News

• 8 January 2004
  ASIA/KAZAKHSTAN - DEATH PENALTIES SUSPENDED: GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES CONCRETE STEPS TOWARDS ELIMINATION OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT Astana (Fides Service) – The first step towards its definitive abolition: a suspension of death penalties decreed at the end of 2003 by President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan, has been welcomed by the people of K ...
• 8 January 2004
  AFRICA/SUDAN - OIL WEALTH SHARING AGREEMENT A STEP ON THE PATH TO PEACE: BUT ALL SIDES MUST WORK TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF RE-SETTLING REFUGEES Rome (Fides Service)- “This is a first substantial step” Rev. Tonio Dell’Olio, spokesman for the Sudan Campaign a network of Catholic and secular associations working to bring peace to the country, told Fides. The ...
• 8 January 2004
  AFRICA/SUDAN - LANDMARK GOVERNMENT/REBEL AGREEMENT TO SHARE OIL WEALTH Rome (Fides Service) – A history making agreement between the government of Sudan and the rebels, Southern Peoples Liberation Army, SPLA was signed on 7 January in the Kenyan town of Naivasha by vice president Ali Osma ...
• 7 January 2004
  ASIA/INDONESIA - EMERITUS BISHOP SOUDANT OF PALEMBANG DIES IN HOSPITAL. CONGREGATION FOR THE EVANGELISATION OF PEOPLES SENDS HEARTFELT CONDOLENCES TO LOCAL CATHOLICS Rome (Fides Service)- Belgian born Bishop Joseph Hubertus Soudant, s.c.i, in charge of the Catholic diocese of Palembang (Indonesia) between1963 to 1997, died on 29 December 2003 in hospital in Lanaken, Belgium. Palemban ...
• 7 January 2004
  ASIA/PAKISTAN – KARACHI: MGR EVARIST PINTO APPOINTED METROPOLITAN ARCHBISHOP Vatican City (Fides Service) – The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II has, 7 January 2004, appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of Karachi in Pakistan, Mgr Evarist Pinto until now titular Bishop of Castra severiana and Auxili ...
• 7 January 2004
  AFRICA/NIGERIA – BAUCHI VICARIATE ELEVATED TO RANK OF DIOCESE, FIRST BISHOP MGR. JOHN MOORE Vatican City (Fides Service) – The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II has, 12 December 2003, elevated the Apostolic Vicariate of Bauchi (Nigeria) to the rank of Diocese making it suffragan of the Metropolitan Archdiocese o ...
• 7 January 2004
  ASIA/INDONESIA – MEDAN: MGR ANICETUS SINAGA APPOINTED COADJUTOR ARCHBISHOP Vatican City (Fides Service) – The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II has, 7 January 2004, appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of the archdiocese of Medan (Indonesia), Mgr Anicetus Sinaga OFM Cap., transferring him from the See ...
• 7 January 2004
  VATICAN - THE POPE’S ANGELUS REFLECTION ON THE FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY: “THE STAR THAT LED THE WISE MEN TO CHRIST RECALLS THE RICH SYMBOLISM OF LIGHT…GOD IS LIGHT AND THE WORD MADE MAN IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD, A LIGHT TO GUIDE THE WANDERING OF PEOPLES Vatican City (Fides Service) – During his midday Angelus reflection on Tuesday 6 January, the feast of the Epiphany a bank holiday in many countries including Italy, before blessing the people gathered in St Peter’s ...
• 7 January 2004
  EUROPE/GERMANY - CHILDREN BUILD BRIDGES: HALF A MILLION STERN SINGERS ALL OVER GERMANY COLLECT MONEY FOR LITTLE BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN NEED: THE WORLD’S MOST SUCCESSFUL CHILDREN HELPING CHILDREN CAMPAIGN Aachen (Fides Service) – Yesterday January 6th Feast of the Epiphany, for the 46th time German children all over the country took part in the traditional star singers collection for children in need. Dressed as the Thr ...
• 7 January 2004
  AFRICA/BURUNDI - IN BURUNDI PENDULUM OF WAR SWINGS DANGEROUSLY HIGH. NUNCIO’S KILLERS WERE PROFESSIONALS. TELLTALE SIGNS ON AMBUSHED CAR Bujumbura (Fides Service) - The situation in Burundi is still one of insecurity despite the announcement on 5 January that the FNL National Liberation Front rebels were ready to meet President Domitien Ndayizeye to start ...
• 7 January 2004
  AFRICA/IVORY COAST - REBEL MINISTERS AGREE TO SIT WITH GOVERNMENT DESPITE FEAR THAT REFERENDUM WILL ENABLE PRESIDENT TO QUASH NEW LAWS WITHOUT PARLIAMENT’S CONSENT. GROWING CONCERN AMONG DESCENDANTS OF NON NATIONALS Abidjan (Fides Service)- “The rebels decision to take their seats with other ministers of the national unity government is certainly a good sign and let’s hope it gives a push to the peace process which stalled some ...
• 7 January 2004
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE PRESIDENT APPLAUDS INDIA AND PAKISTAN FOR NEW RELATIONS IN NEW MILLENNIUM URGING GOVERNMENTS TO UNITE TO FIGHT POVERTY AND REDUCE MILITARY SPENDING: FULL SUPPORT FOR PRESIDENT MUSHARRAF Lahore (Fides Service) – “We are very pleased and welcome with joy the news of the governments’ decision to resume talks. We hope with all our heart that these talks will mark the start of a new era in relations be ...
• 5 January 2004
  VATICAN - 6 JANUARY 2004 MISSIONARY CHILDHOOD DAY FIDES DOSSIER:INFANCY BETRAYED, ABUSED, HUMILIATED ALL OVER THE WORLD Vatican City (Fides Service) – January 6th is World Day of Missionary Childhood for the Catholic Church. In local Churches on every continent children will take part in special initiatives organised by the local Pontif ...
• 5 January 2004
  VATICAN - HEALTH IS A RIGHT DENIED TO MANY AND A CHALLENGE FOR EVANGELISATION. EVERY MISSION HAS ITS BASIC HEALTH CARE CENTRE: FIDES DOSSIER ON CATHOLIC HEALTH CARE Vatican City (Fides Service) – The dossier prepared by Fides wishes to offer readers a picture of the health situation in mission countries where conditions are difficult or tragic. It is precisely in mission territo ...
• 5 January 2004
  VATICAN - ON FIDES WEB SITE POPE JOHN PAUL II’s MESSAGE FOR WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR PEACE NOW AVAILABLE IN CHINESE Vatican City (Fides Service) – To enable Catholics in mainland China, Taiwan and many overseas communities to read in their own language, Pope John Paul II’s 2004 message for World day of Prayer for Peace celebrated ...