News

• 9 March 2004
  AFRICA - UN High Commissioner for Refugees Ruud Lubbers appeals to international community to support the repatriation of millions of African refugees Rome (Fides Service)- An appeal to the international community to guarantee the solidarity and support necessary to break the cycle of violence, poverty and desperation afflicting Africa was made by the United Nations Hi ...
• 9 March 2004
  ASIA/SRI LANKA - Guarantee peace and religious freedom: Catholic Bishops of Sri Lanka issue message to political leaders and voters in view of 2 April elections Colombo (Fides Service) - Peace and religious freedom are the main focus of a message issued by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka in view of general elections on 2 April. The message was signed by Archbisho ...
• 9 March 2004
  ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - Evangelising Korean society with an eye on North Korea and the rest of Asia : task for the Legion of Mary which is marking 50 anniversary in Korea Seoul (Fides Service) - Fifty year ago the first Legion of Mary group was formed in the diocese of Cheongju. Today it has more than 5,000 members, priests and nuns and lay persons. To mark the anniversary there was a cel ...
• 9 March 2004
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - New service for communications with the media and agreement with State University of Mindanao: initiatives of Silsilah interreligious movement in southern Philippines Zamboanga (Fides Service) - A special service for communications with the media and an agreement with Mindanao State University are two initiatives undertaken by the Silsilah movement for interreligious dialogue in Zambo ...
• 8 March 2004
  VATICAN - The Pope says at the Angelus: ‘Total trust and confidence in God gives the interior light which transfigures the human person making him a witness of the Resurrection’. The Pope appealed for Africa, the Middle East, the Holy Land and Iraq: “I would once again urge all to take the path of forgiveness and reconciliation”. Vatican City (Fides Service) - “Lent calls us to follow Christ in the mystery of his prayer, source of light and strength in the hour of trial. To pray, in fact, means to lose oneself in the spirit of God in an attitud ...
• 8 March 2004
  AMERICA/DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - 44 million dollars to fight AIDS which has already infected 82,000 people in the Dominican Republic Rome (Fides Service) - The Global Fund and the Presidential Council for AIDS will soon sign an investment programme of 44 million dollars for the Dominican Republic to fight the disease. With the 90 million dollars donat ...
• 8 March 2004
  AFRICA/CAMEROON - Death of Missionary Bishop Jean Pasquier OMI, emeritus of Ngaoundere Douala (Fides Service) - Bishop Jean Pasquier of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Bishop emeritus of Ngaoundere, died in the early morning of Sunday 7 March at the General Hospital in Doulala, Cameroon, where h ...
• 8 March 2004
  AFRICA/MADAGASCAR - Cyclon Gafilo causes havoc. Caritas mobilises to provide relief aid Antananarivo (Fides Service)- “We are still waiting to known the official figures before assessing the total damage, but we have already activated the network of diocesan and parish Caritas offices to bring relief aid ...
• 8 March 2004
  ASIA/INDIA - An archbishop and a team of religious mediators restore peace among conflicting ethnic groups in north east India Guwahati (Fides Service) - A Catholic Archbishop is acting as mediator among ethnic groups in conflict in the state of Assam, north east India, the scene of clashes between various tribes engaged in political, economic, ...
• 8 March 2004
  VATICAN - Vatican II Decree “Inter Mirifica” 40 years on: Pontifical Council for Social Communications Annual Plenary Assembly Vatican City (Fides Service) - A Concelebration of Mass in the German College Church inside Vatican City on Monday March 8, opened a four day Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. The Mass ...
• 8 March 2004
  VATICAN - “Ethics is not a restriction for business, it is an opportunity which qualifies its efficiency and objectivity”: said Cardinal Martino at the end of an international Conference for Christian Business Executives. Soon available, Compendium of Catholic Social Teaching and Report on Poverty in the Era of Globalisation. Vatican City (Fides Service) - “Moral values - such as social responsibility, solidarity, justice, a sense of the common good, protection of the environment, respect for human rights, valorisation of human capital - ar ...
• 8 March 2004
  AMERICA/VENEZUELA - “What future are we building ?”: pressing question raised by Catholic Bishops of Venezuela a country shaken by recent acts of anarchy and violence. Caracas (Fides Service) - A climate of growing violence and progressive bipolarisation of the different sectors of the population in Venezuela peaked last week with violent clashes between demonstrators and the National ...
• 8 March 2004
  ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - Coherence, credibility, commitment for human rights: local Church issues guidelines for general elections scheduled for 15 April Seoul (Fides Service) - In view of general elections on 15 April, the Church in Korea issued guidelines for Catholic voters, recalling the principles of Catholic Social Teaching. The Catholic Bishops’ Justice and Peac ...
• 8 March 2004
  ASIA/PAKISTAN Christian and Muslim students fast together in Lent and Ramadan at St Lawrence Catholic School in Lahore Lahore (Fides Service) - “The initiative taken by the Muslim pupils with regard to Catholic pupils was deeply appreciated”, Father Francis Nadeem, secretary of the Commission for Ecumenical and Interreligious Dialog ...
• 8 March 2004
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - Solemn Mass for entrance of Archbishop Evarist Pinto, newly appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of Karachi Karachi (Fides Service) - With a solemn Mass in Karachi at the end of February, Archbishop Evarist Pinto, the fourth archbishop of Kararchi, took possession of his cathedral. The Mass was presided by Archbishop Alessandr ...