Asia

• 29 January 2004
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - 30 DAYS OF HOPE FOR TWO MEN DESTINED TO BE EXECUTED TOMORROW: THE LOCAL CHURCH’S BATTLE TO HAVE DEATH PENALTY ABOLISHED Manila (Fides Service) – “We welcome with joy and hope the Supreme Court’s decision. The judges hold the lives of two men in their hands. We have full trust in the magistrates who must decide whether to re-open th ...
• 29 January 2004
  ASIA/SRI LANKA - CHRISTIANS PROMOTE PEACE NOT VIOLENCE: LOCAL CHURCH MAKES SUNDAY 1 FEBRUARY DAY OF PRAYER AND FASTING FOR INTERRELIGIOUS HARMONY Colombo (Fides Service) – Catholics in Colombo will pray and fast to obtain from God the gift of harmony among religions on Sunday February 1. The recent wave of anti-Christian violence is causing Christians to lose si ...
• 28 January 2004
  ASIA/INDIA - APOSTOLATE IN COMMUNICATIONS, EVANGELISING THROUGH THE MEDIA: PRIORITY FOR GOA ARCHDIOCESE Goa (Fides Service) – “Goa archdiocese will give special attention in the coming years to pastoral of social communications, as requested by the last assembly of the Indian Bishops’ Conference”: newly appointed A ...
• 28 January 2004
  ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - TAEGU SEMINARY OPENS TO THE LAITY: THEOLOGY FOR HOUSEWIVES, WORKERS AND BUSINESSMEN Taegu (Fides Service) – In response to the laity’s desire to learn more about the faith Taegu Seminary will open theology studies to the laity. The courses should commence in March 2004 The initiative has strong su ...
• 28 January 2004
  ASIA/SRI LANKA - THIRD CATHOLIC CHURCH TORCHED IN A FEW DAYS: BUDDHIST FANATICISM ESCALATES Colombo (Fides Service) – The third torching of a Catholic church in a few days has put the Catholic community in Sri Lanka in a state of alarm. The news was confirmed to Fides by Father Damien Fernando, head Caritas S ...
• 27 January 2004
  ASIA/INDONESIA - CHOOSE CANDIDATES COMMITTED TO TRANSPARENCY AND COMMON GOOD, BISHOPS ADVISE CATHOLIC VOTERS IN VIEW OF APRIL ELECTIONS Jakarta (Fides Service) – Vote for candidates known for their transparency, honesty, tolerance, and sincere commitment for social harmony and the common good. This is the advice given to Catholic voters by the Bishops ...
• 27 January 2004
  ASIA/SRI LANKA - WHY IS FUNDAMENTALISM WORMING ITS WAY AMONG SRI LANKAN BUDDHISTS? FIDES ASKS CHAIRMAN OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS: NATION WIDE DAY OF PRAYER FOR INTERRELIGIOUS HARMONY SUNDAY 1 FEBRUARY Colombo (Fides Service) – Recent episodes of anti Christian violence on the part of Buddhist fundamentalist can be traced to aggressive proselytism by certain Christian sects which is upsetting centuries-old religious ...
• 23 January 2004
  ASIA/PHILIPPINES - “STOP THE EXECUTION, THESE MEN ARE INNOCENT!”: MANILA PRISON CHAPLAIN FATHER OLAGUER, REAFFIRMS CATHOLIC CHURCH’S “NO” TO DEATH PENALTY UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES Manila (Fides) – “We are against capital punishment in any case. However the executions of two prisoners scheduled for the end of the month must be postponed if not cancelled, one of the men in question is innocent, ...
• 23 January 2004
  ASIA/TAIWAN – NEW YEAR AND NEW CATHOLIC CULTURAL MAGAZINE: JESUIT FATHERS AT “MATTEO RICCI” CENTRE PRODUCE TAIWAN’S FIRST CHINESE LANGUAGE REVIEW Taipei (Fides Service) – On sale at book shops and newspaper stalls all over the city New year crowds in Taiwan will find the very first issue of a new Catholic publication Renlai, or “Flute of Humanity”, the Islan ...
• 23 January 2004
  ASIA/THAILAND - “A HANDFUL OF MUSLIM FUNDAMENTALIST SECESSIONISTS IN THE SOUTH WILL NOT AFFECT INTER-RELIGIOUS RELATIONS: DIALOGUE AMONG THAILAND’S DIFFERENT RELIGIONS IS FRIENDLY AND FREQUENT” BISHOP LAWRENCE SAMANCHIT TOLD FIDES Bangkok (Fides Service) – “Unrest in the South of the country will have no effect on relations between religions in Thailand. The rioters are a handful of fundamentalist Muslim secessionists. Relations between Thai C ...
• 22 January 2004
  ASIA/INDIA - HOPE FOR PEACE IN KASHMIR: CHURCH CALLS ON POLITICIANS TO WORK FOR THE GOOD AND PROSPERITY OF THE PEOPLE EXHAUSTED BY SO MUCH VIOLENCE Jammu (Fides Service ) – Rays of hope brighten the tormented region of Kashmir, on the border between India and Pakistan, scene of fifty years of dispute between two powerful neighbours. President Pervez Musharraf of P ...
• 22 January 2004
  ASIA/TURKEY – WEEK OF PRAYER FOR UNITY: TURKEY’S WIDE VARIETY OF CHRISTIANS LIVE PRINCIPLE OF ‘UNITY IN DIVERSITY’ Istanbul (Fides Service) – Bitter cold and heavy snowfalls in Istanbul have not affected warm relations among the many different Christian communities in the Turkish capital. The annual Week of Prayer for Christian Uni ...
• 22 January 2004
  ASIA/INDIA - NEXT WORLD SOCIAL FORUM IN AFRICA? FIDES ASKED CATHOLIC PARTICIPANTS TO SHARE THEIR IMPRESSIONS Bombay (Fides Service) – Catholic delegates to the World Social Forum in Bombay 16 to 21 January, came away with mainly positive valuations. Father Joe Xavier, who led the Jesuit delegation consisting of about 1.300 ...
• 21 January 2004
  ASIA/INDIA APPARENT CALM RETURNS TO JHABUA, BUT THE BISHOP IS CONCERNED; HINDU FUNDAMENTALISTS CONTINUE DEFAMATION CAMPAIGN AGAINST CATHOLICS: BEATEN PRIEST SERIOUSLY INJURED Jhabua (Fides Service) – After days of tension and violence the situation appears to have returned to normal in Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh state on the border with Gujarat. In the past few days Jhabua has been the scene of ...
• 21 January 2004
  ASIA/SRI LANKA - EVIL OF FUNDAMENTALISM INFECTS SRI LANKA’S BUDDHISTS: CHURCHES TORCHED, CHRISTIANS’ ACCUSED OF “FRAUDULENT CONVERSIONS”: CATHOLIC BISHOPS REPLY Colombo (Fides Service) – There is tension and fear among Catholics in Sri Lanka after recent attacks on Christian communities. In a wave of violence two churches in districts not far from the capital Colombo were torc ...