Asia

• 16 September 2004
  ASIA/INDONESIA - Eve of presidential elections, after the recent bomb blast in Jakarta - Indonesia’s political leaders include army generals and radical Muslims Jakarta (Fides Service) - Amidst tension and uncertainty Indonesia has reached the last stage of presidential elections scheduled for Monday 20 September when the country will at last know the name of its first democrati ...
• 16 September 2004
  ASIA/INDIA - Salesian school wins state award for excellent education in Information Technology New Delhi (Fides Service) - The Indian government has awarded a national prize for education to the Don Bosco Higher Secondary School in Kohima, capital city of the northeastern Indian state of Nagaland. The school was ...
• 15 September 2004
  ASIA/INDIA - Clear signal to people bent on spreading hatred among religious communities in India: formal request from Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India for a Central Investigation Office enquiry into the murder of Father Job Chittilappilly New Delhi (Fides Service) - The Church in India has called on civil authorities to bring the perpetrators of recent attacks on Christians and Christian institutions to justice. The Catholic Bishops Conference of India h ...
• 15 September 2004
  ASIA/TIMOR EAST - In the young democracy of East Timor which faces many problems the Church can help overcome difficulties, Bishop Alberto Ricardo da Silva of Dili told Fides Vatican City (Fides Service) - Bishop Alberto Ricardo da Silva, newly appointed Catholic Bishop of Dili, capital of East Timor is convinced that “This is the time for the laity in the Church in East Timor. They are th ...
• 15 September 2004
  ASIA/SRI LANKA - New hopes for peace Sri Lanka with Norway’s mediation: it is fundamental to restore trust between the parties Colombo (Fides Service) - After months of stalemate and uncertainty there are new hopes for peace in Sri Lanka, according to local Fides sources. “Hopes for peace were low and we feared the situation would degenerate. ...
• 14 September 2004
  ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - “Female genius can play a prominent part in the Church”: survey by CBCK Committee for Women Seoul (Fides Service) - The Church stands to benefit from more involvement of women in pastoral decision making and activity. This was said by the Committee for Women which is part of the Commission for Lay Apostolate of ...
• 14 September 2004
  ASIA/JAPAN - Japanese missionary Sister in Algeria shares the experience of a Franciscan Sister witnessing to Jesus by serving others Tokyo (Fides Service) - Sr Sano Mitsuko, aged 65, a member of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary spent 25 years on mission in Algeria. Those were the dark years of civil war, social violence among Islamic fundamentalist ...
• 14 September 2004
  ASIA/VIETNAM - “A Year of Evangelisation a new start for the Church in Vietnam”: Salesian Bishop Van Tiem of Bui Chu diocese speaks to Fides Vatican City (Fides Service) - “We are living a year of Evangelisation which is proving to be a new start for the Church in Vietnam. People are returning to the faith and there is growing awareness that every Christian ...
• 13 September 2004
  ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - Family formation and evangelisation is urgent to help families opt for a culture of life: scarce knowledge of Catholic Teaching on the family and life Seoul (Fides Service) - The family in Asia needs to be oriented towards a culture of life, the Bishops of Asia agreed during a general assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences FABC held in Korea in Augu ...
• 13 September 2004
  ASIA/HONG KONG - Legislative Council elections - Democrats make small step forward, parties in favour of tighter bonds with Mainland China win people’s preference Hong Kong (Fides Service) - Contrary to expectations and surveys which predicted a large majority of votes in their favour in the September 12 elections in Hong Kong, pro-democracy parties gained only 3 seats more then t ...
• 11 September 2004
  ASIA/INDIA - Marian devotion flourishes in India and Pakistan; thousands flock to take part in novenas and pilgrimages, attended with respect and devotion by Hindus and Muslims New Delhi (Fides Service) - Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary is deeply rooted among the Catholics of India and Pakistan: prayer vigils, regular recitation of the rosary and pilgrimages to the many Marian shrines are ...
• 9 September 2004
  ASIA/INDONESIA - Fides given preview of Catholic Bishops’ statement after Jakarta bomb blast: if politicians, civil society, religious communities unite we will overcome terrorism; religion must no be exploited! Jakarta (Fides Service) - Sympathy for the dead and the wounded, rejection of violence and exploitation of religion, this and more was expressed in a statement drafted by the Catholic Bishops of Indonesia after the bomb ...
• 9 September 2004
  ASIA/INDONESIA - “The bomb blast was connected with international terrorism, not the local political situation, but could harm Indonesia at the economic and political level”, local sources in Jakarta tells Fides Jakarta (Fides Service) - “The attack was connected with international terrorism, not the local political situation. It does not affect the situation of Indonesia’s Christians”: local Church sources in Jakarta told ...
• 8 September 2004
  ASIA/INDIA - Carrying the Bible to remote areas of India: Centre for research and translation of Sacred Scripture has a special mission Bangalore (Fides Service) - In Bangalore, in the southern Indian state of Karnataka besides various industries and famous institutes of research there is also the World Bible Translation Centre WBTC which has the mission ...
• 8 September 2004
  EUROPE/GEORGIA - Warning and appeal from Papal Nuncio in Georgia: “We need ideas and means to ensure that the whole of the Caucus region does not turn into a powder keg”. Caritas Georgia (southern Ossezia) helps children in Beslan, northern Ossezia as well as exhausted displaced persons in its own region Rome (Fides Service) - “The massacre of the innocents a few days ago in northern Ossezia shook the world. But not to be forgotten either are more than 3,000 women and children in southern Ossezia, Georgia, who fled vio ...