News

• 30 June 2004
  EUROPE - The Internet, positive communication, the family: three main topics at Meeting of Spokespeople and Media Officers of Europe's Bishops' Conferences Athens (Fides Service - Organising formation seminars for journalists, both Catholics and others, meetings of webmasters responsible for websites of the Bishops' Conferences, encouraging media offices in Eastern European ...
• 30 June 2004
  ASIA/TURKEY - Feast of Saints Peter and Paul in Antioch strengthens ecumenical ties Antioch (Fides Service) - The feast day of Saints Peter and Paul in Antioch situated in southern Turkey near the Syrian border has always been an opportunity for ecumenical prayer and dialogue and a means of strengthenin ...
• 30 June 2004
  AFRICA/MADAGASCAR - “Plan to destabilise the government behind attacks on national independence day” missionary with long experience in Madagascar tells Fides Antananarivo (Fides Service)-“There are political forces which want the situation in Madagascar to precipitate” Salesian Father Cosimo Alvati, director of Radio don Bosco in Antananarivo, told Fides with regard to at ...
• 30 June 2004
  VATICAN - Pope John Paul II: “the unity we search for is first of all a gift of God. We are aware however that to hasten the hour of its full realisation depends also on us, on our prayer, our conversion to Christ.” Vatican City (Fides Service) - At 6pm on Tuesday 29 June, feast of Saints Peter and Paul, Pope John Paul II, with the participation of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, celebrated the Eucharist in St Peter’s Square. ...
• 30 June 2004
  ASIA/SRI LANKA - No to a law which banning conversion violating freedom of conscience: joint message from Catholic Bishops and Protestant church leaders Colombo (Fides Service) - “We disapprove the moves to enact legislation to prohibit or restrict conversions and call upon all people of goodwill to stand up for the free exercise of religious freedom and freedom of con ...
• 28 June 2004
  VATICAN - On the solemnity of Saint Peter and Paul Pope John Paul II will impose the Pallium on 44 newly appointed metropolitan Archbishops: Fides spoke with four of the new Metropolitan Archbishops from Taipei, Manila, Calabar and Antequera,Oaxaca Vatican City (Fides Service) - In keeping with tradition on the solemn feast of Saint Peter and Paul, patron saints of Rome, Pope John Paul II will impose the Pallium, symbol of Church unity on 44 new Archbishops of the ...
• 28 June 2004
  Pope John Paul II’s missionary prayer intention July 2004: “That in young Churches the laity may receive more attention and be led to greater effort in evangelisation”. Comment Prof. Andrea Riccardi, founder S. Egidio Community Vatican (Fides Service) - Prayer is a powerful force in the Church who with humility asks her Lord to fill her with the gifts of the Spirit. At this time of the year after Pentecost it is right to pray for the whole Peop ...
• 28 June 2004
  EUROPE/RUSSIA - Two local Catholic priests ordained for Western Siberia Novosibirsk (Fides Service) - On Sunday June 27 in the Catholic diocese of the Transfiguration in Novosibirsk, the local Catholic Bishop, Bishop Joseph Werth, had the joy of ordaining two local men as priests to serve th ...
• 28 June 2004
  ASIA/CHINA - Evangelisation reaches remote villages thanks to team of women religious and catechists led by a priest Shan Xi (Fides Service) - Although far from any town the Catholic community Xin Jiang, Shan Xi province is very active. In view of mission the parish priest divided the surrounding villages into three zones for itineran ...
• 28 June 2004
  VATICAN - At the Angelus prayer the Pope recalls history-making meeting of Paul VI and Orthodox Patriarch Athenagora I of Constantinople in 1964 and urges Catholics to pray “for full unity of Christians”. Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - “On 29 June we celebrate the feast of Saints Peter and Paul and for the occasion I will have the joy of welcoming once again to the Vatican His Holiness Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarc ...
• 28 June 2004
  AFRICA - More than 30 million small arms in 44 countries Sub-Saharan Africa: we are concerned experts say but “the problem can be solved” Rome (Fides Service)-According to an annual report issued by the independent organisation Small Arms Survey there at least 30 million small arms in Africa. The organisation, which studies the diffusion and impact of smal ...
• 28 June 2004
  EUROPE/SWITZERLAND - Every year 1.8 million die due lack of access to clean water, 40% of child deaths are due to diseases caused by environmental conditions. World Health Organisation issues Atlas on the health of children in the world. Rome (Fides Service) - Every year air and water pollution and other dangers in the environment kill more than three million of the world’s children under five. Industrialisation, increase in urban population, climate ...
• 26 June 2004
  ASIA/TAIWAN - National Council of the Apostolate of the Laity stresses the importance of mission cooperation Taipei (Fides Service) - Taiwan’s National Council of the Apostolate of the Laity recently held a fruitful 10th assembly in Taipei. The daylong assembly was presided by Archbishop Joseph Cheng, Archbishop of Taipei who ...
• 26 June 2004
  VATICAN - The Pope addresses European Symposium of University Docents: “The family is the future of Europe. We can say that the family is the mirror of society and therefore also of the new Europe which is being built ” Vatican City (Fides Service) - “The family is the future of Europe. We can say that the family is the mirror of society and therefore also of the new Europe which is being built. The evolution of the family is and will ...
• 26 June 2004
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - From Congo swept once again by the winds of war the last tesimony of a Xaverian missionary Uvira (Fides Service)- “He wanted to die here among the people he served for more than 30 years” Italian Xaverian missionary, Father Luigi Lo Stocco, director of Radio Maria “Wa Amani” in Bukavu in the east of De ...