Asia

• 27 January 2004
  ASIA/SRI LANKA - WHY IS FUNDAMENTALISM WORMING ITS WAY AMONG SRI LANKAN BUDDHISTS? FIDES ASKS CHAIRMAN OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS: NATION WIDE DAY OF PRAYER FOR INTERRELIGIOUS HARMONY SUNDAY 1 FEBRUARY Colombo (Fides Service) – Recent episodes of anti Christian violence on the part of Buddhist fundamentalist can be traced to aggressive proselytism by certain Christian sects which is upsetting centuries-old religious ...
• 23 January 2004
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - “STOP THE EXECUTION, THESE MEN ARE INNOCENT!”: MANILA PRISON CHAPLAIN FATHER OLAGUER, REAFFIRMS CATHOLIC CHURCH’S “NO” TO DEATH PENALTY UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES Manila (Fides) – “We are against capital punishment in any case. However the executions of two prisoners scheduled for the end of the month must be postponed if not cancelled, one of the men in question is innocent, ...
• 23 January 2004
  ASIA/TAIWAN – NEW YEAR AND NEW CATHOLIC CULTURAL MAGAZINE: JESUIT FATHERS AT “MATTEO RICCI” CENTRE PRODUCE TAIWAN’S FIRST CHINESE LANGUAGE REVIEW Taipei (Fides Service) – On sale at book shops and newspaper stalls all over the city New year crowds in Taiwan will find the very first issue of a new Catholic publication Renlai, or “Flute of Humanity”, the Islan ...
• 23 January 2004
  ASIA/THAILAND - “A HANDFUL OF MUSLIM FUNDAMENTALIST SECESSIONISTS IN THE SOUTH WILL NOT AFFECT INTER-RELIGIOUS RELATIONS: DIALOGUE AMONG THAILAND’S DIFFERENT RELIGIONS IS FRIENDLY AND FREQUENT” BISHOP LAWRENCE SAMANCHIT TOLD FIDES Bangkok (Fides Service) – “Unrest in the South of the country will have no effect on relations between religions in Thailand. The rioters are a handful of fundamentalist Muslim secessionists. Relations between Thai C ...
• 22 January 2004
  ASIA/INDIA - HOPE FOR PEACE IN KASHMIR: CHURCH CALLS ON POLITICIANS TO WORK FOR THE GOOD AND PROSPERITY OF THE PEOPLE EXHAUSTED BY SO MUCH VIOLENCE Jammu (Fides Service ) – Rays of hope brighten the tormented region of Kashmir, on the border between India and Pakistan, scene of fifty years of dispute between two powerful neighbours. President Pervez Musharraf of P ...
• 22 January 2004
  ASIA/TURKEY – WEEK OF PRAYER FOR UNITY: TURKEY’S WIDE VARIETY OF CHRISTIANS LIVE PRINCIPLE OF ‘UNITY IN DIVERSITY’ Istanbul (Fides Service) – Bitter cold and heavy snowfalls in Istanbul have not affected warm relations among the many different Christian communities in the Turkish capital. The annual Week of Prayer for Christian Uni ...
• 22 January 2004
  ASIA/INDIA - NEXT WORLD SOCIAL FORUM IN AFRICA? FIDES ASKED CATHOLIC PARTICIPANTS TO SHARE THEIR IMPRESSIONS Bombay (Fides Service) – Catholic delegates to the World Social Forum in Bombay 16 to 21 January, came away with mainly positive valuations. Father Joe Xavier, who led the Jesuit delegation consisting of about 1.300 ...
• 21 January 2004
  ASIA/INDIA APPARENT CALM RETURNS TO JHABUA, BUT THE BISHOP IS CONCERNED; HINDU FUNDAMENTALISTS CONTINUE DEFAMATION CAMPAIGN AGAINST CATHOLICS: BEATEN PRIEST SERIOUSLY INJURED Jhabua (Fides Service) – After days of tension and violence the situation appears to have returned to normal in Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh state on the border with Gujarat. In the past few days Jhabua has been the scene of ...
• 21 January 2004
  ASIA/SRI LANKA - EVIL OF FUNDAMENTALISM INFECTS SRI LANKA’S BUDDHISTS: CHURCHES TORCHED, CHRISTIANS’ ACCUSED OF “FRAUDULENT CONVERSIONS”: CATHOLIC BISHOPS REPLY Colombo (Fides Service) – There is tension and fear among Catholics in Sri Lanka after recent attacks on Christian communities. In a wave of violence two churches in districts not far from the capital Colombo were torc ...
• 20 January 2004
  ASIA/INDIA – PROTECTING RIGHTS OF TRIBALS AND DALITS AND ALL EXCLUDED PEOPLES: JESUIT MISSION AT WORLD SOCIAL FORUM – INTERVIEW WITH THE HEAD OF JESUIT DELEGATION Bombay (Fides Service) – Defending the life and culture of tribal populations is the specific mission of more than 1,300 Jesuits attending the 4th World Social Forum (WSF) in Bombay which will close tomorrow 21 Januar ...
• 20 January 2004
  ASIA/MACAO - YOUNG PEOPLE LEAD WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY: “STRIVING TO LIVE AS TRUE FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST IN THE WORLD TODAY ” Macao (Fides Service) – Christians in Macao started the Week of Prayer for the Unity of Christians with an inter-confessional meeting. Organised by the local Catholic and Anglican Churches, the meeting was held on Sund ...
• 20 January 2004
  ASIA/TAIWAN – “LUNAR NEW YEAR IN CHINA WILL BE DEDICATED TO EVANGELISATION” SAYS CARDINAL PAUL SHAN. CHURCH IN CHINA THANKS THE POPE FOR HIS SUNDAY HAPPY NEW YEAR MESSAGE Kaohsiung (Fides Service) – “The Church in Taiwan will be dedicating the new year to new evangelisation ”, Cardinal Paul Shan Kuo-hsi, Bishop of Kaohsiung told Fides Service. “Parishes have been asked to draft a ...
• 20 January 2004
  ASIA/INDIA APPARENT CALM RETURNS TO JHABUA, BUT THE BISHOP IS CONCERNED; HINDU FUNDAMENTALISTS CONTINUE DEFAMATION CAMPAIGN AGAINST CATHOLICS: BEATEN PRIEST SERIOUSLY INJURED Jhabua (Fides Service) – After days of tension and violence the situation appears to have returned to normal in Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh state on the border with Gujarat. In the past few days Jhabua has been the scene of ...
• 20 January 2004
  ASIA/CHINA - GLOBAL FESTIVITIES FOR LUNAR NEW YEAR IN CHINA AND OVERSEAS Beijing (Fides Service) – January 22 marks the beginning of festivities for Lunar New Year this year, which for Chinese speaking people the world over has become a globalised event. Chun Jie or the Spring Festival, is ...
• 20 January 2004
  ASIA/CHINA - TRADITIONS AND SYMBOLS IN CHINA FOR LUNAR NEW YEAR: SPRING CLEANED HOMES, PAID BILLS, RED DECORATIONS AT THE WINDOW WELCOME GOOD FORTUNE AND PROSPERITY Beijing (Fides Service) – For the Chinese, Lunar New Year of Spring festival is the most important holiday of the year. The new year is calculated according to the moon, hence its name Lunar. It is a sign that Winter ...