News

• 22 February 2010
  ASIA/IRAQ - Christian Bishops of Mosul send message to the government: “Will the blood of Christians be shed with impunity?” Mosul (Agenzia Fides) – "The authorities must take full responsibility in order to preserve the Christian presence in Mosul. We need international intervention to push the central and local government to act immediatel ...
• 22 February 2010
  AFRICA/CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC - Two French aid workers kidnapped and later released by LRA guerrillas who attacked a Catholic Church; local inhabitants being held hostage Bangui (Agenzia Fides) – The Ugandan rebels of the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army) attacked the village of Rafai, in the southeastern Central African Republic, on February 18. "The information we have is still sketchy as ...
• 22 February 2010
  AFRICA/KENYA - Political stalemate in Kenya; Bishops call for a national solution before asking for intervention from international mediators Nairobi (Agenzia Fides) – According to a statement from the Kenyan Bishops' Conference, taken from the Kenyan agency CISA, the Bishops "wish to advice against absconding cabinet meetings. This would mean a stalemate in ...
• 22 February 2010
  AMERICA/MEXICO - Funeral services held for Fr. Luis Parra, exemplary priest and Good Samaritan, killed on Ash Wednesday Mexico City (Agenzia Fides) – The Church of “El Sagrario” in Mexico City celebrated the funeral of Father José Luis Puerto Parra, assassinated on February 17, Ash Wednesday. The Mass was celebrated by Bishop Anton ...
• 22 February 2010
  AMERICA/ARGENTINA - “Go and present Jesus, with your testimony”: Cardinal Bergoglio at the close of the 28th International Missiology Course Buenos Aires (Agenzia Fides) – The Director of Communications of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) of Argentina, Fabio Rosso, sent a note to Agenzia Fides on the celebration of the closure of the XXVIII Internatio ...
• 20 February 2010
  OCEANIA/AUSTRALIA - Australian Church overjoyed at news of Sister Mary MacKillop's canonization Sydney (Agenzia Fides) – There is great joy and enthusiasm in the Catholic community in Australia for the official news: Sister Mary MacKillop will be canonized at the Vatican on October 17, 2010, becoming the first Au ...
• 20 February 2010
  ASIA/INDIA - Archbishop of Verapoly appointed Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – The Holy Father Benedict XVI, on February 20, 2010, appointed Fr. Francis Kallarackal, until now Bishop of Kottapuram as Metropolitan Archbishop of Verapoly (India). (SL) (Agenzia Fides 2 ...
• 20 February 2010
  ASIA/TAIWAN - Archbishop of Taipei launches "An Appeal for Love in Lent," for the people affected by the typhoon last August Taipei (Agenzia Fides) – In this Lent we are invited to be very especially united, "gather together to cry, smile, and bear witness to the glory of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ." This is the call that Arch ...
• 20 February 2010
  AFRICA/KENYA - Bishop of Marsabit tells Fides: in spite of climate change woes, people are not discouraged Rome (Agenzia Fides) – "The failure of the Copenhagen Summit has deeply disappointed us, as we have been experiencing the deadly effects of global warming for years now," Fides was told by Bishop Peter Kihara Kariuki, ...
• 20 February 2010
  VATICAN - Pontifical Yearbook 2010 shows slight increase in number of Catholics, priests, and seminarians, slight decrease in female religious Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – The Pontifical Yearbook 2010 was presented to the Holy Father Benedict XVI the morning of February 20. A reading of the volume can infer some news about the life of the Catholic Church in ...
• 20 February 2010
  AFRICA/IVORY COAST - Bloody suppression of an opposition rally; "The population is suffering, but no agreement has been reached to end the country's political stalemate," say local sources Gagnoa (Agenzia Fides) – "Police and civil guard forces are controlling the city and the situation is calm," Fides was told by local sources from Gagnoa, in southwestern Ivory Coast, where yesterday, 19 February, an op ...
• 20 February 2010
  ASIA/NEPAL - Despite the fact that leprosy has been officially eliminated in the country, many years are needed to eradicate the disease Kathmandu (Agenzia Fides) – On January 19, 2010, the government declared to have officially eliminated leprosy in Nepal, after reaching a prevalence of 0.89 per 10,000 people nationwide, but the challenges in the fight ...
• 20 February 2010
  AMERICA/HAITI - Collaboration between FAO and CARE for a cash-for-work program in Leogane Leogane (Agenzia Fides) – Over a month after the devastating earthquake which hit Haiti on 12 January, the FAO and the international humanitarian organization CARE have sounded the alarm of an impending food crisis in ...
• 19 February 2010
  AFRICA/NIGER - “The situation is calm and the people do not seem worried,” missionary from Niamey tells Agenzia Fides Niamey (Agenzia Fides) - "The situation is calm. The schools are open and there do not seem to be any special security measures," Fides learns from a missionary of the Society of African Missions from Niamey, Niger's cap ...
• 19 February 2010
  AMERICA/BOLIVIA - Passing of Bishop Roger Aubry: his passion for preaching the Gospel and his missionary spirit left an impact on all who knew him Cochabamba (Agenzia Fides) - The Bolivian Bishop Conference has announced the return to the Father's House of Bishop Roger Aubry, Bishop Emeritus of the Apostolic Vicariate of Reyes. His death occurred on the morning of ...