Asia

• 17 June 2003
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - CHRISTIAN ACQUITTED OF BLASPHEMY CHARGES AFTER FOUR YEARS IN PRISON Lahore (Fides Service) – Christians in Pakistan are rejoicing with Aslam Masih, a Protestant charged with blasphemy against the Prophet Mohammed, and detained in prison for four years. On June 4 the Supreme Court of La ...
• 16 June 2003
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - MUSLIMS TUNE IN TO CATHOLIC RADIO: INCREASINGLY POPULAR RADIO VERITAS PROGRAMMES ON SOCIAL, MORAL AND RELIGIOUS MATTERS AND NEWS Lahore (Fides Service) – More than 400 programmes on social, moral, religious themes and news. This is the gratifying result of the activity of Radio Veritas Urdu section (Urdu is the official language in Pakistan), ru ...
• 16 June 2003
  ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - CHURCH IN KOREA CHALLENGES YOUNG PEOPLE TO USE EYES OF FAITH TO VIEW INTERNET, CHAT-LINES, DRESS AND DISCOS Seoul (Fides Service) – Evangelisation and formation of youth is a major priority for the Catholic Church in Korea which emphasises in its pastoral work the need to empower the activity of Catholic laity in the social, ...
• 16 June 2003
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - CHRISTIAN AND MUSLIM RELIGIOUS LEADERS TELL PEOPLE OF MINDANAO: “HAVE COURAGE, DIALOGUE, FORGIVE AND MAKE PEACE” Zamboanga City (Fides Service) – “Have courage! This is the message of God at the times of confusion and conflict”. This is the exhortation addressed to the people of Mindanao Island in southern Philippines by the ...
• 16 June 2003
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - WILL FUNDAMENTALIST EXTREMISM BRING ARMY OF SUICIDE BOMBERS TO THE PHILIPPINES? A RESPONSE BY FATHER D’AMBRA PIME MISSIONARY IN MINDANAO Zamboanga (Fides Service) – “The only possible way to end the conflict in southern Philippines is to promote dialogue and marginalise the more radical rebel fringes”. This is the opinion of Father Sebastian D’Amb ...
• 13 June 2003
  ASIA/INDIA - AGENDA FOR NEXT ASIAN YOUTH DAY: GLOBALISATION, WAR ON TERRORISM, AIDS, DRUG ABUSE, ENVIRONMENT IMBALANCE, UNEMPLOYMENT, FUNDAMENTALISM, CONSUMERISM, VALUES CRISIS Bangalore (Fides Service) - More than one thousand youth delegates from various dioceses in many Asian countries will attend Asian Youth Day in Bangalore India, 9-16 August 2003 at the invitation of the Indian Bishops’ ...
• 12 June 2003
  ASIA/INDIA - SANSKRIT, CLASSICAL LANGUAGE OF THE VEDAS, TODAY TAUGHT BY JESUITS New Delhi (Fides Service) – It serves to understand and study ancient Indian poetry and prose : Sanskrit is a language which helps to probe the Hindu religion and culture. With this in mind the Jesuit Fathers who run S ...
• 11 June 2003
  ASIA/EAST TIMOR - EAST TIMOR PRESIDENT XANANA GUSMAO, ACTIVIST FOR PEACE AND RECONCILIATION, RECEIVES PATH TO PEACE AWARD FROM HOLY SEE’S MISSION TO UN New York (Fides Service) – On June 12, in New York President Xanana Gusmao of East Timor received the Path to Peace award promoted by the Holy See’s mission of permanent observation to the United Nations. Among those ...
• 11 June 2003
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - 200 CYCLIST CATECHISTS ATTEND TO CHRISTIANS IN MUSLIM VILLAGES IN LAHORE ARCHDIOCESE: VIGOROUS LABOUR FORCE AT THE SERVICE OF EVANGELISATION Lahore (Fides Service) – They are the “ Workers in the Lord’s vineyard”: the 196 catechists in Lahore archdiocese are a formidable labour force for evangelisation. Each of them follows the formation, growth diffi ...
• 10 June 2003
  ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - LAY EXAMPLE AND COMMITMENT IN THE CHURCH CAN BUILD BRIDGES TO NEIGHBOUR JAPAN AND DISTANT AMERICA Seoul (Fides Service) – The Catholic Church in Korea is striving to build ever closer relations of communion with the Church in the United States and in Japan. New agreements have been reached with regard to the pastor ...
• 10 June 2003
  ASIA/INDIA - CHRISTIANS TARGETED IN KASHMIR ACCUSED OF FORCING CONVERSIONS: BISHOP DEFENDS FREEDOM OF BELIEF AND RELIGION Jammu (Fides Service) – “We fear for the future. Christianity has been present in Kashmir for 200 years and has never had any difficulty with Muslims or Hindus. The Catholic Church has always been accepted and apprec ...
• 9 June 2003
  ASIA/MALAYSIA - BORNEO, CROSSROADS OF CIVILISATIONS, PEOPLES AND TRADITIONS: JESUITS WORK TO PRESERVE THE CULTURE OF THE NATIVE PEOPLE Kuala Lumpur (Fides Service) – Every year in May the people of Sabah in Malaysian Borneo hold their traditional Rice Feast, when they thank their ancient rice spirit for a good harvest in their customary way. The prese ...
• 9 June 2003
  ASIA/MIDDLE EAST - ECUMENICAL NETWORK FOR SOLIDARITY WITH THE POOR AND THE MARGINALISED IN THE MIDDLE EAST Amman (Fides Service) – To foster ecumenism is the aim of the Middle East Council of Churches, based in Amman Jordan. MECC represents the various Christian confessions present in the region. During a meeting in May hel ...
• 9 June 2003
  ASIA/INDIA - IN DELHI CATHOLICS OF ORIENTAL RITE NOW HAVE THEIR OWN PARISHES New Delhi (Fides Service) – Catholics of Oriental Rite in the Latin-rite archdiocese of Delhi will now have their own parish communities. Archbishop Vincent Michael Concessao issued a Decree of Creation of Personal par ...
• 9 June 2003
  ASIA/TAIWAN - YOUNG ITALIAN MISSIONARY TELLS OF APPALLING INCREASE IN SUICIDE IN TAIWAN WHICH KILLS MORE THAN SARS Taipei (Fides Service) – “Here in Taipei the situation with regard to SARS is improving but since it is a mysterious disease which escapes control people are still afraid because they feel defenceless and helpless” ...