Asia

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  3 February 2016
  ASIA/IRAN - The Chaldean monastery of the Virgin Mary in Tehran reopens Tehran (Agenzia Fides) - On the eve of the meeting in the Vatican between Iranian President Hassan Rohani and Pope Francis, it was possible to reopen the Chaldean monastery of the Congregation of the Daughters of Mary in ...
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  3 February 2016
  ASIA/JORDAN - UNESCO recognizes the baptism site of Jesus as a "World Heritage Site" Paris (Agenzia Fides) - The site of Jesus' baptism on the Jordan River has been officially declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, during a ceremony held in Paris on the evening of Tuesday, February 2. The ceremony w ...
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  3 February 2016
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - Christian threatened: "Convert yourself to Islam" Kasur (Agenzia Fides) – The choice was to convert to Islam or face ongoing violence and harassment: is what happened to Christian Patras Hanif, father of five children, victim of abuse where he worked. Patras, a worker ...
• 3 February 2016
  ASIA/INDIA - Appointment of the Auxiliary of Trivandrum of the Latins Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - On February 2, 2016 the Holy Father appointed Rev. Christudas Rajappan, Rector of the St. Vincent's Seminary as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Trivandrum of the Latins (India). He w ...
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  3 February 2016
  ASIA/INDIA - A bicycle to children for 365 days of Eucharist Palai (Agenzia Fides) - Twenty Catholic children between 5 and 13 in the parish of St. Thomas in the diocese of Palai (Kerala) received an unexpected gift: a beautiful bike. As Fides learns, the gift comes from two of th ...
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  2 February 2016
  ASIA/TURKEY - 10 years since the murder of Father Santoro. Bishop Bizzeti: a misssionary and a man of dialogue, he has much to teach us Trabzon (Agenzia Fides) - Father Andrea Santoro, an Italian priest killed in Turkey on February 5, 2006, will be commemorated with liturgical celebrations in Trabzon - a Turkish city on the Black Sea where he was killed ...
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  2 February 2016
  ASIA/INDIA - Catholic priest and three lay people beaten New Delhi (Agenzia Fides) - Conviction for the serious gesture, solidarity with the victims, need for an immediate investigation: is what Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, President of the Bishops' Conference of India asks for, ...
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  2 February 2016
  ASIA/CHINA - Encouraging pastoral evaluation for Catholic communities Shi Jia Zhuang (Agenzia Fides) - Consolidate faith and incentivize spiritual life, especially sacramental life in this Year of Mercy, promote evangelization through the witness of life, renew the parish council, promote ...
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  2 February 2016
  ASIA/MYANMAR - A Bishop: "The new Parliament, a positive step" Yangon (Agenzia Fides) - "The opening session of the new Parliament is a very positive step. We are living a constructive atmosphere in politics and society. We are going in the right direction, marked by transparency, d ...
• 1 February 2016
  ASIA/EAST TIMOR - Appointment of the Bishop of Dili Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - On 30 January 2016, the Holy Father appointed Rev. Fr. Virgilio Do Carmo Da Silva, S.D.B., Provincial Superior of the Salesians in East Timor as Bishop of Dili (East Timor). The newly-elec ...
• 1 February 2016
  ASIA/CAMBODIA - Emile Descombes, Bishop who taught to have trust in God Phnom Penh (Agenzia Fides) - "We remain, whatever happens". These are the words that Father Emile wrote on 8 April 1975 a few days before the entry of the Khmer Rouge in Phnom Penh. Emile was there, among the people wh ...
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  1 February 2016
  ASIA/VIETNAM - Lessons at the new Catholic Institute of Vietnam begin Ho Chi Minh City (Agenzia Fides) - The newborn "Catholic Institute of Vietnam", the first Catholic institution at university level in the country, opens its doors and welcomes its first students in September 2016: is wha ...
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  1 February 2016
  ASIA/HOLY LAND - Israeli High Court rejects the appeals to stop the "Cremisan Wall" Beit Jala (Agenzia Fides) - The Israeli High Court rejected the appeals that had been presented to counter the resumption of the construction of the "wall of division" in the Cremisan Valley. The appeals were presented b ...
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  29 January 2016
  ASIA/TURKEY - Church in Diyarbakir hit during the military offensive against Kurdish positions Diyarbakir (Agenzia Fides) - A Syrian Orthodox church in Diyarbakir, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, was damaged during the Turkish military offensive against the positions of the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK). The damage w ...
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  29 January 2016
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - Christian dies in prison: an urgent investigation Islamabad (Agenzia Fides) – Need to proceed with a serious and independent investigation to identify and punish those responsible for the death of Liaqat Masih, a 35-year-old Christian who died following torture and il ...