News

• 6 February 2008
  AFRICA/BENIN - “Smile it's Lent!” : a Letter from Bishop of Natitingou Natitingou (Agenzia Fides) - “The word Lent does not mean sadness, aridity… instead it is a special 40 days given to us by the Church. In the Bible the number 40 evokes a special time in which God calls us to live cl ...
• 5 February 2008
  MISSIONARY PRAYER INTENTION - “That Institutes of Consecrated Life, so flourishing in mission countries, may rediscover the missionary dimension and, faithful to the radical choice of Gospel counsels, be generous in bearing witness to Christ and proclaiming Him to the ends of the earth.” Comment on the Holy Father's Missionary Prayer intention for February 2008 Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - “ From the very beginning of the Church men and women have set about following Christ with greater freedom and imitating Him more closely through the practice of the evangelical counsels, ...
• 5 February 2008
  VATICAN - Mission continues - Fr. Adriano Garuti and Lara De Angelis Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - Missionary activity, today as always, requires courage. It is one thing to talk about it, but to live it is much more demanding. Being present in the world as it is today with its religious ...
• 5 February 2008
  AFRICA/CHAD - “It is time for weapons to be silent and negotiations to prevail” N’Djamena (Agenzia Fides)- “It is time for weapons to be silent and negotiations to prevail” say Fides sources in Chad commenting the decision of the rebel troops which had besieged the capital N’Djamena, to acce ...
• 5 February 2008
  EUROPE/SPAIN - Letter from the Bishop of Palencia: “All the Bishops did was to offer Catholic some guiding moral criteria before making their own electoral choice. ” Palencia (Agenzia Fides) - Bishop José Ignacio Munilla of the diocese of Palencia, has issued a Letter in which he calls for a clearer reading of the recent Note issued by the Standing Committee of the Spanish Bishops' ...
• 5 February 2008
  AFRICA/KENYA - “The people are hungry. The crisis must end as soon as possible ” Nairobi (Agenzia Fides)- “Kofi Annan is a realist, thank goodness” said Fides sources in Kenya with regard to resumed talks between President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga, with the mediation of the ...
• 5 February 2008
  AFRICA/SOUTH AFRICA - Standing Committee of the Symposium of Catholic Bishops' Conference of Africa and Madagascar meet in Johannesburg Johannesburg (Agenzia Fides)- From 4 to 7 February the Standing Committee of SCEAM, Symposium of Catholic Bishops' Conference of Africa and Madagascar, will meet in Johannesburg, South Africa, for its first assembly of 2 ...
• 5 February 2008
  ASIA/CHINA - Lunar new year and Christian solidarity and evangelisation Roma (Agenzia Fides) - Chinese Catholics were deeply moved by greetings for 'prosperity and wellbeing', pronounced by Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday 3 February addressed to all Asian countries celebrating Lunar New Year. Pr ...
• 5 February 2008
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - “Reform yourselves and believe in the Gospel”: Catholic Bishops' Message on the eve of Lent on the theme of promoting the common good Manila (Agenzia Fides) - "Reform yourselves and believe in the Gospel" is the title of a message issued by the Korean Catholic Bishops' Conference on January 27 at the end of their 96th plenary assembly. The message, iss ...
• 5 February 2008
  FIJI ISLANDS - Consecrated Life in Fiji makes progress: its mission is reconciliation Suva (Agenzia Fides) - Consecrated Life is increasingly present and incisive in Fiji's small archipelago of 800 little islands for a total area of 18,000sq km. Five years ago members of different religious congregations ...
• 5 February 2008
  AMERICA/COSTA RICA - The Church in Costa Rica prepares to study working paper and choose delegation to send to Third America Mission Congress CAM3 San José (Agenzia Fides) - The Catholic Church in Costa Rica continues to follow a plan drafted by the Pontifical Mission Societies and the National Mission Council in preparation for the Third America Mission Congress ...
• 5 February 2008
  AMERICA/CHILE - “We are still outside”: Lenten Campaign in aid of boys and girls living in conditions of poverty and social risk Santiago (Agenzia Fides) - Ash Wednesday 6 February will mark the beginning of the annual Lenten campaign promoted by the Bishops of Chile in aid of children in need. This year's slogan is “We are still outside”. The ...
• 4 February 2008
  VATICAN - The Pope urges men and women religious to testify “how important it is to make the Word of God the centre of everything, especially for those whom the Lord calls to more intimate discipleship” Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - “The Word of God in the Life of the Church is the theme of the next ordinary session of the Synod of Bishops: I ask you dear brothers and sisters to offer your contribution to this eccles ...
• 4 February 2008
  VATICAN - Benedict XVI at Rome's Major Seminary: “God calls you to be saints, that holiness is the secret for the success of your priestly ministry ” Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - In the evening of 1 February, on the eve of the Feast of Our Lady of Trust to whom Major Seminary of Rome is dedicated, the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI paid a visit to the college whe ...
• 4 February 2008
  VATICAN - The Pope's Angelus: “May every person, each according to his or her possibilities and professional competence, feel bound to love and serve human life from beginning to natural end” - Appeal for Kenya, Iraq and Colombia Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - Several different prayer intentions were the subject of Pope Benedict XVI's reflection before his midday Angelus reflection on Sunday 3 February. First of all, recalling the Day of Consecra ...