News

• 27 May 2003
  ASIA/TAIWAN - INTERRELIGIOUS TORCHLIGHT RALLY IN AID OF THE FIGHT AGAINST SARS, A SIGN OF SOLIDARITY AND LOVE Taipei (Fides Service) – The different religions in Taiwan have launched a series of initiatives in support of the victims of SARS and the medical staff involved. One of the events was a torchlight rally on May 28 in T ...
• 27 May 2003
  AFRICA/REPUBLIC OF CONGO - ANOTHER STEP TOWARDS PEACE IN POOL REGION. GUERRILLA LEADER ADMITS: “CIVIL WAR CAN NEVER BE SETTLED WITH WEAPONS” Brazzaville (Fides Service) – A decisive step has been taken for peace in the Republic of Congo. The leader of the Ninja guerrilla movement, Frederic Bitsangou, also referred to as Pastor Ntoumi, left his forest hiding ...
• 26 May 2003
  VATICAN - THE POPE TELLS PLENARY ASSEMBLY OF THE CONGREGATION FOR THE EVANGELISATION OF PEOPLES: “IT IS NECESSARY TO FORM COMPETENT AND HOLY EVANGELISERS, ABLE FOR THEIR MISSION” Vatican City (Fides Service) – At 11 am on Saturday 24 May, the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II received in audience the participants at the Plenary Assembly of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples and he ...
• 26 May 2003
  OCEANIA/SOLOMON ISLANDS - WORLD COMMUNICATIONS DAY JUNE 1: PUTTING THE MEDIA AT THE SERVICE OF PEACE, PROMOTING TRUTH, JUSTICE, FREEDOM AND LOVE Honiara (Fides Service) – Putting the media at the service of peace, promoting truth, justice, freedom and love, was the commitment taken after a third annual Media Education Seminar at St. Peter’s, Gizo diocese, Sol ...
• 26 May 2003
  AFRICA/ZIMBABWE - “WE WANT THE TRUTH. WE ASK THOSE WHO HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE THE SITUATION TO ACT FOR THE COMMON GOOD OR WE WILL BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF OUR OWN PEOPLE. WE WILL BE CONDEMNED BY HISTORY”. APPEAL FROM RELIGIOUS ORDERS IN ZIMBABWE Harare (Fides Service) “ We want the truth. We ask those who have the power to change the situation to act for the common good or we will be held responsible for the destruction of our own people. We will be condemned ...
• 26 May 2003
  ASIA/MYANMAR - APPOINTMENT OF METROPOLITAN ARCHBISHOPS IN YANGON AND MANDALAY AND BISHOP OF PATHEIN Vatican City (Fides Service) - The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II has, 24 May 2003, made the following appointments in Myanmar: 1. he appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of Yangon, Bishop Charles Bo SDB, until now Bishop ...
• 26 May 2003
  ASIA/MALAYSIA - KUALA LUMPUR - ARCHBISHOP ANTONY SOTER FERNANDEZ RESIGNS, MGR. MURPHY NICHOLAS XAVIER PAKIAM, APPOINTED Vatican City (Fides Service) – The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II has (24 May 2003) accepted the resignation of the pastoral government of the archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur, (Malaysia) presented by Archbishop Antony Sote ...
• 26 May 2003
  POPE JOHN PAUL II MISSIONARY PRAYER INTENTION JUNE 2003 “THAT THE CHRISTIANS OF INDIA WHO BELONG TO VARIOUS TRADITIONS MAY BE DRAWN TO OFFER TOGETHER A TESTIMONY OF FULL UNITY AND COMMUNION IN THE ONE SPIRIT WHICH GUIDES THEM”: COMMENT BY ARCHBISHOP TELESPHORE P. TOPPO OF RANCHI, PRESIDENT OF THE CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS OF INDIA. Vatican City (Fides Service) - During the month of June, especially dedicated to the Devotion of the Sacred Heart, we, together with the Holy Father and all our Brothers and Sisters committed to the Apostleship of Prayer ...
• 26 May 2003
  VATICAN - THE ROSARY OF PEACE: MEDITATING ON THE MYSTERIES WITH THE POPE’S MESSAGE FOR WORLD PEACE DAY. BOOKLET ISSUED BY PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE Vatican City (Fides Service) – In this Year of the Rosary, the prayer recommended by John Paul II to obtain the gift of peace, the Pontifical Council for promoting Justice and Peace, has issued a booklet (in Italian) w ...
• 26 May 2003
  ASIA/KOREA - GROWING SUCCESS FOR LIFE 31 MOVEMENT PRO HUMAN LIFE, PRO HUMAN RIGHTS, PARTICULARLY THOSE OF THE UNBORN CHILD, AGAINST ABORTION AND EUTHANASIA Seoul (Fides Service) – A new pro-life movement LIFE 31, promoted this year by the Korean Bishops’ Conference is proving a great success. The moderator is Bishop Peter Lee Ki-heon, president of the Committee for Fami ...
• 26 May 2003
  ASIA/INDIA - CHURCH WORKS FOR TRIUMPH OF TRUTH ABOUT VIOLENT DISCRIMINATION AGAINST DALITS “UNTOUCHABLE” AND “INVISIBLE” FOR INDIA’S CASTE SOCIETY New Delhi (Fides Service) – “We are here as persons interested in Dalit problems and looking at the position of the Catholic Church there is a need to plan concrete strategies in this direction” said Bishop Chinnap ...
• 26 May 2003
  ASIA/IRAQ - UN SANCTIONS A THING OF THE PAST: AT LAST THERE IS A CHANCE FOR A NEW IRAQ PROSPEROUS FOR ALL ITS CITIZENS. “THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY SHOULD TAKE CARE NOT TO REPEAT MISTAKES OF THE PAST” SAYS REV. NIZAR Baghdad (Fides Service) – “At last we can say that the UN sanctions are a thing of the past” says Rev. Nizar Samaan from the diocese of Mosul in Iraq. “On hearing this news we rejoice and we hope that as soon as ...
• 23 May 2003
  VATICAN - POPE SAYS TO ITALIAN BRANCH OF PRO-LIFE: THERE CAN BE NO AUTHENTIC PEACE WITHOUT RESPECT FOR LIFE, ESPECIALLY THE INNOCENT AND HELPLESS LIFE OF THE UNBORN CHILD Vatican City (Fides Service) – “Never be discouraged and never tire of proclaiming and bearing witness to the Gospel of Life; be close to families and mothers in difficulty. Especially to women I renew my call to def ...
• 23 May 2003
  VATICAN - NEW WORLD ORDER IN KEEPING WITH CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING: ARCHBISHOP MARTINO OPENS INTERNATIONAL MEETING ON “THE CHURCH AND WORLD ORDER”. Vatican City (Fides Service) – “The centrality of the human person and the natural relation between individuals and nations are the fundamental indications of the social doctrine of the Church for the international c ...
• 23 May 2003
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - DEHONIAN MISSIONARIES WONDER WHY THE UNITED NATIONS MAKES NO EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION IN CONGO? Rome (Fides Service) – “We voice deep concern for the tragic events in recent weeks in eastern regions of the RDC and particularly in the Ituri region and surrounding areas”. The Dehonian Missionaries SCJ say this ...