News

• 22 June 2004
  EUROPE/GT BRITAIN - «Authentic and lived Fraternity is the fruit of love which is capable of dialogue, relationship, of that love which far from closing itself proudly in its own world, opens to others and works with all people of good will to build unity and peace in the world» said Chiara Lubich, On June 19 at Westminster Central Hall in London during a meeting “Imagine a World enriched by Diversity” Rome (Fides Service) - «Authentic and lived fraternity is the fruit of love which is capable of dialogue, relationship, of that love which far from closing itself proudly in its own world, opens to others and works with ...
• 21 June 2004
  VATICAN - The Pope’s Sunday message : “Everyone needs a safe place in which to live. This is something to which Refugees aspire but in many countries millions are still at collection points or in any case are limited for a long time in the exercise of their rights.” Vatican City (Fides Service) - A vibrant appeal “not to forget our refugee brothers and sisters!” was launched by Pope John Paul II in his message before the Angelus prayer on Sunday 20 June, World Refugee Day. Reca ...
• 21 June 2004
  VATICAN - Statement from Director of Holy See Press Office on newly approved European Constitutional treaty: satisfaction for new step towards integration but regret for failure to recognise the continent’s Christian roots Vatican City (Fides Service) - On Saturday 19 June the Director of the Holy See’s press office Dr. Joaquín Navarro-Valls, issued the following press statement in Italian: (our English translation). “The means of s ...
• 21 June 2004
  VATICAN - Pope sends President of Pontifical Council Cor Unum to Haiti and Dominican Republic where at least 2,000 people perished in recent floods Vatican City (Fides Service) -Pope John Paul II has sent Archbishop Paul Josef Cordes, President of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum to Haiti and the Dominican Republic where at least 2,000 people perished and thousands w ...
• 21 June 2004
  EUROPE/ITALY - “Angels in the Desert”: photograph exhibition fund raising campaign for Centre of Education and Culture for 80,000 people 58% poor children and adolescents in Peruvian diocese of Carabayllo. Rome (Fides Service) -“Angels in the Desert” is the title of an exhibition of photographs on life in one of the poorest suburbs of Lima, the capital of Peru. The exhibition is part of a campaign to collect funds to o ...
• 21 June 2004
  EUROPE/RUSSIA - Crowds gather for Corpus Christ Mass with Papal Nuncio in Moscow’s Catholic cathedral: for the sixth year running local authorities give permission for a public procession Moscow (Fides Service) - On Sunday 13 June as in many other countries, Catholics in Moscow celebrated the feast of Corpus Christi with deep devotion and solemnity. According to the local Catholic weekly “Svet Evangelia ...
• 21 June 2004
  AFRICA/BURUNDI - Good chance for Burundian refugees in Tanzania to return home Bujumbura (Fides Service) - More than 300,000 Burundian refugees in Tanzania had good reason to celebrate yesterday 20 June, World Refugee Day, in fact they are preparing to return to their own country. The peace agreeme ...
• 21 June 2004
  AFRICA/SUDAN - “How can it be that people asking for a school and a hospital get only bullets and bombs in reply?” asks Sudanese Catholic Bishop Macram Max Gassis with regard to the war in Darfur Rome (Fides Service)- “Peace must be built on reciprocal trust. This is why the Khartoum government should take concrete measures to show it sincerely wants peace” Sudanese Catholic Bishop Macram Max Gassis of El Obe ...
• 21 June 2004
  EUROPE/ITALY - Hunger in the world: a third of the world’s population eats too little and over 600 million have no clean water Rome (Fides Service) - Poverty means hunger. 1.3 billion (about one third of all the people on the planet) do not have enough to eat. According to the World Health Organisation 500 million of these eat less than 1500 cal ...
• 21 June 2004
  ASIA/TAIWAN - Catholic hospitals gives loving care to Alzheimer patients Tai Dong (Fides Service) - Today society in Taiwan, as elsewhere in the world, has to face the challenge of a growing population of elderly citizens, and all the connected ailments including Alzheimer disease. According ...
• 21 June 2004
  VATICAN - International Workshop for health-workers, educators and journalists on Italia-USA formation at distance hosted by Bambino Gesù Hospital Vatican City (Fides Service) - On June 23 the Children’s Hospital Bambino Gesu will host an international workshop in formation at a distance as part of an Italian national programme for Ongoing Medical Formation . Th ...
• 21 June 2004
  ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - “Family for Life”: local Church organises Symposium Seoul (Fides Service) - “Family for Life” was the theme of a symposium held in Seoul, organised by various Commissions of the Korean Catholic Bishops’ Conference: Family Pastoral, Social Communications, Promotion o ...
• 21 June 2004
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - Crisis in supplies heightens in Bukavu in eastern Congo. “ If this continues we will soon run out of fuel ” local sources told Fides Bukavu (Fides Service)- “The city is slowly being strangled. Supplies are ever fewer and far between. If this continues we will soon run out of fuel” said local sources in Bukavu, main town in south Kivu, in the east ...
• 19 June 2004
  DOSSIER FIDES - EUROPE OF RELIGIONS FRANCE AND ISLAM Vatican City (Fides Service) - In less than 40 years France has become the western European country with the largest number of Muslims. According to statements issued in 2003 by the Internal Affairs Minister, Nicolas Sar ...
• 19 June 2004
  THE DIMENSIONS OF THE MUSLIM PHENOMENON IN FRANCE The figure of 5 million Muslims in France is the official estimate issued by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Sarkozy. But between 2000-2001 the figure rose to 6 million, even though some sociologists of Islam were not ...