News

• 1 April 2006
  EUROPE/ITALY - “Journalists take courage”: A book containing Pope John Paul II's messages to journalists Rome (Fides Service) - A book containing a collection of 27 messages to journalists written by Pope John Paul II on the occasion of the annual World Communications Day was presented a few days before the first anniversar ...
• 1 April 2006
  AFRICA - Alarm for Africa’s forests essential for daily subsistence and reduction of poverty: 20 million hectares lost in five years 2000/2005 Maputo (Fides Service)- Every year between 2000 and 2005 Africa lost 4 million hectares of forest mainly for conversion of forest land into farmland. Forestland in that period was reduced from 655,6 million hectares to 6 ...
• 1 April 2006
  AFRICA/CHAD - United Nations High Commission condemns forced recruitment of Darfur refugees N’Djamena (Fides Service)- The United Nations High Commission for Refugees UNHCR firmly condemns forced recruitment of Sudanese refugees from Darfur by various armed groups in some of the camps run by UNHCR in eastern ...
• 1 April 2006
  ASIA/CHINA - Year of Evangelisation in Shang Hai diocese: pilgrimage of the Cross in parishes promotes evangelisation and commemorates 500th anniversary of the birth of St Francis Xavier Shang Hai (Fides Service) - A wooden Cross 2 metres high, the symbol of the year of evangelisation which Shang Hai diocese has undertaken in 2006, is visiting several parishes to promote evangelisation and strengthen lo ...
• 1 April 2006
  ASIA/NEPAL - “John Paul II an example for young and old” says little Catholic community in Nepal Kathmandu (Fides Service) - “Tomorrow 2 April we will offer Mass for Pope John Paul II. He will be remembered with sincere affection and gratitude at our pastoral centre in Gudawari and our small parish community here ...
• 1 April 2006
  OCEANIA/SALOMON ISLANDS - Latest edition of Voice Katolika magazine issued by the Catholic Church Solomons focuses on Women Honiara (Fides Service) - “Women have a special charisma to bring new life into the world and their contribution in all spheres of society is essential”: says Voice Katolika a Catholic publication in Solomon Islands ...
• 1 April 2006
  AFRICA/NIGERIA - New rector appointed for Bigard Memorial Seminary in the diocese of Enugu Vatican City (Fides Service) - Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples on 25 March 2006 appointed rector of Bigard Memorial Seminary in the diocese of Enugu Rev. Theophilu ...
• 1 April 2006
  AMERICA/UNITED STATES - For the first time S. Egidio Community’s annual International Meeting of People and Religions will be held in the United States 26 and 27 April in Washington Rome (Fides Service) - In October 1986 Pope John Paul II convoked in Assisi a World Day of Prayer for Peace, an unprecedented historic event which saw representatives of the world’s great religions gathered around the ...
• 1 April 2006
  EUROPE/LUXEMBOURG - Holy Childhood European Conference “Children of Abraham-Inter-religious Dialogue” Luxembourg (Fides Service) - “Children of Abraham-Inter-religious Dialogue” was the timely topic discussed at a Holy Childhood European Conference (CEME) held from 26 to 29 March 2006 in Luxembourg. The meeting was ...
• 1 April 2006
  VATICAN - “Man cannot fully understand himself without God. This is why the religious dimension of human life cannot be overlooked as we undertake to build the Europe of the third millennium.”: the Pope addresses participants at Seminar organised by the Congregation for Catholic Education Vatican City (Fides Service) - This morning Pope Benedict XVI received in a special audience in the Sala Clementina in the Vatican, participants from fifty different countries at a Seminar organised by the Congregation f ...
• 1 April 2006
  AMERICA/CHILE - Prayer vigils and masses all over the country to celebrate the legacy of John Paul II ; new edition of “He stays with us” book on the Pope’s visit to Chile in 1987 Santiago de Chile (Fides Service) - Catholics all over Chile will remember Pope John Paul II with prayer vigils and masses on the first anniversary of his passing to the Home of the Father. On Sunday 2 April Cardinal Fra ...
• 1 April 2006
  AMERICA/MEXICO - Mexican Bishops statement a year from the death of Pope John Paul II: “His greatness was the fruit of his profound unity with Christ”: prayers and masses at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe Mexico City (Fides Service) - “We are filled with the treasure of grace of John Paul II who from his very first visit to our country triggered a process of pastoral dynamism which has fortified us enormously” the Bi ...
• 1 April 2006
  ASIA/INDONESIA - On mission in the rain forests of Papua: an Augustinian shares his experience Jayapura (Fides Service) - Hectares of rain forest, thick vegetation at times inaccessible, with sporadic human settlements of native tribes: in this scenario works Indian, Augustinian father Cornelis Bame in the diocese ...
• 31 March 2006
  ASIA/CHINA - Over 700 people at Holy Saviour parish in Beijing daily Lenten retreat live this important Christian Season and commemorate Pope John Paul II Beijing (Fides Service) - Rosary and meditations led by priests who studied abroad in the morning and Rosary and Stations of the Cross in the afternoon: this is the programme of a 3 day retreat at Holy Saviour parish in ...
• 31 March 2006
  AMERICA/PERU - Solemn Mass in Lima and in dioceses all over Peru on 1st anniversary of the death of Pope John Paul II Lima (Fides Service) - Catholics in the Peruvian capital have been invited to take part a special Mass of thanksgiving for the life of Pope John Paul II in Lima cathedral on Sunday 2 April at 11 am in memory of the ‘pi ...