgin Mary is encouraging you not to hesitate in following Him: Pope John Paul II’s Message for the 42nd World Day of Prayer for Vocation Vatican City (Fides Service) - "Called to put out into the deep" is the theme chosen by Pope John Paul II for his Message for the 42nd World Day of Prayer for Vocations, to be held on 17 April, 4th Sunday of Easter. "Cal ...
• 11 January 2005
  EUROPE/SPAIN - “Our aim is to help Spanish children realise that so many other children are less fortunate and in great need, and this year the children of Asia in particular” says National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies. Spanish missionaries in affected countries in front line to help seaquake victims Madrid (Fides Service) - In Spain the annual Holy Childhood Day is celebrated on 23 January. In view of this important occasion the National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Spain, Bishop Francisco Perez i ...
• 11 January 2005
  AFRICA/IVORY COAST - African Union in favour of Ivory Coast referendum on Constitution “but rebels in the north disagree and seem to reject any idea of a united country” say Fides sources Abidjan (Fides Service)- “I doubt conditions are right for the return of peace in Ivory Coast, indeed we see worrying signals which seem to indicate the continuation of the division of the nation” a missionary in the ...
• 11 January 2005
  ASIA/INDIA - “Platinum Jubilee” for St Charles Borromeo Sisters who first came on mission to India 75 years ago Bangalore (Fides Service) - It all started when, in response to a call from Pope Pius XI “for missionaries to go to every corner of the earth”, in 1929 a group of five Sisters of St Charles Borromeo set out from Belg ...
• 11 January 2005
  ASIA/INDONESIA - UN High Commission for Refugees starts relief operations in Aceh Banda Aceh (Fides Service) - The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and other UN agencies have started relief operations along the west cost of the Indonesian province of Aceh, the area worst hit by the ...
• 11 January 2005
  OCEANIA/AUSTRALIA - Caritas Australian has already collected unhoped-for sum of 4 million dollars in aid December tsunami victims in south east Asia Sydney (Fides Service) - Caritas Australia has collected more than 4 million dollars in a special collection for victims of the December 26 disaster in south east Asia. “We never expected to collect so much”, said Fi ...
• 11 January 2005
  AMERICA/CHILE - “Together to build hope”: thousands of young people from 6 Latin American countries to attend 3rd International Youth Pastoral Meeting 18 to 23 January in Arica Arica (Fides Service) - Thousands of young people from Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Brazil and Mexico will meet for the 3rd International Youth Pastoral Meeting 18 to 23 in Arica, to reflect on the theme “Together ...
• 11 January 2005
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - Tension in Democratic Congo for possible postponement of elections. Situation in the east still critical. Catholic Bishop of Butembo-Beni says “150,000 people without humanitarian assistance. European Union must intervene” Kinshasa (Fides Service)- Tension is high in Kinshasa, capital of Democratic Congo where yesterday 10 January at least four people were killed in clashes during a protest against possible postponement of political electi ...
• 10 January 2005
  AMERICA/MEXICO - The Pope appoints new Bishop of Tarahumara Vatican City (Fides Service) - The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, on 4 January 2005, appointed Bishop of Tarahumara (Mexico), Rev. Rafael Sandoval Sandoval, M.N.M., parish priest at Monterrey and former Superior General ...