News

• 6 December 2004
  EUROPE/ITALY - 150th anniversary of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception- “Immaculate Mary is God God crying out in human history”: from the shrine of the Holy House of Nazareth in Loreto (Italy) Loreto (Fides Service) - “Immaculate Mary is God crying out to human history. Here is what he cries: "Be careful! Sin is evil which brings evil: sin does not bring happiness”. It is enough to see the haste, anxiety ...
• 6 December 2004
  EUROPE/PORTUGAL - 150th anniversary of the dogma Immaculate Conception - Shrine of Sameiro receives the Golden Rose donated by Supreme Pontiff: from the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary in Fatima (Portugal) Fatima (Fides Service) - “All through its history the Portuguese people have been deeply devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary. At critical moments of its consolidation and expansion, Portugal has always turned to Mary fo ...
• 6 December 2004
  AFRICA/BURKINA FASO - “Health care offered in the spirit of St Camillo is for everyone, whatever their religion, social condition, ethnic origin or skin colour”: reflection by Camillian Brother Grigoletto Ouagadougou (Fides Service) - Camillian Brother Giovanni Grigoletto, a trained nurse on mission for 30 years at the San Camillo Medical Centre for Adults in the capital of Burkina sent Fides a reflection on this work in ...
• 6 December 2004
  EUROPE/SPAIN - Church in Spain announces “Year of Immaculate Mary” in the context of the Year of the Eucharist to reflect on Mary “woman of the Eucharist” a model for the Church Madrid (Fides Service) - During their plenary assembly in November the Catholic Bishops of Spain announced a national “Year of Immaculate Mary” from 8 December 2004 to 8 December 2005. The reason given was the 150th ...
• 6 December 2004
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - Chain of solidarity for flood victims in northern Philippines Manila (Fides Service) - A chain of solidarity is being organised to provide aid for victims of the tropical storms which struck the eastern part of the island of Luzon, the largest of the archipelago, on which the capit ...
• 6 December 2004
  OCEANIA/NEW ZEALAND - Law and family: open debate in society today. No to homosexual couples and de facto unions: open Letter from New Zealand Bishops Wellington (Fides Service) - ‘Civil rights, such as rights of inheritance, next-of-kin status, benefits and grants, can be ensured by other appropriate legislation, without any need to give same-sex and de facto relati ...
• 6 December 2004
  ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - The Church is committed to protecting and promoting human rights: message from Justice and Peace Commission of Korean Bishops’ Conference Seoul (Fides Service) - “The Church has always worked to protect the inalienable rights of every human person and to promote respect for the human dignity of every person from birth to death and it will continue to do ...
• 6 December 2004
  AMERICA/MEXICO - 150th anniversary of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception - “Immaculate Mary of Mexico” on Juan Diego’s cloak was immediately recognised as Mother of all peoples: from the Basilica of Santa Maria of Guadalupe Mexico City (Fides Service) - “We will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the definition of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception with enthusiasm and joy of a dream come true because Mexico like Spain, of which it was ...
• 6 December 2004
  EUROPE/ITALY - “New season of presence of lay Christian movements is opening in our country” Luigi Bobba, president of ACLI told Fides in a reflection on movements and their initiatives Rome (Fides Service) - Luigi Bobba, president of ACLI sent Fides the following reflection on movements and their initiatives. “To say that the summer season of Catholic movements is a series of events dominated more b ...
• 3 December 2004
  ASIA/MYANMAR - The Pope appoints new Bishop of Myitkyina Vatican City (Fides Service) - The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, on 3 December 2004, appointed Bishop of Myitkyina (Myanmar), Bishop Francis Daw Tang, until now Titular Bishop of Maturba and Auxiliary of Myitkyina dioc ...
• 3 December 2004
  EUROPA/SPAIN - Feast of St Francis Xavier: preparations for special celebrations for the 5th centenary of the birth of this great missionary which will commence next year Navarra (Fides Service) - Preparations are underway to celebrate the 5th centenary of the birth of St Francis Xavier 1506-1552 progress, Jesuit Father Ricardo Sada, Rector of Javier Shrine in Navarra, Spain told Fides. ...
• 3 December 2004
  VATICAN - Through the intercession of St. Francis Xavier, may be this land of bountiful missionary harvest Cardinal Sepe said during Mass for Evangelisation in Bangkok Vatican City (Fides Service) - “Dear Brothers and Sisters, this celebration of the Feast of St. Francis Xavier becomes a fitting moment to deepen your religious vocation in its triple dimension of consecration, communi ...
• 3 December 2004
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - Tension in the eastern Congo city of Bukavu rises as rumours circulate that popular military commander may be replaced Bukavu (Fides Service)- Rumours that the popular military commander of the 10th military region Mbuza Mabe may be dismissed, are giving rise to apprehension in Bukavu, in eastern Democratic Congo, local sources told Fid ...
• 3 December 2004
  AFRICA/ANGOLA - Tuberculosis, malaria and AIDS, three disease of poverty: Italian Missionary Medical Union launches prevention, diagnosis and treatment programme Rome (Fides Service) - In Angola today three diseases connected with poverty tuberculosis, malaria and AIDS are a major problem. For example the four million people living in the capital Luanda have no state health servi ...
• 3 December 2004
  AFRICA/KENYA - “This looks more like sacrifice than just 'ordinary' killing” the Catholic Bishops of Kenya say referring to the recent murder of Irish missionary Father Hannon Nairobi (Fides Service)-“ The country seems to be degenerating systematically to a state of anarchy, where there is no rule of law” the Catholic Bishops of Kenya said in a message of condolence addressed to ‘Bishop ...