News

• 17 October 2003
  VATICAN - “THE BISHOP IS CALLED TO BE FATHER, TEACHER, FRIEND AND BROTHER TO EVERYONE FOLLOWING THE EXAMPLE OF CHRIST THE GOOD SHEPHERD”: ON THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS ELECTION TO THE SEE OF PETER, POPE JOHN PAUL II SIGNS PASTORES GREGIS POST SYNODAL EXHORTATION ON THE BISHOP Vatican City (Fides Service) – On Thursday 16 October, the 25th anniversary of his election as Pope, John Paul II signed and promulgated in the Paul VI Hall in the Vatican the post-synodal exhortation Pastores Gregis, ...
• 17 October 2003
  ASIA/JAPAN – NEW ARCHBISHOP OF NAGASAKI BISHOP JOSEPH MITSUAKI TAKAMI, PSS Vatican City (Fides Service) – The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II has (17 October 2003) appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of Nagasaki in Japan, Mgr Joseph Mitsuaki Takami, PSS until now Titular Bishop of Munaziana and ...
• 17 October 2003
  POPE JOHN PAUL II AND MISSION… Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples Pope John Paul II is a witness of hope for peoples, cultures and nations, because he bears witness to the Risen Christ, to His almighty mercy: “Do not be afraid”, was his first cry from the balcony of St Peter’s Ba ...
• 17 October 2003
  VATICAN - “TO YOU, LORD JESUS CHRIST THE ONLY SHEPHERD OF THE CHURCH, I OFFER THE FRUITS OF THESE TWENTY FIVE YEARS OF MINISTRY AT THE SERVICE OF THE FLOCK ENTRUSTED TO ME… I RENEW TO YOU, THROUGH THE HANDS OF MARY, BELOVED MOTHER, THE GIFT OF MYSELF, PRESENT AND FUTURE: MAY EVERYTHING BE DONE ACCORDING TO YOUR WILL” Vatican City (Fides Service) – “When I began my pontificate I asked for help: “Help the Pope and all who want to serve Christ and, with the power of Christ, serve man and all humanity!” As I give thanks to God fo ...
• 17 October 2003
  VATICAN - SATURDAY 18 OCTOBER IN THE VATICAN PRAYER VIGIL AND ROSARY IN PREPARATION FOR MISSION SUNDAY AND BEATIFICATION OF MOTHER TERESA OF CALCUTTA Vatican City (Fides Service) – On Saturday 18 October the eve of World Mission Sunday when Pope John Paul II will beatify Mother Teresa of Calcutta, a prayer vigil with the recitation of the Rosary will take place in t ...
• 17 October 2003
  EUROPE/AUSTRIA - MISSION SUNDAY – OUR FAITH GROWS AS WE SHARE THE EXPERIENCE OF THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH: MISSIONARY CAMPAIGN IN AUSTRIA FOCUSES ON RWANDA Vienna (Fides Service) – “The Mission Sunday collection, this year on 19 October, is the most widespread act solidarity in the world. The entire Catholic Church is involved in this 77th Mission Sunday collection to h ...
• 17 October 2003
  AMERICA/BRAZIL - MISSION SUNDAY – CATHOLICS MUST REALISE THAT LIFE IS MISSION, IN ORDER TO TRANSFORM LIFE IN MISSION AND TO GIVE LIFE TO MISSION Brasilia (Fides Service) – In a message for Mission Sunday 2003 entitled “The Church and the Missions in the 21st Century”, Father Daniel Lagni, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Brazil, say ...
• 17 October 2003
  ASIA/SRI LANKA - THE POPE REASSURED ME: “TAKE COURAGE! I AM PRAYING FOR SRI LANKA” PMS NATIONAL DIRECTOR TELLS FIDES OF MEMORABLE MEETING WITH POPE JOHN PAUL II Colombo (Fides Service) – “To the tens of millions of people, many of whom are not Roman Catholics Pope John Paul II is the great figure of our time, the defender and principle embodiment of a moral force that has le ...
• 17 October 2003
  UNITED NATIONS/WHO - 623 MILLION DOLLARS MORE TO FIGHT AIDS, TB AND MALARIA MAKING A TOTAL OF 2.1 BILLION DOLLARS DISTRIBUTED IN 125 COUNTRIES Rome (Fides Service) – The Executive Committee of the Global Fund to eliminate AIDS Tuberculosis and Malaria has approved a subsidy of 623 million dollars for two-year programme to eliminate these three disease bringin ...
• 17 October 2003
  AFRICA/SOUTH AFRICA - “I WANT TO LIVE... SAVE ME FROM MEASLES”: EVERY YEAR MORE THAN 750.000 CHILDREN, HALF OF THEM IN AFRICA DIE OF MEASELES. WORLD FORUM IN CAPE TOWN Rome (Fides Service) – Despite the availability of an effective relatively cheap vaccine to prevent measles in the last forty years more than 30 million people have been infected. Every year more than 750.000, children ...
• 15 October 2003
  ASIA/IRAQ - TO ASK FOR AN ISLAMIC STATE MEANS LACK OF RESPECT FOR MINORITY RIGHTS SAYS IRAQI CATHOLIC PRIEST IN Baghdad Rome (Fides Service) – “Repeated declarations by Shiite leaders calling for a Muslim state in Iraq are an offence to the rights of minorities in Iraq” says Father Nizar Semaan of Ninive diocese in northern Iraq. � ...
• 15 October 2003
  AFRICA/BURUNDI - NO END TO VIOLENCE IN BURUNDI. IS PEACE PROCESS REAL OR PRETEND? Bujumbura (Fides Service) – “By now we are hardly surprised to hear every morning reports of violence during the previous night” a missionary in Bujumbura tells Fides Service. Dozens have been killed in night time ...
• 15 October 2003
  VATICAN - PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE SENDS MESSAGE TO HINDUS FOR DIWALI FEAST 2003: “ WHAT CAN WE, CHRISTIANS AND HINDUS, DO TOGETHER TO PROMOTE AND PROTECT THE DIGNITY OF EVERY HUMAN PERSON?” Vatican City (Fides Service) – “Religious feasts invite us not only to renew and strengthen our belief in God, the Supreme Good of every human being, and to revitalise our relationships with one another, but they als ...
• 15 October 2003
  AFRICA/CONGO - LOCAL CHURCH STEPS OUT TO PROMOTE DEMOCRACY: 47,000 ANIMATORS TO DISTRIBUTE PEACE EDUCATION KITS TO BASIC CHURCH COMMUNITIES AND PARISHES Kinshasa (Fides Service) – The Catholic Church in Democratic Congo is giving a hand to support the national transition process with peace education in basic Church communities to sow a culture of peace in all hearts. A ...
• 15 October 2003
  AFRICA/SOMALIA - ALTHOUGH A TRAGEDY, ANNALENA TONELLI’S MURDER BRINGS TO LIGHT SELFLESS SERVICE OF VOLUNTEERS IN SOMALILAND, ALL AFRICA AND ALL OVER THE WORLD, SAY PREVIOUS WINNERS OF THE NANSEN AWARD ASSIGNED THIS YEAR TO THE ITALIAN VOLUNTEER Rome (Fides Service) – Following the murder of the Italian voluntary health worker in Somalia, other Nansen Award winners have launched an appeal for more protection for humanitarian workers. In June 2003 Dr Tonelli re ...