News

• 22 March 2006
  VATICAN - At his general Wednesday audience Pope Benedict XVI makes an appeal for World TB Day and reflects on “the Apostles witnesses and envoys of Christ” Vatican City (Fides Service)- During his Wednesday audience in St Peter’s Square on 22 March Pope Benedict XVI made the following appeal: “The day after tomorrow, 24 March, United Nations World TB Day to stop Tubercu ...
• 22 March 2006
  EUROPE/ITALY - Society for African Missions convokes general assembly Rome (Fides Service)- “This year will be the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Society for African Missions. The General Assembly to be held a few months after the celebration of the event will be a special mome ...
• 22 March 2006
  AFRICA/SUDAN - UN High Commission for Refugees suspends repatriation operations to Southern Sudan because of violence Khartoum (Fides Service) - Following armed attacks in southern Sudan the UN High Commission for Refugees UNHCR has decided to suspend repatriation of refugees from Central African Republic, Uganda and Democratic Congo to ...
• 22 March 2006
  ASIA/CHINA - Over 300 take part in spring catechesis course in Tian Jin diocese Tianjin (Fides Service) - Over 300 Catholics accompanied by 30 catechists enrolled for a Spring Course in Catechesis at Xi Kai cathedral in the diocese of Tianjin in mainland China. At the opening of the course parish pr ...
• 22 March 2006
  ASIA/TAIWAN - Taipei archdiocese starts formation course for special ministers of the Eucharist Taipei (Fides Service) - Duties and mission of special ministers of the Eucharist and how to improve this service is the theme of a formation course for special ministers of the Eucharist started recently in Taipei. The ...
• 22 March 2006
  AMERICA/PERU - “Day for the Unborn Child”, Bishops’ message: “Defend life always, everywhere and against all injustice because it is a gift of God” Lima (Fides Service) - “We celebrate the Day of the Unborn Child on the same day as the Mystery of the Incarnation is announced by God who does not leave us at the mercy of evil but protects all men and women, especia ...
• 22 March 2006
  OCEANIA/AUSTRALIA - Cyclone Larry, relief aid needed for 7,000 homeless: swift response from St Vincent de Paul Society and Caritas Australia Innisfail (Fides Service) - To assist victims of cyclone Larry Catholics are in front line: as government aid begins to reach people in disaster areas of north east Queensland affected by the 19 March, cyclone, St Vincen ...
• 22 March 2006
  ASIA/SRI LANKA - State of emergency extended as administrative elections approach. Civil society and local Church hope for peace Colombo (Fides Service) - The state of emergency continues, but hopes for peace resist while government and Tamil minority leaders negotiate to improve the situation. Civil society and religious organisations hope that ...
• 21 March 2006
  EUROPE/GERMANY - Children’s Bible on line in Arabic, Chinese and Turkish Königstein (Fides Service) - A popular Children’s Bible produced some years ago by Aid to the Church in Need is now available on line in Arabic, Chinese and Turkish and fifteen other languages. Aid to the Church in Ne ...
• 21 March 2006
  AFRICA/SUDAN - NATO intervention on African soil ever more probable Khartoum (Fides Service)- “I am certain that with the arrival of the United Nations Organisation NATO allies will be ready to do more to deploy UN peacekeepers in Darfur” said secretary general of the North Atlantic ...
• 21 March 2006
  ASIA/HONG KONG - New Cardinal Zen tells delegates of Catholic parishes and associations: “parishes must give more attention to the formation of the laity” Hong Kong (Fides Service) - “Difficulties and scarcity of funds must not prevent us from restructuring the diocese’s system of formation which must be simplified and made more effective” said Bishop Joseph Zen of H ...
• 21 March 2006
  OCEANIA/AUSTRALIA - Mission and Spirituality newsletter offers Lenten reflections, update on the fight against AIDS, and new edition of the Bible Sydney (Fides Service) - A Lenten Reflection based on Pope Benedict XVI Message for Lent; anti-AIDS awareness campaign in Australia and Catholic involvement; in memory of Archbishop Oscar Romero, martyred in Salvador in ...
• 21 March 2006
  OCEANIA/AUSTRALIA - Cyclone Larry puts Queensland in state of emergency: churches offer shelter to homeless families Townsville (Fides Service) - A violent cyclone Larry struck the eastern coastal regions of Australia on March 19. The category 5 cyclone, the most destructive in thirty years, raged with winds up to 300km per hour along ...
• 21 March 2006
  AFRICA/KENYA - Drought consequences in north east Kenya ever more serious: flocks lost, herdsmen clash, refugee food rations cut Nairobi (Fides Service)- Serious prolonged drought in north east Kenya is having serious social consequences. Oxfam International says herdsmen who have lost their animals because of water shortage could take more than 1 ...
• 21 March 2006
  ASIA/INDONESIA - Moluccas and Sulawesi leaders say the only way to stop violence and prevent conflict is to promote a change of heart and for every member of the community to be committed to building peace and harmony Ambon (Fides Service) - Following a visit by the Indonesian president Susilo Bambanag Yudhoyono to the troubled provinces of Moluccas and Sulawesi the country’s religious, civil and political leaders have said the only ...