Asia

• 23 June 2003
  ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - 4,000 GATHER TO PRAY IN DEMILITARISED ZONE DIVIDING NORTH AND SOUTH ON NATIONAL DAY FOR RECONCILIATION AND UNITY OF KOREAN PEOPLE Seoul (Fides Service) – At least 4,000 gathered in the demilitarised border zone between north and south Korea for Mass to mark the Day for Unity and Reconciliation of the Korean People on Sunday June 22. Bishops, prie ...
• 20 June 2003
  ASIA/INDONESIA - RECONCILIATION CEREMONY OF PROTESTANTS AND MUSLIMS IN MOLUCCAS ISLANDS AFTER YEARS OF ETHNIC CLASHES – BISHOP MANDAGI OF AMBOINA SAYS “WE START LIFE AGAIN LOOKING TO THE FUTURE WITH CONFIDENCE” Ambon (Fides Service) – “Today there is an atmosphere of confidence and hope. People show good will in dialogue and look at each other as brothers and sisters. I am surprised to see the speed of the reconciliation pr ...
• 18 June 2003
  ASIA/MALAYSIA - FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SARS: 8,460 INFECTED, 6,989 RECOVERED Kuala Lumpur (Fides Service) – Where does the virus come from? Why did it not appear earlier? Is the natural reservoir really an animal? These are some of the queries raised and discussed by experts mainly from Asia an ...
• 18 June 2003
  ASIA/INDIA - CHRISTIANITY IN WORDS AND DEEDS BROADCAST ON PRIVATE TV: “VOICE OF CHRISTIANITY” PROGRAMME MARKS FIRST ANNIVERSARY New Delhi (Fides Service) – On June 15 in Delhi the first anniversary of “Voice of Christianity” programmes on a local private broadcasting company Jain TV was marked with special enthusiasm. Archbishop Vincent ...
• 18 June 2003
  ASIA/INDONESIA - WORLD REFUGEE DAY 2003: EDUCATION FOR YOUNG REFUGEES IN THE MOLUCCAS, RE-UNITING FAMILIES IN TIMOR, HELPING PEOPLE IN ACEH: JESUIT REFUGEE SERVICE IN INDONESIA Yogyakarta (Fides Service) - “We will celebrate World Refugee Day with activities to increase awareness in parishes and diocese, providing information on the tragic situation of refugees in various parts of Indonesia. ...
• 17 June 2003
  ASIA/IRAQ - “ESTATE RAGAZZI” CHILDREN’S SUMMER CAMP IN MOSUL: WAR OVER, SALESIANS HELP REBUILD SOCIAL TISSUE Mosul (Fides Service) – The Salesian Fathers in the Middle East are anxious to go back among the children of Mosul now the tragedy of the war is over. As for the Summer 2002, they will start a week of preparation for A ...
• 17 June 2003
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - CHRISTIAN ACQUITTED OF BLASPHEMY CHARGES AFTER FOUR YEARS IN PRISON Lahore (Fides Service) – Christians in Pakistan are rejoicing with Aslam Masih, a Protestant charged with blasphemy against the Prophet Mohammed, and detained in prison for four years. On June 4 the Supreme Court of La ...
• 16 June 2003
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - MUSLIMS TUNE IN TO CATHOLIC RADIO: INCREASINGLY POPULAR RADIO VERITAS PROGRAMMES ON SOCIAL, MORAL AND RELIGIOUS MATTERS AND NEWS Lahore (Fides Service) – More than 400 programmes on social, moral, religious themes and news. This is the gratifying result of the activity of Radio Veritas Urdu section (Urdu is the official language in Pakistan), ru ...
• 16 June 2003
  ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - CHURCH IN KOREA CHALLENGES YOUNG PEOPLE TO USE EYES OF FAITH TO VIEW INTERNET, CHAT-LINES, DRESS AND DISCOS Seoul (Fides Service) – Evangelisation and formation of youth is a major priority for the Catholic Church in Korea which emphasises in its pastoral work the need to empower the activity of Catholic laity in the social, ...
• 16 June 2003
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - CHRISTIAN AND MUSLIM RELIGIOUS LEADERS TELL PEOPLE OF MINDANAO: “HAVE COURAGE, DIALOGUE, FORGIVE AND MAKE PEACE” Zamboanga City (Fides Service) – “Have courage! This is the message of God at the times of confusion and conflict”. This is the exhortation addressed to the people of Mindanao Island in southern Philippines by the ...
• 16 June 2003
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - WILL FUNDAMENTALIST EXTREMISM BRING ARMY OF SUICIDE BOMBERS TO THE PHILIPPINES? A RESPONSE BY FATHER D’AMBRA PIME MISSIONARY IN MINDANAO Zamboanga (Fides Service) – “The only possible way to end the conflict in southern Philippines is to promote dialogue and marginalise the more radical rebel fringes”. This is the opinion of Father Sebastian D’Amb ...
• 13 June 2003
  ASIA/INDIA - AGENDA FOR NEXT ASIAN YOUTH DAY: GLOBALISATION, WAR ON TERRORISM, AIDS, DRUG ABUSE, ENVIRONMENT IMBALANCE, UNEMPLOYMENT, FUNDAMENTALISM, CONSUMERISM, VALUES CRISIS Bangalore (Fides Service) - More than one thousand youth delegates from various dioceses in many Asian countries will attend Asian Youth Day in Bangalore India, 9-16 August 2003 at the invitation of the Indian Bishops’ ...
• 12 June 2003
  ASIA/INDIA - SANSKRIT, CLASSICAL LANGUAGE OF THE VEDAS, TODAY TAUGHT BY JESUITS New Delhi (Fides Service) – It serves to understand and study ancient Indian poetry and prose : Sanskrit is a language which helps to probe the Hindu religion and culture. With this in mind the Jesuit Fathers who run S ...
• 11 June 2003
  ASIA/EAST TIMOR - EAST TIMOR PRESIDENT XANANA GUSMAO, ACTIVIST FOR PEACE AND RECONCILIATION, RECEIVES PATH TO PEACE AWARD FROM HOLY SEE’S MISSION TO UN New York (Fides Service) – On June 12, in New York President Xanana Gusmao of East Timor received the Path to Peace award promoted by the Holy See’s mission of permanent observation to the United Nations. Among those ...
• 11 June 2003
  ASIA/PAKISTAN - 200 CYCLIST CATECHISTS ATTEND TO CHRISTIANS IN MUSLIM VILLAGES IN LAHORE ARCHDIOCESE: VIGOROUS LABOUR FORCE AT THE SERVICE OF EVANGELISATION Lahore (Fides Service) – They are the “ Workers in the Lord’s vineyard”: the 196 catechists in Lahore archdiocese are a formidable labour force for evangelisation. Each of them follows the formation, growth diffi ...