Africa

• 28 July 2009
  AFRICA/MADAGASCAR - “Illiteracy is the entrance into a vicious circle: ignorance, lack of hygiene, underdevelopment, poverty, leprosy. Breaking the chain of ignorance, disease can be overcome as well.” The work of the Capuchin Missionaries in Madagascar Ambanja (Agenzia Fides) – In 2002, Madagascar received the WHO's “award for the victory over leprosy,” a disease that has afflicted the island for many years and that today is under control thanks to the work of Ca ...
• 24 July 2009
  AFRICA/SOMALIA - “The Somali curse”: inability to procure shared power lies at the heart of its tragic instability Mogadishu (Agenzia Fides) - “Somalia is above all its own victim...victim of its inability to procure shared power, a problem that we could call “the Somali curse.” Along with this fact, there are also the influenc ...
• 24 July 2009
  AFRICA/GUINEA BISSAU - Sunday, second round of presidential elections: two candidates are old rivals from elections of 2000 Bissau (Agenzia Fides) – On Sunday, July 26, the second round of presidential elections in Guinea Bissau will take place. In the first round, which was held June 28 (see Fides 26/6/2009), Malam Bacai Sanha, candidate o ...
• 23 July 2009
  AFRICA/SOUTH AFRICA - Protests calling for an improvement of living conditions lead to clashes with police; fears for return of xenophobia Johannesburg (Agenzia Fides) - “We are not going to allow anybody to use illegal means to achieve their objective. we are saying this is a government that is legitimate, has been elected democratically, anything that ...
• 23 July 2009
  AFRICA/MALAWI - “We have kept John Paul II's message alive, 20 years after his visit to Malawi,” a missionary says Lilongwe (Agenzia Fides) – On July 18, the Church in Malawi celebrated a great ceremony at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre, in honor of 4 events: the 50th anniversary of the Archdiocese of Blantyre; the 20th anniversary of ...
• 22 July 2009
  AFRICA/SUDAN - Agreement reached on Abyei, area disputed by north and south Sudan: oil deposits awarded to Khartoum Khartoum (Agenzia Fides) – The government of Khartoum and that of the autonomous region of south Sudan have declared that they accept the verdict of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, given today, July 22 ...
• 22 July 2009
  AFRICA/UGANDA - Seminarians in Alokolum, North Uganda: an example of the Church that stands by the people, even in the most desperate situations Kampala (Agenzia Fides) – The situation in North Uganda is more stable, although high vigilance must be maintained to prevent further violence. This is what was mentioned by Monsignor Cosmas Alule, Rector of the Major ...
• 21 July 2009
  AFRICA/CONGO DR - Importance of reserves of coltan and other minerals being used to fuel the war in North and South Kivu Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) – The mineral resources of North and South Kivu (eastern Democratic Republic of Congo) are what have been fueling a conflict that has been going on for over 12 years now. This is what is explai ...
• 21 July 2009
  AFRICA/EGYPT - The Church in Egypt mourns the death of Mother Marie Georgette Habashy, a prominent figure in the local Catholic community Cairo (Agenzia Fides) – The Catholic Church in Egypt has lost one of its leading figures: Mother Marie Georgette Habashy, former Superior General of the “Egyptian Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus,” who was the ...
• 21 July 2009
  AFRICA/ERITREA - 12 priests ordained: highest number in the history of the Church in Eritrea Asmara (Agenzia Fides) – The Catholic Church in Eritrea is celebrating the ordination of 12 priests. According to a report sent to Agenzia Fides from Fr. Kibrom Tseggai, Director of the Office for Social Communications ...
• 20 July 2009
  AFRICA/SIERRA LEONE - 150th anniversary of the death of the founder of the Society of African Missions: a missionary's testimony Freetown (Agenzia Fides) - “When this pilgrimage to Freetown for celebrating the 150th anniversary of the death of our founder and his first companions was first proposed, many of our brothers in the order thought that ...
• 20 July 2009
  AFRICA/CONGO DR - “For me, my life is Christ”: Message of the Congolese Bishops for the Year for Priests Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) - “Along with the Holy Father, we hope that the Year for Priests may contribute to strengthening your effort for interior renewal, so as to make your testimony in our country and in the world m ...
• 17 July 2009
  AFRICA/EGYPT - The Catholic Church's activity in Egypt Cairo (Agenzia Fides) – On July 9, in the Coptic Catholic Church of Saint Teresa, in the district of Sharabia-Cairo, the Catholic Women's Committee sponsored an educational course on the A-N1H1 flu, given by medical sp ...
• 17 July 2009
  AFRICA/NAMIBIA - “Set aside tribalism and chose a future leader for the nation using objective criteria, at the light of the Gospel,” Bishops say in looking ahead to November elections Windhoek (Agenzia Fides) - “Be vigilant, to stay awake and to protect our democracy that was hard-earned and hard-won through the sacrifices of many lives.” This is the appeal from the Bishops of Namibia, made to Cat ...
• 16 July 2009
  AFRICA/CONGO - Incumbent President Denis Sassou Nguesso reelected to lead Congo; controversy over low voting rate Brazzaville (Agenzia Fides) – As expected, incumbent President Denis Sassou Nguesso won the presidential elections that were held in the Republic of Congo on July 12 (see Fides 10/7/2009). According to the results pub ...