Asia

• 27 February 2015
  ASIA/SYRIA - Anguish for Christians held hostage by jihadists; Syrian Catholic Archbishop Hindo: avoid unnecessary alarm Hassaké (Agenzia Fides) - The number of Assyrian and Chaldean Christians of the villages on the river Khabur taken hostage and deported by the jihadists in their strongholds increases to more than three hundred. "If the ...
• 26 February 2015
  ASIA/SYRIA - The jihadists of the Islamic State deport Christian prisoners of the villages of Khabur Hassaké (Agenzia Fides) - The number of Christians in the villages of the valley of Khabur captured by the jihadists of the Islamic State (IS) in the northeastern Syrian province of Jazira increases. According to update ...
• 26 February 2015
  ASIA/HOLY LAND - Arson attack against the Orthodox Theological Seminary in Jerusalem Jerusalem (Agenzia Fides) - In the early hours of today, Thursday 26 February, an arson attack damaged the Greek-Orthodox Patriarchate's Theological Seminary of Jerusalem, not far from the Old Town. The fire devastated a ...
• 26 February 2015
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - Military offensive in Mindanao; the Bishop in Basilan: "For peace, sincerity is needed" Basilan (Agenzia Fides) - There is no peace in Mindanao. After the massacre in Mamapasano, on 25 January, in the southern Philippines, armed forces have launched a military offensive against fighters of the "Bangsamoro I ...
• 25 February 2015
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - New Amnesty Report: "Religious intolerance increases" Islamabad (Agenzia Fides) - "In 2014 intolerance and discrimination on religious and ethnic grounds increased in Pakistan, with the complicity of the authorities or lack of measures to combat it": says the new 2014-2015 ...
• 25 February 2015
  ASIA - Maimed because of the war, many disabled forgotten in Nepal and Sri Lanka Mannar (Agenzia Fides) - Decades of war have seen a proliferation of problems of all sorts in Nepal and Sri Lanka. Among these, people with disabilities are the most vulnerable and neglected in both Countries. The Minist ...
• 25 February 2015
  ASIA/SYRIA - Christian villages attacked: more than 100 hostages in the hands of the jihadists; Archbishop Hindo denounces the "wretched" choices of the West Hassakè (Agenzia Fides) - There are between 120 and 140 Assyrian Christians held hostage by jiahdists of the Islamic State who in the night between Sunday 22 and Monday, February 23 launched a large-scale attack against ...
• 25 February 2015
  ASIA/INDIA - Release of kidnapped priest: the Church thanks the Prime Minister New Delhi (Agenzia Fides) - The Archbishop of Delhi, His Exc. Mgr. Anil Couto, has publicly thanked the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his commitment in the release of the Indian Jesuit Fr. Alexis Prem Kumar, wh ...
• 24 February 2015
  ASIA/SYRIA - Islamic State jihadists attack Christian villages along the river Khabur Hassakè (Agenzia Fides) – In the early hours of yesterday morning, Monday 23 February, more than 40 pick-up vehicles carrying jihadist militia of the so-called Islamic State (IS) attacked several Christian villages al ...
• 24 February 2015
  ASIA/INDIA - The government of India does not intend to pass any anti-conversion law New Delhi (Agenzia Fides) – The Indian government will never approve the controversial “ghar wapsi”, ceremonies of “reconversion” to Hinduism, organised by Hindu extremists, which in recent months have involved ...
• 24 February 2015
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - Bishops issue “Oratio imperata” for peace in Mindanao Manila (Agenzia Fides) – The Bishops of the Philippines have launched an Oratio Imperata for peace in Mindanao. Aware of the difficult moment the country is living following the massacre on 25 January in Mamasapano, o ...
• 24 February 2015
  ASIA/IRAQ – Courses to start soon at Erbil Catholic University Erbil (agenzia Fides) – The year 2015 is to be the year when the first courses start at the Catholic University in Erbil, a college strongly desired by the Chaldean Catholic Church also as a form of tangible assistanc ...
• 24 February 2015
  ASIA/INDONESIA – Lay volunteers experience Mission on the Island of Flores Maumere (Agenzia Fides) – From 13 January to 9 February “Volunteers of West Lessinia” lived an important experience of missionary work on the remote Island of Flores in Indonesia. “The charisma were many and dive ...
• 23 February 2015
  ASIA/AFGHANISTAN - Release of Indian Jesuit held hostage for eight months Kabul (Agenzia Fides) – Fr. Alexis Prem Kumar, Indian Jesuit taken hostage in Afghanistan (see Fides 3/6/2014), has been released after eight months in captivity : Fides was informed by the JRS , Jesuit Refugee Servic ...
• 23 February 2015
  ASIA/LEBANON - Syrian-Catholic Patriarch opens centenary commemoration of the Assyrian genocide Beirut (Agenzia Fides) – Syrian-Catholic Patriarch Mar Ignace Youssef III opened commemorations to mark the centenary of the Assyrian Genocide, presiding in the evening of Saturday 21 February a liturgical celebration ...