Asia

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  24 January 2017
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - Debate to amend the blasphemy law in Senate Islamabad (Agenzia Fides) - The debate to amend the controversial "blasphemy law", composed of the articles of the Penal Code that punish with life imprisonment or the death penalty insults against Islam has begun in the ...
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  23 January 2017
  ASIA/SYRIA - The Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate distances itself from the Hatune Foundation: "It does not represent us in any way" Damascus (Agenzia Fides) - The Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch distances itself from the "Hatune Foundation", the organization headed by the religious Syrian Orthodox Hatune Dogan. The foundation presents itself ...
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  23 January 2017
  ASIA/IRAQ - Chaldean Patriarch: "positive signs" from Islam in the fight against religious extremism Baghdad (Agenzia Fides) - The expected defeat of jihadist militants and their campaigns of terror provides the opportunity for a real change of pace in Iraqi politics, which aims to build a democratic State based on the ...
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  23 January 2017
  ASIA/INDIA - Young Catholics march for peace and for the common good Mangalore (Agenzia Fides) - A large gathering of young Catholics prayed, reflected and demonstrated for peace in Karnataka, the Indian state crossed by anti-Christian violence due to the presence of extremist movements a ...
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  20 January 2017
  ASIA/JAPAN - Takayama Ukon, "Samurai of Christ" will be beatified on February 7 Osaka (Agenzia Fides) - The solemn ceremony of beatification of Justo Takayama Ukon (1552-1615), the "Samurai of Christ", a person dear to the Japanese Church, will be held on February 7 in Osaka. This was announced to A ...
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  20 January 2017
  ASIA/HOLY LAND - Bishops of the "Holy Land Coordination": let us oppose the "de facto annexation" perpetrated through illegal settlements Bethlehem (Agenzia Fides) - The military occupation for fifty years on the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza violated "the human dignity of both Palestinians and Israelis". And now all the people responsible are called ...
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  20 January 2017
  ASIA/TURKEY - Father Santoro’s killer provides an unbelievable version of the murder Trabzon (Agenzia Fides) - Oğuzhan Akdin, the 26-year-old murderer of Don Andrea Santoro, after his early release - which took place last August - has released for the first time to the Turkish press his version of the m ...
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  19 January 2017
  ASIA/MYANMAR - Two Christians have disappeared in Kachin state, while the conflict continues Myitkyina (Agenzia Fides) - Two ethnic Kachin Christian leaders have disappeared in Kachin state, Burmese state where fighting between separatist groups and the regular army continues and where the flow of refugees conti ...
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  19 January 2017
  ASIA/SYRIA - Aleppo awaits the arrival of Cardinal Zenari. Bishop Khazen: "he will visit hospitals, refugee camps and devastated churches" Aleppo (Agenzia Fides) - Cardinal Mario Zenari, Apostolic Nuncio in Syria, is expected to arrive in Aleppo in the early afternoon today, Thursday, January 19, for a visit full of commitments and meetings that will contin ...
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  16 January 2017
  ASIA/THAILAND - Children's Day "playing with army weaponry" Bangkok (Agenzia Fides) - In Thailand, since 1955, Children's Day is celebrated on the second Saturday of January. During this day children visit the seat of government, Parliament, they go to natural parks, participate ...
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  16 January 2017
  ASIA/INDIA - The Jesuits committed to social harmony Calcutta (Agenzia Fides) – To overcome ignorance and prejudice and above all to educate young people to promote peace and social harmony, peace which is an urgent need today: this is what the Indian Jesuit theologian M ...
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  16 January 2017
  ASIA/TURKEY - Deputy cites the Armenian Genocide in the Turkish Parliament: Suspended for 3 sessions Ankara (Agenzia Fides) - The Armenian deputy of the Turkish Parliament Garo Paylan, representative of the Peoples Democratic Party (HDP, opposition party that unites pro-Kurdish forces and leftist forces) on January 13 w ...
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  14 January 2017
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - The Prime Minister defends religious minorities Lahore (Agenzia Fides) - "It is not far off when Pakistan will be recognized as a friendly country of minorities; the government is taking measures to improve the lives of religious minority groups": said Prime Minister ...
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  14 January 2017
  ASIA/SYRIA - Patriarch of Moscow Kirill invited in Syria Moscow (Agenzia Fides) - Scholars and official representatives of Syrian Islam, together with the Syrian Ministry officials for endowments and religious affairs (waqf), sent an invitation to the Patriarch of Moscow Kiril ...
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  13 January 2017
  ASIA/PALESTINE - President Abbas will inaugurate the Palestinian Embassy to the Holy See Rome (Agenzia Fides) – On Saturday, January 14 Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), is scheduled to meet with Pope Francis in the Vatican and inaugurate the new Palestinian embassy to the Holy See, situated ...