News

• 16 December 2009
  ASIA/CHINA - 2009 Statistics for the Catholic Church in mainland China Shi Jia Zhuang (Agenzia Fides) - The latest statistics from the Catholic Church in mainland China written by the Faith Institute for Cultural Studies (FICS), dated December 8, 2009 report that the number of Catholics in ...
• 16 December 2009
  VATICAN - Pope's Message for World Day of Peace, January 1, 2010: “Respect for creation is of immense consequence... and its preservation has now become essential for the pacific coexistence of mankind.” Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – The theme for the Message written by the Holy Father Benedict XVI for the 43rd World Day of Peace, which will be celebrated on January 1, 2010, is entitled “If You Want to Cultivate Pea ...
• 16 December 2009
  AMERICA/BRAZIL - Polish priest attacked by deranged youth while celebrating Mass in Tanabe, Diocese of Sao Jose do Rio Preto, Bishops' Conference deplores rising tide of violence against priests Tanabi (Agenzia Fides) – On Sunday, December 13th, Polish priest Mario Uztazewisck of 65, was attacked during Children's Mass he was celebrating at 10 am in his parish in the Diocese of Sao Jose do Rio Preto, in the to ...
• 16 December 2009
  AMERICA/PERU - Serving the migrants: Scalabrinians celebrate 122nd anniversary of foundation Lima (Agenzia Fides) – With great joy, the Congregation of Missionaries of St. Charles Borromeo (Scalabrinians) celebrated their 122nd anniversary of foundation in different parts of the world, marking the birth of the ...
• 16 December 2009
  AFRICA/CONGO DR - Military takes control of Dongo, yet drama of refugees continues Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) – The Congolese army (FARDC) has recaptured the town of Dongo, in the northwestern province of the equator, official sources from the government of Kinshasa claim. Since October, the Dongo area ...
• 16 December 2009
  AFRICA/ANGOLA - Faculty of Theology to be established at the Catholic University of Angola Luanda (Agenzia Fides) – The Catholic University of Angola intends to establish a Faculty of Theology in short time. This has been stated by Archbishop Damião Franklim of Luanda, who emphasized that the requirements e ...
• 16 December 2009
  ASIA/INDIA - Peace and reconciliation in India, invoking the power of the Holy Spirit Vasai (Agenzia Fides) – This Christmas will be a Christmas of prayer, to invoke the power of the Holy Spirit upon the nation. In Vasai (in the state of Maharashtra), the local Catholic community is preparing to host th ...
• 16 December 2009
  OCEANIA/AUSTRALIA - Millions of new “environmental refugees” from climate changes: concern from the Church in the Pacific Sydney (Agenzia Fides) – Over 200 million people will become refugees or internally displaced persons due to climate change by 2050 in Southeast Asia and the Pacific: this is the prediction made in Copenhagen by intern ...
• 16 December 2009
  AMERICA/MEXICO - The challenge of climate changes: a letter from the Archdiocese of Acapulco highlights the need for everyone to assume their own responsibilities and make concrete decisions Acapulco (Agenzia Fides) – The Archdiocese of Acapulco has published a letter on the occasion of the Copenhagen Summit on Climate Change. "We know that Catholic organizations such as Caritas Internationalis and the Int ...
• 15 December 2009
  ASIA/CHINA - Bishop Matthew Luo Duxi of Leshan dies at age 91, after a great contribution to religious life, reconstruction of churches, and priestly formation Leshan (Agenzia Fides) - Bishop Mattew Luo Duxi of the Diocese of Kiating (Leshan) Sichuan (mainland China) died on December 4th at the age of 91, as a result of a heart attack and respiratory failure. The Prelate was ...
• 15 December 2009
  AMERICA/BRAZIL - Another priest murdered in Brazil: Fr. Alvino Broering Itajai (Agenzia Fides) - Brazilian priest Father Alvino Broering, 46, was stabbed at dawn on December 14th in the southern state of Santa Catarina (Brazil) by a man who then stole his car, according to information from t ...
• 15 December 2009
  AMERICA/BRAZIL - Two Consolata Missionaries from Colombia die in a car accident, after years of missionary work in the Brazilian Amazon Boa Vista (Agenzia Fides) – Two religious from the institution of the Consolata Missionaries, both natives of Colombia, Sister Ana Elind Gonzalez Lara, 44, and Sister Amelia Gil Diaz, 66, died the morning of December 1 ...
• 15 December 2009
  ASIA/HONG KONG - Formation of laity in parishes, in response to Year for Priestly Vocations Hong Kong (Agenzia Fides) - "The formation of the laity in parishes, to respond to the Year of Priestly Vocations" has been proposed by Msgr. Dominic Chang, Vicar of the Diocese of Hong Kong, to parishes. According to re ...
• 15 December 2009
  AFRICA/CONGO DR - Further attacks on Monastery in Bukavu, where a sister was killed on December 7; today, Peace March and Masses in parishes Bukavu (Agenzia Fides) – The Church in Bukavu, capital of South Kivu in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, is once more suffering violence. According to a statement received by Fides, on the night of Sunday, Dec ...
• 15 December 2009
  AFRICA/CONGO DR - “Mr. President...guarantee security for the Church and inhabitants of Bukavu,” clergy and religious from the Archdiocese of Bukavu tell President Kabila Bukavu (Agenzia Fides) - "We appeal to you to ask you to ensure our safety and that of the people we minister to" is how the priests and religious men and women of the Archdiocese of Bukavu have addressed the President o ...