News

• 12 November 2003
  VATICAN - THE FIELD OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS SHOULD NOT BE ABANDONED BUT IT DEMANDS GREAT CAUTION: CARDINAL MARTINO CONCLUDES SEMINAR ORGANISED BY PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE Vatican City (Fides) - “The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace will continue to help enlighten consciences so that vegetable bio-technology may be an opportunity for all and not a threat, within a political and ...
• 12 November 2003
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO – REV. RAYMOND MATAND APPOINTED RECTOR OF PAUL VI MAJOR INTERDIOCESAN SEMINARY IN KABINDA Vatican City (Fides) – Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples has appointed 31 October 2003, rector of the Paul VI Major Inter-diocesan Seminary in Kabinda in Democratic ...
• 12 November 2003
  ASIA/IRAQ - ITALIAN TROOPS KILLED: IRAQI CHRISTIANS VOICE SYMPATHY TO ITALY THROUGH FATHER NIZAR SEMAAN Rome (Fides Service)- “We firmly condemn the attack on Italian troops on a peacekeeping mission in Iraq” Catholic priest Father Nizar Semaan of Ninive tells Fides expressing sympathy with Italy of all the Christians ...
• 12 November 2003
  AMERICA/BRAZIL - CHURCH IN BRAZIL INVESTS IN RE-EVANGELISATION AMONG LAPSED CATHOLICS: “WE CANNOT BE CONTENT WITH OUR PRACTISING CATHOLICS. IF MISSIONARY DIMENSION IS NEGLECTED THE CHURCH IS IMPOVERISHED AND LOSES VITALITY ”. Brasilia (Fides Service ) – The Bishops Conference of Brazil CNBB has presented a new project: to re-evangelise lapsed Catholics and promote the missionary commitment of laity The national plan for evangelisation pre ...
• 12 November 2003
  AMERICA/ARGENTINA - TOWARDS 2ND AMERICAN MISSION CONGRESS CAM 2: NATIONAL MISSION CONGRESS TO HELP IDENTIFY NECESSITY, URGENCY AND VALIDITY OF JESUS' MISSION COMMAND Buenos Aires (Fides Service ) – In preparation for CAM 2 the Church in Argentina held a National Mission Congress 25 - 27 October in Mar del Plata. Father Jairo Calderón Benavidez IMC, National Director of the Pontifi ...
• 12 November 2003
  VATICAN - THE POPE’S WEDNESDAY AUDIENCE TEACHING: “IN CHRISTIAN CELEBRATIONS THE SUFFERING OF THE INDIVIDUAL SHOULD BE ECHOED IN THE HEARTS OF ALL; AS TOO THE JOY OF EACH SHOULD BE LIVED BY THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY OF WORSHIPPERS ” Vatican City (Fides Service) – Psalm 141 – “You are my refuge” – recited by Saint Francis of Assisi a few moments before his death, was the subject of the teaching given by Pope John Paul II during his general ...
• 12 November 2003
  VATICAN - THE POPE SENDS TELEGRAMME OF CONDOLENCE TO ITALIAN PRESIDENT CIAMPI AFTER MORTAL ATTACK ON ITALIAN PEACEKEEPERS IN NASSIRIYA (IRAQ) Vatican City (Fides Service) – Pope John Paul II sent a telegramme of condolence to the President of Italy Carlo Azeglio Ciampi for the death of Italian peacekeepers in a car bomb attack on an Italian Army base at Nass ...
• 12 November 2003
  AFRICA/MAURITANIA - OFFICIAL RESULTS OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS Nouakchott (Fides Service )- According to official results, outgoing President Maaouiya Sid'Ahmed Ould Taya was re-elected with 66,7 % of votes place in Mauritania on 7 November (see Fides 8 November 2003). Taya, in po ...
• 12 November 2003
  AFRICA/SUDAN - GROWING CONCERN FOR RESETTLEMENT OF REFUGEES AND DISPLACED PERSONS AFTER SIGNING OF PEACE AGREEMENT Khartoum (Fides Service) – There is growing concern with regard to the return of Sudanese refugees from neighbouring countries. As the signing of a peace agreement between the Khartoum government and the SPLA Sudan Peo ...
• 12 November 2003
  ASIA/NEPAL - JESUIT REFUGEES SERVICE CALLS ON INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO HELP SOLVE CRISIS OF BHUTAN REFUGEES IN NEPAL Kathmandu (Fides Service) – A call for an International Conference between the governments of Bhutan and Nepal and the UN High Commission for Refugees UNHCR to find a lasting solution to the 12 year crisis of Bhutanes ...
• 12 November 2003
  ASIA/INDIA - “WE ARE A DYNAMIC AND VIBRANT, WHICH RUNS MANY SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS DESPITE OBSTACLES POSED BY TAMIL NADU LOCAL GOVERNMENT”: ARCHBISHOP JAMES ARUL DAS OF MADRAS SPEAKS TO FIDES Vatican City (Fides Service) – “In Tamil Nadu the Church is dynamic and vibrant. We have about 3.2 million Catholics in the state and we are present with various social institutions, schools, hospitals and orphanages ...
• 12 November 2003
  ASIA/INDIA - MORE THAN 1,300 JESUITS TO ATTEND BOMBAY SOCIAL FORUM IN JANUARY TO DISCUSS GLOBALISATION AND EXCLUSION, TAKING SIDES WITH THE POOR Bombay (Fides Service ) – More than 1.300 Jesuits from all over the world will take part in the 4th World Social Forum WSF in Bombay 16 - 21 January 2004, Father Joe Xavier S J, head the organising committee told Fid ...
• 12 November 2003
  ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - “FAMILY SANCTIFICATION DEPARTMENT ” IN EVERY PARISH IN CHONJU DIOCESE TO ANIMATE FAMILY PASTORAL AND ANNOUNCE THE GOSPEL TO NON CHRISTIAN FAMILIES Chonju (Fides Service ) – The Catholic Bishops of Korea have chosen the family as the focal point of the pastoral concern because they say the family must be seen both as the object and subject of evangelisation, a fun ...
• 11 November 2003
  VATICAN/UNITED NATIONS - “PEACE IS POSSIBLE, PEACE MUST BE WILLED, EARNED AND SHARED AS A COMMON GOOD OF HUMANITY.”: HOLY SEE OBSERVER ARCHBISHOP MIGLIORE SPEAKS ON CULTURE OF PEACE TO UN ASSEMBLY Vatican City (Fides Service) – “War destroys the life of innocent people, teaches how to kill, throws into upheaval even the lives of those who do the killing and leaves behind a trail of resentment and hatred, thus ...
• 11 November 2003
  AFRICA/BURUNDI - BOMBED BUJUMBURA NOW FEARS VAST SCALE OFFENSIVE BY HUTU WARRIORS ENCIRCLING CAPITAL Bujumbura (Fides Service)- “There is an atmosphere of unreal calm in the city charged with tension ” local Church sources in the Burundian capital Bujumbura tell Fides after a night of heavy bombing of north eastern ...