News

• 4 June 2004
  AMERICA/ECUADOR - The Church in Ecuador sends its first lay missionary ‘across frontiers’ to the Church in Guatemala: fruits of CAM 2 continue to mature. Quito (Fides Service) - On June 7 the Church in Ecuador will sends its first lay missionary “ad gentes” to work in the diocese of Jalapa, Guatemala. “Andrés Becerra Obando, missionary ad gentes, is a sign of that ...
• 4 June 2004
  EUROPE/SWITZERLAND - “The people of Europe and Switzerland need to hear the Good News of the Gospel, especially young people ” Bishop Denis Theurillat, Auxiliary of Basle and national youth delegate pastoral told Fides Rome (Fides Service) - “Today more than ever Europe is a land of mission” Bishop Denis Theurillat auxiliary of Basle and national delegate for youth pastoral said as the Church in Switzerland prepares to welcome Pope ...
• 4 June 2004
  EUROPE/ITALY - Holiness should not be the privilege of a few but rather a mass phenomenon involving all Christians. Frascati diocese opens process for the beatification of the Servant of God Igino Giordani: writer, journalist, politician, ecumenist and patrologist. Rome (Fides Service) - On Sunday June 6, at St Peter’s Cathedral, Frascati, with the installation of the Ecclesiastical Tribunal, the diocesan process for the beatification of Igino Giordani will open. At 7pm Bishop Gi ...
• 4 June 2004
  VATICAN - The Pope grants private audience to the President of the United States of America: “May God grant strength and success to all those who do not cease to hope and work for understanding between peoples, in respect for the security and rights of every man and woman” Vatican City (Fides Service) - At midday on June 4, Pope John Paul II received in a private audience President George W. Bush of the United States of America, with Mrs Bush and the president’s entourage. After welcomin ...
• 4 June 2004
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - “A Reconciled family becomes agent of reconciliation” theme for “Week for Peace” in Mindanao Manila (Fides Service) - “A Reconciled family becomes an agent of reconciliation ” is the theme of a “Week for Peace” planned for 25 November to 1 December in Mindanao, southern Philippines. The initiative comes ...
• 4 June 2004
  ASIA/INDIA - With regard to the case of Brian Savio O’Connor Indian Catholic tortured and imprisoned in Saudi Arabia, the Catholic Bishops of India call on the government to take official diplomatic action New Delhi (Fides Service) - There is concern and dismay among Catholics in India with regard to the case of Brian Savio O’Connor an Indian citizen residing in Karnataka and working in Saudi Arabia, tortured and impriso ...
• 4 June 2004
  ASIA/IRAQ - Not only bad news from Iraq: “Highlighting only violence is playing the game of the extremists” Iraqi priest tells the media. Baghdad (Fides Service)-“Give space to positive events in Iraq, not only to attacks and the dead” Iraqi priest Father Nizar Semaan in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul told Fides. “I urge all the media not to presen ...
• 4 June 2004
  ASIA/HONG KONG - Catholics among 60,000 at Vigil to commemorate the dead on the 15th anniversary of the tragedy in Tiananmen Square Beijing Hong Kong (Fides Service) - Catholics in Hong Kong took to the streets as part of the 60,000 people who attended a vigil on June 4th to mark the 15th anniversary of student demonstrations in Tiananmen Square in Beijing o ...
• 4 June 2004
  ASIA/TAIWAN - Franciscans Third Order creates group of volunteers to meet social urgencies Taipei (Fides Service) - The Association of Third Order Franciscan Volunteers is receiving marks of appreciation and support. The goal of the Association, started by members of the Third Order of Franciscans in Taiwan, i ...
• 4 June 2004
  ASIA/INDIA - “Parents co-authors of creation”: Seminar organised by the Commission for the Family of the Indian Bishops’ Conference New Delhi (Agenzia Fides) - God calls parents to be those who give life, co-authors of creation: to spread awareness and responsiblity among Christian parents was the aim of a recent seminar organised by the Commission f ...
• 4 June 2004
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - “The rebels have not withdrawn from Bukavu and they continue to terrorise the people ” local sources in the eastern city of Congo report Bukavu (Fides Service)-“The rebels soldiers say they have withdrawn but this is not true. They have simply concentrated their troops in a few points, particularly near to a parish in the north of the city between a bee ...
• 3 June 2004
  EUROPE/SLOVENIA - “Ethical Responsibility in the World in Transformation”: Interdisciplinary Convention on Science and Faith promoted by the Pontifical Counsel for Culture and by the Slovenian Academy of Science Ljubljana (Fides Agency) - From June 3rd to 6th, 2004, the Pontifical Council for Culture and the Slovenian Academy of Science have organised an Interdisciplinary Meeting on science and faith, titled Ethical Responsibili ...
• 3 June 2004
  AFRICA/CONGO DR - The Congolese Bishops express alarm for the hundred thousand Congolese expelled from Angola and forced to survive in desperate conditions in southern Congo. Kinshasa (Fides Agency) - The Congolese Bishops express their alarm for the Congolese people driven out of Angola (see Fides April 21st and April 26th, 2004). DIA Catholic Agency says that Bishops of the Ecclesiastic Pro ...
• 3 June 2004
  AFRICA/CONGO RD - Bukavu. Enraged crowd plunders UN offices in four Congolese cities, accusing international troops of not having defended east Congo cities from the guerrilla Kinshasa (Fides Agnecy) - An enraged crowd has attacked UN headquarters in four cities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (RDC). The demonstrators accuse UN forces of not having prevented occupation of Bukavu, in northe ...
• 3 June 2004
  ASIA/INDIA - India and Pakistan start new negotiation on Kashmir and nuclear safety on June 27th and 28th. New Delhi (Fides Agency) - Peace seems behind the corner: the new Indian government declared it wants to put an end as soon as possible to its dispute with Pakistan on the Kashmir region and now dates have been selected ...