Asia

• 27 March 2004
  DOSSIER ASIA/MYANMAR - Only education can rehabilitate former child soldiers in this country with a sad record number of tiny troops: Archbishop Charles Bo of Yangon talks to Fides Yangon (Fides Service) - The South East Asian country of Myanmar, has the sad record of the highest number of child soldiers, more than 75,000. In Myanmar rebel groups of many different ethnic origins are fighting the re ...
• 27 March 2004
  DOSSIER ASIA/SRI LANKA - Yesterday brutalised and indoctrinated, today loved and educated to love: “Some former child soldiers are now teachers. This is our peace process, not talking at a table but acting in daily life, ” Father Pinto Humer told Fides. Anuradhapura (Fides Service) - Nirmal is a Tamil boy. When he was 12 he saw his father killed in combat between the Sri Lankan army and the Tamil separatist troops. The rebels gave the boy a gun telling him to take reven ...
• 26 March 2004
  ASIA/INDIA - Catholics in Aizawl celebrate centenary of the first local baptism and community: it was the Salvatorian Fathers who first planted the seed of the Gospel among these peoples Shillong (Fides Service) - Exactly one hundred years ago a small group of missionaries went to a remote area of Assam state in north east India to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with the local people. “It was the ...
• 26 March 2004
  ASIA/HOLY LAND - A Catholic seminarian in Jerusalem describes daily life in the Holy Land Jerusalem (Fides Service) - A Polish seminarian studying in Jerusalem tells Fides about life in the Holy Land: “We are sort of semi-clandestine and often have to stay inside the seminary to avoid being arrested and rep ...
• 25 March 2004
  ASIA/THAILAND - Solemn blessing of Saint Joseph’s of Ayutthaya, first mission church in Siam, now newly restored: the little church stands as a witness to the work of missionaries Bangkok (Fides Service) -The first Catholic mission church in Thailand, the newly restored 17th century St Joseph’s in Ayutthaya was blessed and re-opened to the public on March 20 by Cardinal Michael Michai Kitbunchu, ...
• 25 March 2004
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - The challenge of migration in Asia and the Church’s solutions Chiesa: Scalabrini fathers organise Week of Formation Manila (Fides Service) - What challenges does migration put to the Church in Asia? What are the most effective means of pastoral care? These questions were the focus of “Exodus - Week of Formation” for pastoral worke ...
• 24 March 2004
  ASIA/HOLY LAND - European Religious Leaders appeal for peace in the Middle East: “Jewish, Muslim and Christian leaders in the region must play a direct role to resume peace process” Moscow (Fides Service) - Put an end to violence, reopen paths of dialogue restore hope in a situation of hatred and desperation: this was the appeal for Peace in the Middle East launched by members of the Council of Eur ...
• 24 March 2004
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - Refugees on Pakistan-Afghanistan border assisted by international agencies and Salesian Fathers Islamabad (Fides Service) - There are still Afghan refugees in the Pakistan province North West Frontier on the border with Afghanistan, an area in the eye of international attention at the moment because it is here that ...
• 24 March 2004
  ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - Beatification cause of Korea’s second Catholic priest who could become the country’s first non martyr Saint Seoul (Fides Service) - The Church in Korea has received permission from Rome to begin the cause of beatification of Confessor Thomas Choe Yang-eop, who died in 1861 and was Korea’s second Catholic priest. This will be ...
• 23 March 2004
  ASIA/JAPAN - “People with AIDS are our brothers and sisters”: a Japanese nun in front line to combat prejudice and help people with HIV/AIDS Tokyo (Fides Service) - Counselling moral support, concrete assistance for people with HIV/AIDS is the mission of a Japanese Catholic nun Sister Shigehisa Machi, who works as a volunteer at the HIV and Human Rights Info ...
• 23 March 2004
  AFRICA/IVORY COAST - Amidst hopes and fears Ivory Coast waits for outcome of Opposition demonstration on March 25 Abidjan (Fides Service)- Ivory Coast is waiting to see what happens during the Opposition demonstration on March 25. “Today there is less tension then yesterday when people feared the nation was on the edge of a precip ...
• 23 March 2004
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - Padayon Centre run by the Emmanuel Community engaged in building interreligious harmony and serving the poor, marks 1st anniversary Zamboanga (Fides Service) - Promote interreligious dialogue and offer assistance to poor families is the mission of Padayon Center in Zamboanga, in southern Mindanao, in the Philippines. Padayon in the local language me ...
• 23 March 2004
  ASIA/MALAYSIA - Election victory for moderate Islam led by Abdullah Badawi: relief among ethnic and religious minorities Kuala Lumpur (Fides Service) - There is general satisfaction particularly among ethnic and religious minorities for the outcome of the vote on 21 March. Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, his party Barisan Nasional BN ...
• 22 March 2004
  ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - Laity Meeting: leading role in the local Church committed to promoting family values and evangelising society Seoul (Fides Service) - Korea’s lay Catholics are exemplary for their vivacity, dynamism, maturity and ability to evangelise. The Church in Korea is solidly based on active participation of lay people who make an impor ...
• 18 March 2004
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - Evangelisation through music in Lent looking towards Easter: Catholic “Wave” studios announces new production Lahore (Fides Service) - Announcing the Easter Message of Resurrection through music is the latest initiative undertaken by Wave Studio in Lahore, directed by Father John Nadeem. The project consists of a new audio-casse ...