Asia

• 1 June 2004
  ASIA/CHINA - More than a thousand young Catholics take part in 1st Diocesan Youth Congress in Cang Zhou on the theme “Rise and go your way ” (Lk 17, 19) Cang Zhou (Fides Service) - In Cang Zhou diocese, Hebei province, where most of the Catholics in mainland China live, (more then 1 million) 2004 is the Year of Youth. To mark the year the diocese held its 1st Diocesan Yo ...
• 1 June 2004
  ASIA/TAIWAN - Cardinal Paul Shan tells Fides: “The Church is working to get the death penalty abolished in Taiwan and to promote full respect for life at eve level of society ” Kaohsiung (Fides Service) - “We have called on the government to abolish the death penalty in Taiwan. Many times I have spoken with President Chen Shui-bian and the Minister of Justice making an explicit request for th ...
• 1 June 2004
  ASIA/SRI LANKA - New hope for Sri Lanka’s peace process with Indian mediation New Delhi (Fides Service) - There may be new hope for the difficult path to peace in Sri Lanka: during a visit to New Delhi, Sri Lanka’s foreign minister Lakshman Kadirgamar obtained the support of India’s new Prime ...
• 1 June 2004
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - Respect for human rights, religious freedom, and tolerance, to build a better: appeal from Forum of Religious Leaders Lahore (Fides Service) - Abolish discriminatory laws; promote respect for minority rights, human rights and freedoms especially freedom of conscience and religion; equal dignity for women; more democratic participation f ...
• 31 May 2004
  ASIA/CHINA - Funeral of Bishop Agostino Zhao Jing-Nong Tianshui (Fides) - Bishop Agostino Zhao Jing-Nong died at the age of 95 on 16 May at Tianshui, in Gansu Province. His funeral was held on Monday 24 May in Tianshui Cathedral where he was buried. The Bishop, seriously ill ...
• 31 May 2004
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - Another young Catholic dies of beatings: Samuel Masih, in prison on charges of blasphemy died in hospital of beatings received in prison Lahore (Fides Service) - The blasphemy law in Pakistan is a threat hanging over members of religious minorities. A young Catholic boy Samuel Masih, charged with blasphemy and put in prison in August 2003 died in hospital ...
• 31 May 2004
  ASIA/NEPAL - First Catholic Pastoral Centre: a step forward for a “little Church but with lots of enthusiasm” in Nepal Kathmandu (Fides) - The Catholic community in Nepal has its own Pastoral Centre named after Saint John Vianney. The Centre, situated at Godavari, 15 km south of the capital Kathmandu, is a compound of two buildings on ab ...
• 29 May 2004
  ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - More than 2,000 priests, religious and laity at the service of children: National Congress for Catholic Educators in Korea Seoul (Agenzia Fides) - “Walking Beside Them” was the theme of a recent National Congress for Catholic Educators held in Seoul. The event was attended by 2,000 teachers, educators, pastoral workers, priests, men and ...
• 29 May 2004
  ASIA/CHINA - Hebei: two Catholic priests detained by police for five days are released but no sign of two arrested Bishops Baoding (Fides Service) - Two Catholic priests, Father Lu Genjun, aged 42, and Father Cheng Xiaoli, aged 40, arrested on 14 May were released four days later on May 18. The priests were arrested in Anguo, 200 km south we ...
• 28 May 2004
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - Education and catechesis and social assistance: Marist Brothers in mostly Muslim area of southern Philippines welcome local novices Kidapawan (Fides Service) - The community of the Marist Brothers in Kidapawan, southern Philippines recently gave a warm welcome to two local novices Brother Jeff Rhey Antiquiza and Brother Albert Munoz. Both young men s ...
• 28 May 2004
  ASIA/QATAR - “Religious freedom antidote to fundamentalism”: 2nd International Conference on Christian/Muslim Dialogue opens in Doha Doha (Agenzia Fides) - Some 300 people have gathered in Doha, Qatar, for the 2nd International Conference on Christian/Muslim Dialogue organised by the commission for relations with Muslims of the Pontifical Council for ...
• 28 May 2004
  ASIA/INDONESIA - Vote candidates committed to fighting corruption and promoting social development: Bishops advise Catholic in view of presidential elections on 5 July Jakarta (Fides Service) - “Vote for a president seriously committed to preventing the destruction of nature and who has the courage to work to eliminate corruption and punish the corrupt. We need a national leader who ...
• 27 May 2004
  ASIA/INDIA - National paper front page cartoon offends India’s Christians: Catholic Bishops protest New Delhi (Fides Service) - India’s Christians were deeply offended by a cartoon with regard to the recent elections in India published by a national newspaper. Strong protest was voiced by the country’s Catholic Bis ...
• 26 May 2004
  ASIA/TAIWAN - In rich societies the custom to exclude the aged must be overcome: commitment of Church in Taipei Taipei (Fides Service) - Taipei is rightly proud of its Catholic Home for the Aged opened by the Jesuit fathers. Twenty years ago Jesuits gave the home to the archdiocese handing it to the then Archbishop Matteo Kia. Tod ...
• 26 May 2004
  ASIA/CHINA - Highlight of celebrations for Marian month of May in China: Feast of “Mary Help of Christians” at Dong Lu shrine Dong Lu (Fides Service) - On May 24 feast of Our Lady help of Christians the Marian Shrine in Dong Lu, Hebei province was overflowing with pilgrims from many parts of China and overseas. As elsewhere in the world the fea ...