Asia

• 5 December 2009
  ASIA/SRI LANKA - Tamil refugees freed, while risk of field mines remains Colombo (Agenzia Fides) – The international community has shown its widespread approval of the Colombo government's decision to allow freedom of movement of at least 136,000 Tamil refugees, victims of the civil conflic ...
• 4 December 2009
  ASIA/CHINA - Bishop Peter Chen Bolu dies at 97: Diocese of Yongnian/Handan doubled in Catholics, thanks to his zealous labor Yongnian/Handan (Agenzia Fides) – This past November 5, the Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Yongnian/Handan, Hebei (China Mainland), Bishop Peter Chen Bolu, passed away. He was 97 years old. The Bishop was born June ...
• 4 December 2009
  ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - Chinese religious leaders visit Catholic community Seoul (Agenzia Fides) – A delegation of religious leaders from mainland China, Chinese members of the Commission "Religions and Peace," in recent days paid a visit to the Korean Catholic community, stopping to visit th ...
• 3 December 2009
  ASIA/HONG KONG - Salesians in Hong Kong celebrate 150th anniversary reflecting on preventative education and renewing their commitment to the youth, especially the disadvantaged Hong Kong (Agenzia Fides) – Reconfirm the validity of the Salesian charism and apostolic zeal applying the recommendations of the Inspector General “to mobilize the cooperation of the entire great Salesian family to ...
• 3 December 2009
  ASIA/INDIA - Cardinal Telesphore Toppo tells Fides: “Francis Xavier is a model for evangelization in India today.” Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – "Francis Xavier is a model for evangelization in India today. The faithful love him and venerate him as a patron. His commitment and his missionary zeal are an example to us, also in the ...
• 3 December 2009
  ASIA/THAILAND - “It's always difficult to meet someone severely suffering that we have never seen before." The importance of missionary training, from a PIME missionary Bangkok (Agenzia Fides) - A three-week meeting of missionary training being held for 12 seminarians of Thailand's Major Seminary in the Bangkok area has recently ended. Father Adrian Pelosin, a PIME missionary who has be ...
• 2 December 2009
  ASIA/CHINA - Chinese Catholic pilgrims to the island of Shang Chuan show their great devotion to Saint Francis Xavier, Patron of the Missions Beijing (Agenzia Fides) – The small island of Shang Chuan, in the Province of Guang Dong, on the coast of southern China, where St. Francis Xavier died on December 3, 1552, is a favorite destination for pilgrimage amon ...
• 2 December 2009
  ASIA/INDIA - Christians accused of “illegal conversions” for political motives Bangalore (Agenzia Fides) – Accusing Christians in India of carrying out a campaign of illegal or fraudulent conversions is a tactic being used by Hindu fundamentalist movements for mere political reasons, says an ecum ...
• 2 December 2009
  ASIA/INDIA - Every month in Talavadi: "Festival of Life" - a day of games, prayer, and sharing for disabled children sponsored by Opera Don Guanella Talavadi (Agenzia Fides) – Among the traditional events in India is the "Festival of Life" promoted by “Guanelliani” (Servants of Charity, Opera Don Guanella), which is held in Talavadi, Diocese of Ooty, in the nor ...
• 1 December 2009
  ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - Christians and Buddhists sign a joint declaration for the abolition of the death penalty: “We universally support the complete elimination of such extreme punishment that does not consider the sacredness of life.” Seoul (Agenzia Fides) - "Every life that has come into existence on this earth is sacred. The death penalty is for us 'murder' in the name of law and institution that artificially deprives a human being of his irreplacea ...
• 28 November 2009
  ASIA/CHINA - Diocese of Tang Shang celebrates 110th anniversary, publishes missionary materials Tang Shang (Agenzia Fides) - The Diocese of Tang Shang (originally Yong Ping) of the He Bei Province in mainland China, is celebrating its 110th anniversary with various initiatives, including the publishing of missionar ...
• 28 November 2009
  ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - Bishops' Messages call Advent a time for change Seoul (Agenzia Fides) – The liturgical season of Advent, as time and opportunity for change: this is the theme that echoes in pastoral letters and messages from various Korean bishops being circulated for this forthco ...
• 28 November 2009
  ASIA/THAILAND - The story of the young ambassador of the Camillian Center of Rayong, one of the longest-living women born HIV-positive Rayong (Agenzia Fides) – On the occasion of World AIDS Day, Fides has received the testimony of one of the many victims of the virus. Her name is Oon (Orapan) and at age 22, she has become an ambassador for the Center ...
• 27 November 2009
  ASIA/CHINA - Local Church sees new bridge linking Shanghai to Chongming Island, for Expo 2010, as a new opportunity to relaunch apostolate Shanghai (Agenzia Fides) - The opening of the bridge that connects the island of Chong Ming to the mainland, to the city of Shang Hai, is being welcomed by the local Church as a new opportunity to revitalize the mission ...
• 27 November 2009
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - “There is mourning and pain, but our journalistic work at the service of the Gospel is strengthened,” President of Bishops' Commission for Mass Media tells Fides, in the aftermath of the Maguindanao massacre Manila (Agenzia Fides) - “It is a day of mourning for the country, for the Church, for the world of journalism. We are very sad and sorrowful. We knew that Mindanao is an area of conflict and tension, but no one could ...