News

• 28 July 2004
  AMERICA/CHILE - Thousands attend funeral of Italian missionary murdered in Santiago cathedral. Cardinal Errazuriz: “Father Faustino was killed because he was a man of God. He loved to serve in silence. We have his spiritual testimony to build peace: peace of heart which is peace with God and peace with people”. Santiago (Fides Service) - Despite pouring rain thousands of people filled Santiago cathedral on July 27 to pay their last respects to Italian missionary Father Faustino Gazziero, a member of the Institute of the Servant ...
• 28 July 2004
  AMERICA/COLOMBIA - Safe and sound Catholic Bishop of Yopal Bishop Misael Vacca Ramirez, released after four days captivity by ELN Bogota (Fides Service) - Bishop Misael Vacca Ramirez of Yopal, Casanare region, was released yesterday 27 July after being kept hostage for four days. The Bishop was taken prisoner by members of the ELN rebel group while ...
• 28 July 2004
  OCEANIA/NUOVA ZEALAND - Solidarity crosses the ocean: New Zealand Caritas workers assist Sudanese refugees in Darfur Wellington (Fides Service) - A team of New Zealand Caritas workers is in Sudan to help homeless people in Darfur where there is the world’s worst humanitarian tragedy in recent times. Besides material and economic assi ...
• 28 July 2004
  AMERICA/UNITED STATES - US asks for Collaboration of Catholic organisations in the Global fight against AIDS: video-conference organised at American embassy to the Holy See Rome (Fides Service)- The United States calls for the collaboration of Catholic organisations in the ambit of their strategy to fight the spread of AIDS in the world. This was said Ambassador Randall Tobias, co-ordinator ...
• 28 July 2004
  ASIA/INDIA - Remember O’Connor, Indian Christian detained in a Saudi Arabia prison on false charges of drug abuse: appeal from Middle East Concern New Delhi (Fides Service) - A call to persevere with the international prayer campaign and with political mobilisation to obtain the release of Brian Savio O’Connor from prison in Saudi Arabia has been launched by the ...
• 28 July 2004
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - Return to the negotiation table, revive dialogue to reach just and lasting peace: Bishops and Ulama launch joint appeal to Philippines government and Muslim separatists Davao (Fides Service) - A call for the government of the Philippines and the Muslim separatist movement in Mindanao to make peace, has been launched by the Bishops Ulama Conference (BUC) whose members are Catholic and no ...
• 28 July 2004
  ASIA/CHINA/MACAO - Bishop appoints new episcopal delegate for pastoral care of Portuguese speaking Catholics Macao (Fides Service) - The Catholic Bishop of Macao diocese, Bishop José Lai Hung-seng, has appointed Father Luis Lei Xavier episcopal delegate for pastoral care of Portuguese speaking Catholics for a five year mandate ...
• 28 July 2004
  VATICAN - The Pope’s teaching at weekly audience: “God is the only good and so the Psalmist sets himself in the community of those who are faithful to the Lord.” Vatican City (Fides) - This morning in his weekly audience at the Paul VI Hall in the Vatican, having travelled by car from his Summer residence in Castel Gandolfo to keep the Wednesday appointment with the general publi ...
• 28 July 2004
  VATICAN/AMERICA - ‘Too many words and too few facts in the struggle against HIV/AIDS’, warns Cardinal Javier L. Barragan as he announces imminent establishment of a Good Samaritan Foundation Vatican City (Fides Service) - As one of the speakers at a Rome/Washington digital video conference to discuss “US support for Faith-based Involvement in HIV/AIDS Treatment and Prevention”, organised on July 27 in Ro ...
• 28 July 2004
  AFRICA/ETHIOPIA - At Soddo in southern Ethiopia, Capuchin Fathers run Crafts School backed by Italian Confederation of Craftsmen Addis Ababa (Fides Service)- “Ever year 100 young people learn a trade or craft at our Professional Training Institute at Soddo, 400 km south of Addis Ababa” said Father Gianfranco, head of the Capuchin Marche Provin ...
• 27 July 2004
  Pope John Paul II's mission prayer intention August 2004: “For ever greater unity and cooperation among Institutes working in the missions ” Comment by Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples Vatican City (Fides Service) - “The mission of Christ the Redeemer, which is entrusted to the Church, is still very far from completion”(Redemptoris Missio, 1). This statement made by the Holy Father, Pope John Paul ...
• 27 July 2004
  AMERICA/COLOMBIA - The Pope calls for speedy release of Catholic Bishop taken hostage in Colombia by the ELN - Bishops’ Conference condemns “detestable crime which violates the fundamental rights of life and freedom”. Bogota (Fides Service) - Bishop Misael Vacca Ramirez, of the Colombian diocese of Yopal, Casanare region, has been taken hostage apparently by guerrillas of the ELN (National Liberation Army). On Saturday 24 July the Bis ...
• 27 July 2004
  VATICAN - Final document from Sixth World Congress on the Pastoral Care of Tourism: pastoral care of persons exploited by sex tourism a high priority for the Church Vatican City (Fides Service) - A final document has been issued following the Sixth World Congress on the Pastoral Care of Tourism held at the Pastoral Training Centre, Bangkok, Thailand, from 5th to 8th July 2004. It wa ...
• 27 July 2004
  AFRICA/UGANDA - “Thank you Holy Father for remembering the war in northern Uganda” says Archbishop Odama of Gulu through Fides Gulu (Fides Service)- “ Thank you Holy Father! The appeal launched by the Pope for the fighting to stop in northern Uganda and Sudan is an important contribution for peace”, Archbishop John Baptist Odama , Archbishop ...
• 27 July 2004
  AFRICA/CONGO RD - “Mercenaries ready to intervene in east Congo” say Fides sources in Bukavu Bukavu (Fides Service)-“At the moment all is calm but for how long?” local observers in Bukavu, main town in the eastern Kivu region of Democratic Congo told Fides over the phone. “There are rumours of fighting alo ...