News

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  3 March 2026
  AFRICA/SOMALIA - Food insecurity rises amid drought alarm and the specter of famine Mogadishu (Agenzia Fides) – The United Nations has issued a new warning regarding the humanitarian crisis in Somalia. According to the latest statistics from the UN's Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) ...
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  3 March 2026
  ASIA/BAHRAIN - Apostolaic Vicar, Bishop Aldo Berardi: “We are opening churches in Kuwait and Bahrain for personal prayer” Manama (Agenzia Fides) – “Yesterday was another long night. There was also a thunderstorm, and it was difficult to tell whether the rumbles we heard were thunder or drones,” the Italian Embassy in Bahrain told Fide ...
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  2 March 2026
  ASIA/UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - “The Lion's Roar”: Bishop Martinelli invites everyone to pray the Rosary every day for the gift of peace Abu Dhabi (Agenzia Fides) – Just hours after the start of the US and Israeli attack on Iran, which began on the morning of Saturday, February 28, Bishop Paolo Martinelli, Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia, issued an a ...
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  2 March 2026
  AFRICA/NIGERIA - Bishop of Ogoja visits church set on fire on February 26 Abuja (Agenzia Fides) – “Those who perpetrated the atrocious act of setting fire to the church will not go unpunished.” With these words, Donatus Edet Akpan, Bishop of Ogoja, addressed the faithful of St. Mary’s ...
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  2 March 2026
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - Christians and Muslims pray for peace during Lent and Ramadan Lahore (Agenzia Fides) – “Our meeting as Christian and Muslim leaders, as we observe this special time of Lent and Ramadan, is intended as a sign of peace and unity, especially amidst the war between Afghanistan and ...
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  2 March 2026
  ASIA/KUWAIT - "The Lion's Roar," Apostolic Nuncio Nugent: "The situation is serious and worsens day by day" Kuwait City (Agenzia Fides) - The situation is serious and worsens day by day. Last night, the American Embassy here in Kuwait was hit by a drone; fortunately, there were no casualties. Furthermore, two US military aircr ...
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  1 March 2026
  Pope Leo XIV on the attack on Iran: “halt the spiral of violence before it becomes an unbridgeable chasm” Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – Faced with the “possibility of a tragedy of immense proportions,” only one thing remains to be done: “halt the spiral of violence before it becomes an unbridgeable chasm.” The wor ...
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  1 March 2026
  VATICAN - English-language training course for the National Directions of the Pontifical Mission Societies begins on March 2 Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - Participants from Africa, North America, Asia, and Europe are attending the English-language missionary training course for the National Directions of the Pontifical Mission Societies, whic ...
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  28 February 2026
  Faith according to Joseph Ratzinger: “Like a child in his mother’s arms” by Cardinal Pietro Parolin* We are publishing excerpts from Cardinal Pietro Parolin’s preface to the volume “La fede del futuro, il futuro della Chiesa” (“The Faith of the Future, the Future of the Church”) ...
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  28 February 2026
  ASIA/BAHRAIN - Explosions in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar. "Churches closed, all activities suspended," the Apostolic Vicar of Northern Arabia asks for prayers for peace Awali (Agenzia Fides) – “At the moment, we don’t know much; we have suspended all activities. I have invited the priests of the Vicariate to gather this evening at 7:00 p.m. local time for a Mass for Peace,” Bis ...
• 28 February 2026
  AFRICA/GUINEA - Resignation and succession of metropolitan archbishop of Conakry Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the metropolitan archdiocese of Conakry, Guinea, presented by Archbishop Vincent Coulibaly. He is succeeded by Archbis ...
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  28 February 2026
  ASIA/INDONESIA - Mineral water, ice cream, pizza: three "San Camillo Dreams" come true by Luigi Galvani* Kupang (Agenzia Fides) – Among the many dreams that fill a missionary's heart are those of conversions, vocations, works of charity… and others, simpler and more practical, that carry the scent ...
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  27 February 2026
  ASIA/PAKISTAN -"Open war" between Pakistan and Afghanistan; "Terrorist attacks and the expulsion of Afghans have increased hostility" Lahore (Agenzia Fides) – Hostilities between Pakistan and Afghanistan have escalated into “open war,” Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif declared. Mutual attacks and military escalation between Pakistan and Af ...
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  27 February 2026
  EUROPE/ITALY - The number of Italian "Fidei Donum" priests who leave on mission continues to decline Rome (Agenzia Fides) – Of approximately 31,000 Italian priests, 227 are currently serving as "Fidei Donum" missionaries abroad. Updated data published by the National Office for Missionary Cooperation of the Churches o ...
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  27 February 2026
  AFRICA/NIGERIA - Catholic Church in Southeast Nigeria set on fire Abuja (Agenzia Fides) – The Catholic Church of St. Mary in Katchuan Irruan, in the local government area of Boki, in northern Cross River State, southeastern Nigeria, was attacked and set on fire. The attack occurred ...