Europe

• 3 February 2009
  EUROPE/SPAIN - The identity of Catholic universities: “The mission of the Catholic university is not complete if it does not aim at evangelization.” Madrid (Agenzia Fides) – Scholars and heads of European universities met in the “Universidad Francisco de Victoria” in Pozuelo de Alarcon (Madrid) on January 29-30 to discuss the challenges of the Catholic universi ...
• 3 February 2009
  EUROPE/POLAND - Pontifical Mission Societies of the Archdiocese of Czestochowa promote Missionary Rosary Groups; new Rosary Prayer Book for the Missions Czestochowa (Agenzia Fides) – The Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) of the Archdiocese of Czestochowa have formed new “Living Rosary” groups, formed by children and young people, and “Missionary Rosary” groups ...
• 2 February 2009
  ASIA/TAIWAN - Pastoral Letter from the Regional Bishops' Conference of Taiwan for the 150th anniversary of evangelization: imitating Saint Paul, on a mission of evangelization in every area Tai Nan (Agenzia Fides) – Authentic improvement in Christian formation, creative evangelization, a thorough work in neighborhoods, reaching out to the mainland, praying with devotion...these are the 5 main guidelines f ...
• 2 February 2009
  EUROPE/ITALY - Salesians inaugurate 150th anniversary on the feast of Saint John Bosco; Europe is the new frontier for “relaunching the Salesian charism” Rome (Agenzia Fides) – The members of the “Society of Saint Francis de Sales,” known as the Salesians, have begun their 150th anniversary celebrations of foundation, on the liturgical feast of their Founder, Saint ...
• 2 February 2009
  EUROPE/ITALY - “Organizing the goods”: the Daughters of Saint Paul restructure their presence in the world Rome (Agenzia Fides) - “Restructuring” is today a common process occurring in many religious congregations and is a sign of a lucid analysis of their own situation, from a spiritual and apostolic viewpoint, and of th ...
• 31 January 2009
  EUROPE/BELGIUM - Chocolates and Kebabs - Meeting/interview with Mgr Jozef De Kesel, auxiliary Bishop of Malines-Brussels (Luca De Mata correspondence from Belgium - 13) Brussels (Agenzia Fides) - Brussels, like the rest of Belgium, gives you a feeling of living in a perfumed chocolate box, amidst kebab shops from which come young people carrying spicy aroma filled kebabs. Cities with st ...
• 29 January 2009
  EUROPE/SPAIN - Supreme Court decides that the right to conscientious objection does not exist in the case of Education for Citizenship; parents who object say “the Government cannot ignore over 52,000 objections” Madrid (Agenzia Fides) – The Supreme Court, after nearly 3 days of debate, has ruled that “the right to conscientious objection does not exist” in the case of the academic course “Education for Citizenship,” in ...
• 29 January 2009
  EUROPE/ITALY - January 31 - youth in 400 cities worldwide will spend 24 hours in prayer for peace in the Holy Land: celebrations in Rome, Jerusalem, Africa, Asia, America Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – On Saturday, January 31, youth from across all the continents will join in a non-stop 24 prayer campaign that will cross oceans and nations, involving Masses and Eucharistic Adoration in ...
• 29 January 2009
  EUROPE/ITALY - 200th anniversary of the birth of Cardinal Guglielmo Massaja, first Apostolic Vicar of the Galla people, who shed “new light on the Catholic missions in Africa” Rome (Agenzia Fides) – Cardinal Guglielmo Massaja is considered one of the greatest missionaries of the 19th century. He was the first to go and evangelize the tribal people of Galla (southern Ethiopia), to study the c ...
• 28 January 2009
  EUROPE/ITALIA - “In the end, death awaited us all”: a book from Wanda Poltawska, one of the only living survivors of the Nazi medical experiments, presented on January 27 Rome (Agenzia Fides) – On January 27, 1945, Soviet troops entered the city of Auschwitz, coming upon the concentration camp; they knocked down the walls and freed the survivors that were left, nearly 7,000. That day wo ...
• 28 January 2009
  EUROPE/SPAIN - Spanish Bishops declare 2009 the “Year of Prayer for Life” beginning February 2 Madrid (Agenzia Fides) – Upon the proposal made by the Bishops' Subcommittee for the Family and Defense of Life, Chaired by Bishop Juan Antonio Reig Pla of Cartagena, and upon the approval of the Executive Committee of ...
• 26 January 2009
  EUROPE/SPAIN - Bishops make a declaration on the atheist-secularist attack on God: “Using public areas to insult God in the presence of believers is an abuse and an infringement on the right to religious freedom.” Madrid (Agenzia Fides) - “A publicity statement that infringes on religious freedom, on public buses,” is the title of the statement from the Spanish Bishops' Conference in which they express their disapproval of the ...
• 26 January 2009
  EUROPE/POLAND - “The conversion and evangelizing mission of Saint Paul”: Archdiocese of Czestochowa's pilgrimage for the Year of St. Paul Czestochowa (Agenzia Fides) - “The conversion and evangelizing mission of Saint Paul” was the main theme for the pilgrimage organized by the Archdiocese of Czestochowa, to the Cathedral of the Holy Family of Nazareth ...
• 23 January 2009
  EUROPE/ITALY - New ideas and projects for the future of youth in the First International Festival of Itineraries of the Spirit: International Day of Prayer with the theme: “We Want Peace in the Holy Land.” Rome (Agenzia Fides) – A new collaboration has been established between the most important “Vacation Schools” in Europe, the “Accademia Britannica” and the youth of the National Association “Papa Boys,” fr ...
• 23 January 2009
  EUROPE/SPAIN - Preparations for World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid begin with a youth encounter February 7 in the Diocese of Granada Granada (Agenzia Fides) – In view of preparations for World Youth Day, which Pope Benedict XVI will preside in Madrid in 2011, the Youth Delegation of the Diocese of Granada has organized a series of encounters for the ...