News

• 19 February 2026
  AFRICA/COTE D'IVOIRE - Appointment of Auxiliary Bishop of Abidjan Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Gaspard Béby Gnéba, until now bishop of Man, Cote d’Ivoire, as auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese of Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, assigning him the ti ...
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  18 February 2026
  AFRICA/SOUTH AFRICA - Alcohol costs less than bread; march to demand higher taxes on alcohol Cape Town (Agenzia Fides) - Raising the price of alcohol to reduce the damage caused by its abuse on society. This is the goal of the march taking place today, 18 February, in front of the South African Parliament in Cap ...
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  18 February 2026
  AFRICA/DR CONGO - Church desecrated in Ituri Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) – The Catholic parish church of Bulé, the capital of Bahema Badjere in Ituri Province in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, was desacrated and looted. During the night between Sunday, ...
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  18 February 2026
  AFRICA/SOUTH SUDAN - In a context of violence, famine, and malnutrition, Bishop Hiiboro Kussala sends a message of peace and healing ahead of Lent Tombura Yambio (Agenzia Fides) – Fifteen years after independence, there is no respite for the more than 12 million inhabitants of the world's youngest country. Decades of conflict and isolation, initially due to the w ...
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  18 February 2026
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - The "Silsilah" movement: Lent and Ramadan offer believers a path of fraternity and peace Zamboanga (Agenzia Fides) - “The special seasons of Ramadan and Lent invite us to reflect, pray, and fast in order to achieve a conversion of the heart and rediscover that we are all part of the same human fraternity, ...
• 18 February 2026
  EUROPE/NETHERLANDS - National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies of the Netherlands confirmed Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - On January 23, 2026, Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization (Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches), confirmed Rev. Vincent G ...
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  17 February 2026
  ASIA/MYANMAR - A new Catholic church in Chin State, a sign of faith and hope amid suffering and displacement Hakha (Agenzia Fides) - The inauguration of a new church is a powerful sign of rebirth and hope for the Catholic population in Chin State in northwestern Myanmar. The only Burmese state with a Christian majority, Chin S ...
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  17 February 2026
  AFRICA/KENYA - The Episcopal Conference, concerned about the rise in violence, calls for an investigation into the attack on an Anglican church Nairobi (Agenzia Fides) – “Churches are sacred places and must always be respected. Lobbing tear gas canisters at worshippers inside the church is a gross violation of the constitutional right to worship provided und ...
• 17 February 2026
  AFRICA/SOUTH AFRICA - Appointment of bishop of Kroonstad, South Africa Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Amos Mabuti Masemola, until how vicar general of the metropolitan archdiocese of Pretoria and parish priest of Saint Thomas More of Centurion, as ...
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  17 February 2026
  AFRICA/MADAGASCAR - The country's bishops call on the faithful to express solidarity with the victims of the tropical cyclone Antananarivo (Agenzia Fides) – The assessment of the damage caused by tropical cyclone Gezani continues, having so far devastated 25 districts in five regions of the Indian Ocean island. According to the provisional as ...
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  17 February 2026
  EUROPE/ENGLAND - Cardinal Marengo's testimony in the United Kingdom and the risk of taking the presence of the Church for granted London (Agenzia Fides) – “I see that you are a vibrant and dynamic community! And for us, who come from Christian traditions, there is always a danger of taking the presence of the Church for granted,” said Cardina ...
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  16 February 2026
  AFRICA/NIGERIA - Nine children kidnapped from a Catholic church last week have been released Abuja (Agenzia Fides) – The nine children kidnapped last week from the St. John of the Cross mission station in Ojijea Ojije, Utonkon, Benue State, have been released (see Fides, 10/2/2026). The rescued children – si ...
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  16 February 2026
  AMERICA/COLOMBIA - Child soldiers on the rise in the country: for illegal armed groups, “children have become cheap and expendable combatants” Bogotá (Agenzia Fides) – Seventy-eight children (58 boys and 20 girls) have been killed or maimed by unidentified groups and also by dissidents from the demobilized Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC-EP, Cen ...
• 16 February 2026
  AFRICA/CAPO VERDE - Resignation and appointment of bishop of Santiago de Cabo Verde Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Santiago de Cabo Verde, Cabo Verde, presented by His Eminence Cardinal Arlindo Gomes Furtado. The Holy ...
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  16 February 2026
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - Bishop Bagaforo: Lent and Ramadan begin together, an opportunity to build harmony between Christians and Muslims Manila (Agenzia Fides) – “This year, the holy month of Ramadan and the Lenten season (with Ash Wednesday) begin together on February 18. This shared beginning is a grace. It invites us to slow down, to return to God, ...