Europe

• 17 March 2005
  EUROPE/PORTUGAL - Portuguese Missionários dà Boa Nova celebrate 75th anniversary. “The activity of the laity in the Church is very important today and so we aim to involve more and more lay persons in missionary work” Superior General Fr. Antonio José da Rocha Couto speaks with Fides Vatican City (Fides Service) - This year the Portuguese Society for Missions (Missionários dà Boa Nova) founded 3 October 1930, is celebrating its 75th anniversary. As part of celebrations, Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, P ...
• 17 March 2005
  EUROPE/ITALY - "FamilyFest 2005": series of International of Family Congresses to connect 120 world cities will highlight families striving to live the Gospel and the family’s important role for the development of humanity Rome(Fides Service) - Toronto, Tokyo, Teheran, Jerusalem, Krasnojarsk (Siberia), Johannesburg, Melbourne, Algiers, Nairobi, Zagreb are among the 120 cities which will be involved in the next "Family-Fest", on 16 April fo ...
• 15 March 2005
  EUROPE/GERMANY - “With their sincerity, enthusiasm and joy as they reach out to others, their desire to celebrate and pray together and work for a world of more justice, children and young people are the most convincing messengers of God’s love”: main focus of latest issue of Schule und Mission magazine published by Holy Childhood Germany Aachen (Fides Service) - In a Pastoral Letter “His salvation for all Peoples”, the Catholic Bishops of Germany underline the never changing importance of the missionary mandate of the universal Church (see Fides 27 S ...
• 15 March 2005
  EUROPE/ITALY - “Bread broken for others”: 24 March 13th Day of Prayer and Fasting to commemorate Missionaries killed for the Gospel Cause Rome (Fides Service) - March 24 is the annual Day of Prayer and Fasting in memory of missionaries killed for the cause of the Gospel. The initiative was started in Italy by the Youth Movement of the Pontifical Mission So ...
• 14 March 2005
  EUROPE/RUSSIA - Saint Francis of Assisi is a popular figure in Russia Moscow (Fides Service) - The presence of Franciscan Friars in Russia after the fall of the Soviet regime, has created interest for the Secular Franciscan Order OFS whose members are lay men and women striving to live the ...
• 11 March 2005
  EUROPE/SPAIN - “We will continue”: after 57 of commitment and the present scarcity of mission resources, Basque dioceses opt to continue to support missions in Ecuador and Angola, because “for a diocese being missionary is not an option” Vitoria (Fides Service) - On Sunday March 13, the Basque dioceses of Spain will celebrate the traditional Day of Basque Diocesan Missions, an organisation present in the dioceses of Bilbao, San Sebastián and Vitoria, t ...
• 11 March 2005
  EUROPE/RUMANIA - Personal and direct proclamation of the Word of God to people at home and at work: Oblate Missionaries of Mary Immaculate undertake new evangelisation in Romania Bucharest (Fides Service) - It will be the Catholic Archbishop of Bucharest Ioan Robu, who will present the missionary cross and mandate to Giuseppe Rubino, Elio Filardo, scholastic Benoni Varga and pre-novice Lucian Bos ...
• 10 March 2005
  EUROPE - Solidarity and commitment for peace in Colombia: from the network of Caritas Europe a new appeal to favour the process of reconciliation and support for 3 million internally displaced persons Rome (Fides Service) - An appeal for the needs of the victims of the conflict in Colombia to be at the centre of the search for a peaceful solution. Peace which, guarantees the verification of responsibility for violatio ...
• 9 March 2005
  EUROPE/SPAIN - Mission ad Gentes in Europe, missionary formation of young priests Fidei donum: themes of meeting for National Directors of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Europe Madrid (Fides Service) - National Directors of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Europe will gather in Madrid 12 to 16 March to reflect on themes regarding missionary animation and formation. Previous meetings of PMS ...
• 9 March 2005
  EUROPE/GERMANY - Largest organisation for Turkish Muslims in Germany sends best wishes to Pope John Paul II: “May the All Merciful God bless him and restore his health Cologne (Fides Service) - Best wishes for a speedy recovery were sent via Fides to Pope John Paul II by the Union of the Turkish Islamic Office for Religions (Diyanet Isleri Türk Islam Birligi, DITIB) which has its head ...
• 8 March 2005
  EUROPE/ITALY - Japan contributes 113,000 Euro for S. Egidio education and healthcare programmes in Lezha, Albania Rome (Fides Service) - The Japanese Embassy has donated 113,000 Euro for two social programmes in Albania, in the district of Lezha. The programmes, which will be implemented by volunteers of the Rome based S. Egidio c ...
• 7 March 2005
  EUROPE/BULGARIA - “Poor Catholic families suffer but they are certain the Pope’s suffering is worse than their own and they pray for him”, Capuchin friar in Sofia tells Fides Sofia (Fides Service) - “We visit poor families regularly and lately all of them have been inquiring about the Pope, assuring us of their prayers for him. They say life their is difficult but they also say that the Ho ...
• 5 March 2005
  EUROPE/SPAIN - Javierada Pilgrimage this year anticipates celebrations for 5th hundredth anniversary of the birth of the Patron saint of missions: " Our young pilgrims to Javier must be courageous like Francis Xavier, filled with enthusiasm for Jesus " Pamplona (Fides Service) - "Javier, adoration and donation" is the slogan for the annual Javierada pilgrimage which take place in Spain 6 to 12 March, organised by the Delegation for Missions and the SCAM (Missionary Ani ...
• 5 March 2005
  EUROPE/AZERBAIJAN - “The Pope is close to the elderly, and in our community there are many of them. They all love him and are concerned about his health”, Father Jan Kapla Superior of the Baku Catholic Mission told Fides Baku (Fides Service) - “Azerbaijanis show great interest for the Pope. They remember his landmark visit to the country with affection and emotion. Local and Russian media channels are giving regular reports on news fro ...
• 4 March 2005
  EUROPE/ITALY - Inmates in Rome’s Regina Caeli prison pray for the Pope and in a letter to the Pontiff in hospital they “express their love for a man who opened their eyes to a horizon of light, hope, love, freedom and salvation in Jesus Christ” inspector general of Italian prison chaplains tells Fides Rome (Fides Service) - Mgr. Giorgio Caniato, inspector general of Prison Chaplains in Italy told Fides that “the prisoners are very fond of the Holy Father and they are very sorry that he is in hospital”. They pray f ...