News

• 17 December 2003
  WYD 2005 IN COLOGNE, GERMANY: OMI PREPARATORY MEETING 11 TO 15 AUGUST 2005 The Youth Service Department of the German Province of the Oblate Missionaries of Mary Immaculate (OMI) is already at work to organise a pre-WYD 2005 meeting for groups accompanied by Oblates as they did before WYD in To ...
• 17 December 2003
  VATICAN – POPE JOHN PAUL II PRESIDES FUNERAL FOR CARDINAL PAULOS TZADUA EMERITUS ARCHBISHOP OF ADDIS ABABA Vatican City (Fides Service)- On December 16 in St Peter’s basilica Pope John Paul II presided the funeral mass for Cardinal Paulos Tzadua, Emeritus Archbishop of Addis Ababa. The Mass was celebrated by Cardinal Joseph ...
• 17 December 2003
  EUROPE/SCOTLAND - SCOTTISH BISHOPS MAKE 2004 YEAR OF "LIFE AND FAMILY" Glasgow (Fides Service) - In a letter to all Catholics in Scotland made public on 15 December, Cardinal Keith O'Brien calls on them to support marriage and the family and to build "a culture of life" in Scotland, Peter K ...
• 17 December 2003
  ASIA/INDIA - “THE CHURCH MUST COMMUNICATE THE GOOD NEWS, AT ALL TIMES AND WITH ALL MEANS ”, ARCHBISHOP BASELIOS, PRESIDENT OF THE CATHOLIC BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE OF INDIA TOLD MEETING OF CATHOLIC COUNCIL New Delhi (Fides Service) – The Church has to engage in social communications at all times and by all means because her very existence has relevance only if she is a proclaiming and an evangelising Church” said the ...
• 17 December 2003
  VATICAN - THE POPE’S TEACHING AT GENERAL AUDIENCE: “THE MEANING OF CHRISTIAN HOPE, RE-PROPOSED IN ADVENT, IS CONFIDENT WAITING, INDUSTRIOUS READINESS AND JOYOUS OPENING TO THE ENCOUNTER WITH THE LORD. WITH HIS COMING IN BETHLEHEM HE CAME TO US TO STAY FOREVER.” Vatican City (Fides Service ) – “Advent quickens our expectancy for Christ, who comes to visit us with his salvation, bringing to completion his Kingdom of justice and peace. The annual commemoration of the birth of ...
• 17 December 2003
  AFRICA/ETHIOPIA – ALL IS QUIET IN GAMBELLA AFTER RECENT ETHNIC CLASHES. AT LEAST 200 HOMELESS PEOPLE FIND SHELTER AT SALESIAN MISSION AND HUNDREDS MORE ARE IN DANGER OF STARVATION Addis Ababa (Fides Service)- All is quiet in Gambella, in south east Ethiopia, the scene of ethnic clashes last week (see Fides 16 December 2003). “Army troops dispatched by the government restored order and are now pa ...
• 16 December 2003
  AMERICA/PERU - “THE CHRISTMAS OFFER OF FORGIVENESS AND NEW LIFE MUST NOT BE LEFT TO PASS IN VAIN: MESSAGE OF PERUVIAN BISHOPS FOR INTEGRAL RECONCILIATION BASED ON TRUTH AND JUSTICE” Lima (Fides Service) – “Let us make way for the Lord” is the title of a Christmas Message issued by the Catholic Bishops of Peru a copy of which was sent to Fides by Bishop Juan José Larrañeta Olleta, Vicar Apos ...
• 16 December 2003
  VATICAN - THE POPE SPEAKS TO BISHOPS OF SUDAN: “THE EXAMPLE OF STEADFAST COMMITMENT AND OF CHRISTIAN CHARITY GIVEN BY THESE TWO DEVOTED SERVANTS OF THE LORD CAN SHED MUCH LIGHT ON THE PRESENT REALITIES FACING THE CHURCH IN YOUR COUNTRY.” Vatican City (Fides Service) – Addressing the Bishops of Sudan received for their ad limina visit on 15 December Pope John Paul II said “May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways’” (2 ...
• 16 December 2003
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES – FOR CHRISTMAS GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNIST GUERRILLA IN SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES CALL A TRUCE Davao (Fides Service) – Peace talks between the Philippines government and rebel groups fighting for secession in the southern Islands have not yet started but for Christmas there will at least be a truce for the marty ...
• 16 December 2003
  AFRICA/IVORY COAST - PEACE AMONG POLITICAL LEADERS MUST BE FOLLOWED BY PEACE AMONG HEARTS Abidjan (Fides Service) - Slowly but surely withdrawal of heavy arms continues from the strip of no man’s land which divides army controlled territory from the zone in the hands of the New Forces rebels. Fides was told ...
• 16 December 2003
  ASIA/INDIA - RELIGIOUS LEADERS AND HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS MEET TO DISCUSS WAYS AND MEANS OF PROMOTING ETHNIC PEACE IN NORTH EAST INDIA Guwahati (Fides Service) – Promote united efforts to stop ethnic violence in north east India, particularly in Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, where hundreds of victims have been reported in recent weeks. This was ...
• 16 December 2003
  AFRICA/ETHIOPIA - AFRICA STILL IN THE GRIP OF TRIBALISM: RIVAL ETHNIC GROUPS CLASH IN WESTERN ETHIOPIA. MISSIONARIES ASSIST REFUGEES Addis Ababa (Fides Service)- It is still very difficult to have a precise picture of what is happening in the Gambella region, about 400 km west of the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, for several days the scene of tribal ...
• 16 December 2003
  VATICAN - POPE JOHN PAUL II ISSUES MESSAGE FOR THE CHURCH’S 37TH WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR PEACE 1ST JANUARY 2004: “AN EVER TIMELY COMMITMENT: TEACHING PEACE” Vatican City (Fides Service) – “An Ever Timely Commitment: Teaching Peace” is the theme of Pope John Paul II’s Message for World Day of Prayer for Peace 2004 which was released on 16 December in the Vatican. Pres ...
• 15 December 2003
  ASIA/HOLY LAND - CHRISTMAS 2003: YOUNG MUSICIANS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD CARRY MESSAGE OF PEACE WITH CONCERTS IN JERUSALEM AND SCHOLARSHIPS FOR ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN MUSIC STUDENTS Jerusalem (Fides Service) – Peace in the Holy Land can be launched by youth: with this conviction, this Christmas 28 people aged between 16 and 26 from 21 different countries, “will stage a peaceful invasion of the H ...
• 15 December 2003
  AFRICA/CAPE VERDE - MINDELO NEW DIOCESE, FIRST BISHOP REV. GOMES FURTADO Vatican City (Fides Service) – The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, has (14 November 2003) created the diocese of Mindelo in Cape Verde with territory taken from the diocese of Santiago de Cabo Verde, rendering it immed ...