Asia

• 4 June 2003
  ASIA/CHINA - THREE HUNDRED YEARS AGO FRANCISCANS BEGAN HEROIC MISSION IN TIBET: INTERNATIONAL MEETING AND VARIOUS PUBLICATIONS TO MARK THIRD CENTENARY Ancona (Fides Service) - Three hundred years ago the Franciscans began an adventure in the highlands of Tibet, in China. On 14 March 1703 the Congregation de Propaganda Fide entrusted the Capuchin province of the Marche ...
• 4 June 2003
  ASIA/MALAYSIA - NEW ARCHBISHOP OF KUALA LUMPUR ILLUSTRATES PASTORAL PLAN:“BEAR WITNESS TO CHRIST AS A UNITED LOCAL CHURCH AND BUILD HARMONY WITH OUR MUSLIM FRIENDS Kuala Lumpur (Fides Service) – “My mission is to fill broken hearts with the love and the mercy of God. Only a heart which has loved can know peace, harmony with neighbour, dialogue of life” said newly appointed Ar ...
• 3 June 2003
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - CHRISTIANS CONCERNED SINCE SHARIA LAW WAS APPROVED IN NORTH WEST PROVINCE WHERE, SO FAR, MUSLIMS AND CHRISTIANS LIVED IN FRIENDSHIP AND DIALOGUE Islamabad (Fides Service) – There is disappointment and concern among the Christians in Pakistan since the Sharia Muslim law was introduced in the North West Frontier Province on the border with Afghanistan. This is th ...
• 2 June 2003
  ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - ANDONG DIOCESE STARTS SPECIAL MISSION TOWARDS THE POOREST OF THE POOR Seoul (Fides Service) – Greater efforts for mission, with “joy and passion” is the commitment taken by the diocese of Andong in South Korea. At a recent Mission Seminar organised for the diocesan clergy, the priest ...
• 2 June 2003
  ASIA/INDONESIA - ALARM IN ACEH: HUMANITARIAN CRISIS, WIDESPREAD VIOLENCE AGAINST CIVILIANS – RELIGIOUS LEADERS CALL FOR AN END TO HOSTILITIES Jakarta (Fides Service) – “Widespread violence terrorises civilians. The situation appears worse than in East Timor. The attack was planned and no one was able to stop it. Many civilians have been killed, schools tor ...
• 2 June 2003
  ASIA/TAIWAN - PASTORAL LETTER FROM CARDINAL PAUL SHAN: “WE ARE LIVING A NEW LENT TO FIGHT SARS” Taipei (Fides Service) – To encourage Catholics in Taiwan and all people of goodwill at this difficult time of the SARS epidemic, on May 25 Cardinal Paul Shan, President of the Chinese Regional Bishops’ Conference an ...
• 31 May 2003
  ASIA/IRAQ - VISIT BY ARCHBISHOP CORDES PRESIDENT OF THE PONTIFICAL COUNCIL COR UNUM, MANIFESTS HOLY SEE’S COMMITMENT TO BUILDING AN IRAQ OF PEACE Baghdad (Fides Service) – “The Archbishop’s visit is yet another sign of the keen interest with which the Holy See follows the situation in Iraq” Youssef Bahofhy, local Caritas official, tells Fides Service. On 2 ...
• 31 May 2003
  ASIA/INDIA - “A CHRISTIAN DOES NOT CONVERT PEOPLE: A CHRISTIAN SPEAKS ABOUT GOD AND GOD CONVERTS HEARTS” SAY THE CATHOLIC BISHOPS OF INDIA WHERE CHRISTIANS HAVE SUFFERED OVER 500 ATTACKS IN THE PAST FEW YEARS New Delhi (Fides Service) – In recent years there have been over 500 attacks on India’s Christians and Christian structures. Christians in India are persecuted by fundamentalist ideological nationalism. Several extre ...
• 31 May 2003
  ASIA/THAILAND - COMMUNICATIONS DAY: NEW LYMPH FOR ASIAN RESEARCH CENTRE FOR RELIGION AND SOCIAL COMMUNICATIONS Bangkok (Fides Service) – To mark Communications Day 2003, the Asian Research Centre for Religion and Social Communications has a new director, a new review, new cultural initiatives. The Catholic centre located in Ban ...
• 30 May 2003
  ASIA/CHINA - BEIJING HOSTS TWO INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS ON SARS Beijing (Fides Service) – To adopt common measures of prevention and treatment in order to take control of SARS is the objective of two international meetings in the coming month of June in Beijing. On 1 and 2 June r ...
• 30 May 2003
  ASIA/INDIA - INTERVIEW WITH CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF CALCUTTA: STOP ANTI-CONVERSION BILL. EVERY PERSON MUST ENJOY FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE –MOTHER TERESA IS “GLOBAL”, SHE BELONGS TO THE WHOLE CHURCH AND THE WHOLE WORLD Vatican City (Fides Service) – “Salvation is for all peoples. The Church proclaims and bears witness to the Good News, despite persecution”. This affirmation was made by Archbishop Lucas Sirkar of Calcutta, who was ...
• 30 May 2003
  ASIA/THAILAND - COMMUNICATIONS DAY: NEW LYMPH FOR ASIAN RESEARCH CENTRE FOR RELIGION AND SOCIAL COMMUNICATIONS Bangkok (Fides Service) – To mark Communications Day 2003, the Asian Research Centre for Religion and Social Communications has a new director, a new review, new cultural initiatives. The Catholic centre located in Ban ...
• 28 May 2003
  ASIA/INDIA - CATHOLIC BISHOP IN GUJARAT: GROWING FUNDAMENTALISM BUT THRIVING CHURCH INTENDS TO MAKE SUPREME COURT APPEAL AGAINST ANTI-CONVERSION BILL – INTERVIEW WITH BISHOP THOMAS MACWAN OF AHMEDABAD Vatican City (Fides Service) – “We are not afraid. Our mission is to bear witness to Jesus Christ even during persecution. The anti-conversion bill approved in Gujarat is unconstitutional. We, the local Catholic Chur ...
• 28 May 2003
  ASIA/INDIA - IN INDIA IN 1999 POPE JOHN PAUL II AFFIRMED: “NO STATE HAS THE RIGHT TO CONTROL EITHER DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY A PERSON’S RELIGIOUS CONVICTIONS” New Delhi (Fides Service) - “No State, no group has the right to control either directly or indirectly a person’s religious convictions, nor can it justifiably claim the right to impose or impede the public professi ...
• 28 May 2003
  ASIA/IRAQ - “WE ARE WORKING WITH MUSLIMS TO ASSIST TO IRAQI PEOPLE” SAYS HEAD OF CARITAS INTERNATIONALIS IN INTERVIEW WITH FIDES SERVICE Rome (Fides Service) – “We have established good collaboration with the Muslim world despite difficulties arising from the lack of security” Mr Karel Zelenka head of Caritas Internationalis department for internati ...