Asia

• 15 December 2004
  ASIA/CHINA - “People are free to make an offering as they wish during the Christmas Mass”: parish priest at Nang Tang Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Beijing clarifies misunderstanding Beijing (Fides Service) - People will not have to pay to enter Nan Tang Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Beijing for Christmas Mass. The parish priest said there had been a misunderstanding and that recent media allega ...
• 15 December 2004
  ASIA/MYANMAR - Human rights violated, ethnic minorities persecuted: no change in Burma, says ‘Christian Solidarity Worldwide’ Yangon (Fides Service) - “Burmese ethnic minority refugees camped on the border with Thailand are living a serious humanitarian crisis” says London based Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) organisation which keeps ...
• 14 December 2004
  ASIA/SRI LANKA - Support peace and reconciliation after twenty years of war: Caritas starts new programmes Colombo (Fides Service) - Support efforts of peace and reconciliation in a country devastated by twenty years of civil war; educate youth the have confidence in the future, spirit of initiative, a peaceful attitude towar ...
• 14 December 2004
  ASIA/INDIA - Park Street in central Calcutta named after Mother Teresa: Christian witness makes its mark in the civil community Calcutta (Fides Service) - “We are thrilled and deeply moved for this act of recognition of the extraordinary mark Mother Teresa left on Indian society though her service to the poorest of the poor” Father Babu Josep ...
• 14 December 2004
  ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - Jesuits mark fifty years at the service of the people of Korea offering valid education Seoul (Fides Service) - The Society of Jesus in Korea is preparing to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its service in Korea in 2005 with academic acts, seminars as well as spiritual initiatives and liturgical celebratio ...
• 13 December 2004
  ASIA/IRAQ - “At Christmas no festivities but much prayer” says Chaldean Archbishop of Kerkuk -massage for peace in Iraq from Christian leaders Kerkuk (Fides Service) - It will be a Christmas of prayer for Christians in the northern Iraqi city of Kerkuk. There will be no public festivities among Chaldean Catholics concerned for increasing fundamental violence a ...
• 13 December 2004
  ASIA/INDIA - National Meeting of Charismatic Groups: 18,000 people gather to pray and reflect Ahmedabad (Fides Service) - A convention devoted to prayer, reflection, Bible Study brought together members of Charismatic groups from all over India who gathered in Ahmedabad, capital of Gujarat state in west India, ...
• 13 December 2004
  ASIA/MALAYSIA - International AID agencies and volunteers assist refugees from Myanmar and Indonesia Kuala Lumpur (Fides Service) - Thousands of refugees, mainly members of ethnic minority groups fleeing persecution in Myanmar and people fleeing secessionist war in Aceh the Indonesian province of north Sumatra, are livi ...
• 10 December 2004
  ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - National Caritas Day in Korea December 12: “To God through love of neighbour” Seoul (Fides Service) - In a message for National Caritas Day in Korea, 12 December, Bishop Lazzaro You Heung-sik, coadjutor Bishop of Daejeon, President of the Bishops’ Caritas Commission told Catholics that for every ...
• 10 December 2004
  ASIA/IRAQ - “Cost of living” in Europe and Iraq: in constant danger Christians in Baghdad and Mosulwill spend Christmas behind barred doors Baghdad (Fides Service) - Despite an ever higher cost of living in Europe Christmas shopping and present hunting is in full swing while in the Iraqi cities of Baghdad and Mosul the cost of living is another matter and Ch ...
• 10 December 2004
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - Grateful memory of heroic Father Carlito Colendres who gave his life to save typhoon victims - appeal for aid from Bishop of disaster zone Infanta Manila (Fides Service) - “The words of Christ: ‘There is no greater love than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends’ were exemplified by the heroic act of Father Carlito Colendres who lost his life whi ...
• 9 December 2004
  ASIA/IRAQ - “Iraq’s ancient Christian civilisation is in danger! Centuries of history, culture and peaceful coexistence were destroyed in a few second by ignorant fanatics”: Chaldean monk in Iraq launches appeal to Fides Mosul (Fides Service) - “It only takes a few seconds, a bomb and a criminal act on the part of ignorant fanatics to destroy centuries of history, culture and peaceful coexistence in Iraq. The situation is unbearable. I ...
• 9 December 2004
  ASIA/IRAQ - “They destroyed years of sacrifices made by countless Iraqis” Father Nizar told Fides with regard to the destruction of the Chaldean Archbishop’s residence in Mosul. “We are waiting for the Arab media to condemn the crime …” Mosul (Fides Service) “Despite warnings which we launched through Fides with regard to the situation of Christians in Iraq, extremists continue to attack Christian individuals and institutions ”, Father Nizar Semaan ...
• 9 December 2004
  ASIA/INDIA - Attack on a Catholic church in southern India: extremists smash statues and threaten Christians Chennai (Fides Service) - On December 3 extremists broke into St Francis of Assisi church in Mathal, in Kottar diocese, in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. Only today the Indian Bishops Conference informed Fides of the ...
• 9 December 2004
  ASIA/TURKEY - Catechesis charity, ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue: looking back on fervent pastoral year of Catholics in Antioch Antioch (Fides Service) - “The pastoral year 2004 of the Catholic Church in Antioch was marked by four pillars: catechesis, charity, hospitality, dialogue ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue ”, said Franciscan Fr ...