Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Buenos Aires (Agenzia Fides) - “Sunday 11 June, the 50th anniversary of the Agencia Informativa Catolica Argentina (AICA) will be a day to thank God for illuminating the bishop founders and for allowing this work which has lasted so long” Fides was told by Miguel Woites, who lived these 50 years, 10 as administrator and chief writer and 40 as editor.
AICA was founded by the Bishops’ Conference during a plenary assembly in December 1995. The first issue was published on 11 June 1956. The idea of AICA came at a time when Catholicism in Argentina was suffering and religious persecution culminated with the burning the Curia of Buenos Aires and a number of historic churches. At that time it was impossible for the Church to make its voice heard. Fifteen years later in November 1969, the Bishops decided to move the publication to the Archbishop’s House in Buenos Aires, to be at the service of all the bishops and the whole Church in Argentina. Since then it has offered an uninterrupted service of information to the Church in Argentina and the Church universal.
It started as a service for parish and diocesan newspapers, magazines and bulletins, radio AM and FM, and soon drew a large number of subscribers because the information it offered was not found in other media. Daily news items, in a shorter form, were broadcast from Monday to Friday free of charge to make known the thought of the Church in Argentina and the rest of the world. AICA web site opened in 1996 was one of the first Church web sites in Argentina. AICA weekly bulletin reaches Latin America, Cuba, the United States and Canada, and most countries of western Europe, and some in Asia and Africa.
AICA is a member of the Council of Directors of FIAC International Federation of Catholic Agencies and Latin American Union of Catholic Press UCIP.
Miguel Woites remembers the initial difficulties “inside and outside the Church and the struggle we had to continue”. “When the Bishops called me - he said - I left a well paid job to work for the Church. Many times I was tempted to give up because I could hardly feed the family, but I could not ‘turn back’”. “We have been successful - the editor concludes - because we have been a pliable tool in the hands of God and the bishops". (RG) (Agenzia Fides 9/6/2006; righe 34, parole 466)
