Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - On the first day of the "Vacant See", the officials of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (CEP), gathered in a weekly work meeting, listened to the exhortation of the Secretary of the missionary Congregation, His Exc. Mgr. Savio Hon Tai-Fai, who recalled and thanked Pope Benedict XVI. Archbishop Hon Tai-Fai told those present that he greeted the Prefect of "Propaganda Fide", Cardinal Fernando Filoni yesterday at 2.30 p.m., on behalf of the entire Congregation. And in the morning, before the farewell speech held by the Pope to the cardinals, the Secretary assured the Prefect "support and prayer for the work that the Cardinals will carry out." Archbishop Hon Tai-Fai remarked that "the Prefect did not go to the Holy Father’s farewell hearing alone, but brought with him the filial devotion of all of us working at the CEP and, through us, also the devotion and the affection of the Churches in mission territories. " The officials then listened to the Pope's speech again at the hearing yesterday morning. "His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI is a man who worships Truth and makes it known tirelessly; he is a man who proclaims and practices charity and promotes communion in Christ, that is the Truth, and our hope," said Archbishop Hon Tai Make . "While Benedict XVI accompanies us through prayer - he continued – in this period that the Church is living, we remain steadfast in fidelity to the mission, praying that the Cardinals, asked to choose the new Pope, to be obedient to the Holy Spirit." "We always need a Father, Pastor and Teacher," said the Secretary. The Archbishop recalled the principle of " Sede vacante nihil innovetur." Even during the Angelus prayer, the officials of the CEP prayed and expressed "full support for the Church, that has to discern the new Supreme Pontiff." (PA) (Agenzia Fides 01/03/2013)

Luziânia (Agenzia Fides) - The question of land ownership was the focus of traditional communities, which was held from February 25 to 28 in Luziânia (in the State of Goias in central Brazil). The event was attended by 120 representatives of traditional communities around the country who discussed ways to protect their land rights against the hoarding of land by landowners. During the work, the need to join different social movements and organizations that deal with the problem emerged. Indigenous people present at this meeting denounced that the conflict for the land undermined also their culture and their traditions. For example, the quilombolas of Rio dos Macacos, in Bahia, denounced the action of the Marina and violence against their community, where it was forbidden even to cultivate the land. A lawyer of the Indigenous Missionary Council (CIMI) conducted a debate on the Constitution and conventions concerning the rights of traditional communities, such as the Convention 169 of the ILO (International Labour Organisation). It was stressed that the rights of these communities are already implicit in the Brazilian Constitution, but they must be better defined. For the Movement Quilombola of Maranhão, the 1838 territories demarcated so far, only 121 have ownership attributable to the indigenous communities. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 01/03/2013)

Kao Hsiung (Agenzia Fides) - "Faith, Creed and Evangelization" was the theme of fraternity and communion of priests, men and women religious and consecrated laity of the Diocese of Kao Hsiung led by Mgr. Peter Lui, archbishop of the diocese. According to the Catholic Weekly of the Archdiocese of Tai Pei, the event was attended by 92 participants in the Sanctuary of Beatitude founded and strongly desired by Cardinal Paul Shan, late bishop of the Diocese of Kao Hsiung. During the two days of sharing, participants attended four lessons that focused on faith, Creed, Evangelization, faith and woman (the example of Mary's faith). They listened to the missionary experience of the parish of St. Antonio in Hong Kong, especially their experience of living and transmitting the joy of faith. In the end, they concluded the intense spiritual journey with adoration and a solemn Mass. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 01/03/2013)

Cairo (Agenzia Fides) - Cardinal Antonios Naguib, Patriarch Emeritus of Alexandria of the Catholic Copts, confirms to Fides Agency his participation in the Conclave, so far uncertain for health reasons. Hemorrhagic cerebral ischemia had struck him on December 31, 2011, forcing him until the middle of last January to resign from his patriarchal office. But now his health condition is showing signs of recovery and it is possible for him to come to Rome. Cardinal Naguib refers to Fides Agency: "I am delighted to be able to take part in this important moment in the life of the Church. It was something that I did not dream of anymore. In the beginning I said that it was not possible for me to go to the Eternal City for the Conclave. But then I reflected on the fact that the first duty of a cardinal is to participate in the choice of the Successor of Peter. And I changed my initial decision." The Egyptian Cardinal will leave Cairo only when the starting date of the General Congregations of the Sacred College and the Conclave will be communicated. Once in Rome, in the days of the Congregations of cardinals, a helper will take care of the transfers authorized by the Egyptian Cardinal from the residence of Santa Marta to the entrance of the hall of the new Synod. The 77-year-old Antonios Naguib, who was elected Patriarch of the Coptic Catholics in the spring of 2006, was created a cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in November 2010. Besides him, three other leaders of the Catholic Churches of the Eastern Rite will take part in the conclave: the Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites Bechara Boutros Rai, the Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly of the Syro-Malabar George Alencherry and the Major Archbishop of Trivandrum of the Syro-Malankara Baselios Cleemis Thottunkal. (GV) (Agenzia Fides 01/03/2013)

Abuja (Agenzia Fides) - The defense of human dignity is an obligation of faith and every action committed against it is an act against God. This is what the Bishops of Nigeria said in a statement issued at the end of their Plenary Assembly under the theme "Faith and Dignity of the Human Being." The document was sent to Fides Agency, signed by His Exc. Mgr. Ignatius Kaigama, Archbishop of Jos, and by His Exc. Mgr. Alfred Martins, Archbishop of Lagos, respectively the President and Secretary of the Bishops' Conference of Nigeria, the offenses against human dignity are: murder, genocide, abortion, euthanasia, suicide, mutilation, physical and mental torture, undue psychological pressures, subhuman living conditions, arbitrary imprisonment, deportation, slavery, prostitution, trafficking and selling of women and children, and degrading work conditions. These crimes, say the Bishops, "poison civilization and debase its authors more than their victims." Moving on to reviewing the situation in Nigeria, the Bishops say that "Nigeria is facing serious threats to human dignity." These include: poor governance, insecurity, corruption, moral collapse, violations of citizens' rights "on the basis of ethnic affiliation, religious belief, gender, geographical origin." "These and other discriminatory practices are currently a threat to human dignity in our land," says the statement. Finally the Bishops denounce violence committed against innocent people by Boko Haram and other armed groups: "We denounce the fact that Nigeria is a place where people arbitrarily kill in the name of religion, a land where freedom of religion is limited only to certain people." (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 01/03/2013)

Bogota (Agenzia Fides) - There are 1,542 children who lost their parents in the civil war analysed by the Colombian Institute for Family Welfare (ICBF) in the departments of Antioquia, Casanare and Nariño. In a note sent to Fides by Radio Caracol reports that children are now in the custody of the ICBF under the "Law on victims and land restitution." "Let us give psycho-social support, what we need to do is to recover souls, spirits, so that there is no more violence, no hatred," said Diego Molano, director of the ICBF. According to this new law, the orphans of terrorist events that have occurred since 1985 can now reclaim the family land. "We need to identify children who were with the family that fled or were driven out, so that a judge can return the property to the children," said Ricardo Sabogal, head of the Unit of Restitution of land. According to information collected by Fides, many of these children have been living for a long time in social centers run by the Catholic Church. Several centers for orphans receive food from Caritas and social services of the Church. Only in Granada, according to official sources, the conflict between guerrillas and paramilitaries killed 1276 people between the late 90s and 2003. It is estimated that 10 percent of these victims are children and adolescents. The conflict resulted in the mass exodus of civilians: more than half of the population fled, scared by the wave of death and violence. According to the municipal administration out of the 20,000 inhabitants of Granada in 2000, there are now about 9,800. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 01/03/2013)

Kathmandu (Agenzia Fides) - A group of human rights activists launched a hunger strike to protest against corruption in the country. For six days, the coordinator of the initiative, the activist Sharada Bhusal, is in the central "Ratnapark" in Kathmandu, where he is fasting publicly. As reported to Fides from local sources, other activists have joined him in fasting and hundreds of people of civil society and of all religious communities are supporting the anti-corruption campaign. Sharada Bhusal has not eaten for a week, he only drinks a little water. His health has deteriorated significantly and, according to doctors, his life could be at significant risk. The protest came from the population of the district of Mahottari, in the central region of Nepal, which accuses the local district of corruption, and is addressed in particular to the "Commission for the investigation of abuse of authority" (CIAA). The anti-corruption activists have filed a complaint to the Commission, on the fact that millions of rupees allocated for the committees of village development in the district of Mahottari ended up in the pockets of local officials. An official is accused of embezzling 1.9 million Nepali rupees (about 22 thousand dollars), another is accused of embezzlement of 7 million rupees. The activists report that they have received threats and warnings to not make irregularities public. The Commission today called on activists to end the fast, promising "a speedy and transparent investigation." (PA) (Agenzia Fides 01/03/2013)

Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) - Violent clashes between rival factions of the M23 are underway in the region of Rutshuru, 30 km from Goma, capital of North Kivu (eastern Democratic Republic of Congo). In the aftermath of the framework agreement for the Congo signed in Addis Ababa on 24 February (see Fides February 25, 2013), the M23, the main armed movement that operates in North Kivu, has been split into at least two parts. The first refers to Jean-Marie Runiga, the former political leader of the movement, recently removed from office, and the other to Sultani Makenga, military commander of the rebel group. Tensions between the two factions, already latent, exploded after the signing of the Framework Agreement, which aims to stabilize the Great Lakes Region, putting under control the so-called "negative forces", ie the various armed groups that have been infesting the area for a long time. Faced with the prospect of a new international intervention in North Kivu, Runiga wanted to go on the attack, whereas Makenga seems willing to dialogue with national authorities and international bodies to stabilize the region. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 01/03/2013)

Wen Zhou (Agenzia Fides) - Over two thousand faithful from the provinces of Jiang Su, Zhe Jiang, Fu Jian and Shang Hai attended the seminar "The Word of God strengthens our Lenten journey" organized by the Diocese of Wen Zhou on 16 February. According to what Faith of He Bei reported, the faithful of all ages took an active part, with testimonies and reflections on these issues: the word of God and the Church, the Word of God and the liturgy, the Word of God and everyday life, the Word of God and evangelization. The day ended with the celebration of the Eucharist. The priest of the diocese of Wen Zhou, who led and organized the seminar, said: "We have always promoted the reading of Sacred Scripture in our diocese and in our pastoral life for the Word of God is vital for us as the Eucharist." (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 28/02/2013)

Managua (Agenzia Fides) - The new Apostolic Nuncio in Nicaragua, His Excellency, Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu, said during the presentation of his credentials to President Daniel Ortega, that the Holy See intends "to work for the good of the people of Nicaragua." "The Apostolic Nuncio works, as the representative of the Holy Father for the good of the people. We have no political interests, but the interests of the people," said the Nigerian Archbishop. As reported to Fides, Archbishop Nwachukwu also expressed appreciation on behalf of Pope Benedict XVI for the government's work in family policies. President Ortega welcomed the new Nuncio who said, "has our full support and respect," declaring himself "open to comments" that the new Nuncio wants to ask. Ortega stressed that his government is committed to the principles of Christianity, "to put family first." "This commitment asks for the support of the Catholic Church and also of the other evangelical churches. We are open to dialogue, to listen, just to nourish and strengthen programs to assist families in Nicaragua," said the Sandinista leader. Just in these days, the Parliament of Nicaragua, approved the creation of a "Ministry for the Family, health and life." Some sectors of the opposition reject the state system organization in the field, seeing it as an intrusion of the government in the internal affairs of families. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 28/02/2013)

Seoul (Agenzia Fides) - In the Year of Faith, the priority for the Church is evangelization. This was stated by His Exc. Mgr. Yeom Soo-jung, Archbishop of Seoul, in a meeting with the clergy of his diocese. Before an assembly of more than 550 priests (out of a total of 700 priests in service in the diocese), the Archbishop remarked: "The most important thing today is the evangelization of our Church. It is essential for our own Church to continually change and reform in Christ. " As reported in a note sent to Fides by the Secretariat of the Archdiocese, the meeting was held on February 26 and was centered on the theme of "communication within the diocese", considered a crucial step in the life of the local Church. The meeting is part of the initiatives that the Church in South Korea has set up for the Year of Faith. As Fides learns from Fr. Thaddaeus Lee Ki-rak, Executive Secretary of the Episcopal Conference, the motto of the Korean Church chosen to live the Year of Faith is "Principium quidam fides, finis vero caritas", a phrase of St. Ignatius of Antioch, which means "The principle is of course faith, but the end is love." "We hope that this motto can be a guide for the life of our Church," said Fr. Thaddaeus Lee Ki-rak in a statement sent to Fides. "We need to develop an attitude that helps us to carry out our mission with joy and fidelity: this is what is hoped for in the Year of Faith, in which we are called to do our best for the New Evangelization, new in ardor, methods and expression," the statement concludes. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 28/02/2013)

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Lusaka (Agenzia Fides) - "We are extremely disturbed and greatly saddened by the violence and the loss of precious life in the heat of the recent campaigns for the Livingstone parliamentary by-election," said a statement sent to Fides Agency, signed by the leaders of principial Christian denominations in Zambia, Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ), Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) and Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC). The campaign for the partial renewal of Parliament (the elections are held today, February 28) was marked by tensions and violence that resulted in the murder of a politician, Harrison Chanda, who was killed on February 25 in Livingstone. "Our hearts and prayers go out to the family of the deceased and all victims of violence. At the same time, we condemn in the strongest terms possible, any form of political and electoral violence," the statement said. "We further wish to appeal for calm and maximum restraint from the various political parties in Livingstone and also from the Zambia Police Service. It is incumbent on all of us not to do or say anything that might worsen an already volatile situation." "This is not the time for finger-pointing. What is needed now is for all stakeholders to do some serious soul-searching: Is this the level our politics has come to? Is this the path we want to pursue in our democratic dispensation?" The document concludes. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 28/02/2013)

Boracay (Agenzia Fides) - The Philippine island of Boracay is a tourist paradise, an island that includes beaches among the most beautiful of Southeast Asia. But it is also the scene of abuse and violence suffered by indigenous peoples of the island, the tribal Ati: the Philippine Church is deployed by their side, to defend the prerogatives, rights, and protect their very existence. This is what is reported to Fides Agency by Bishop Sergio Utleg, President of the Commission of the Filipinos Bishops for indigenous peoples, in the aftermath of the murder of Dexter Condez, tribal leader and spokesman of the Ati community of Boracay, killed on February 22: The local police arrested and charged Daniele Celestino with murder, a security guard of a chain of hotels in Boracay. Interviewed by Fides concerning the incident Bishop Utleg remarks: "It is one of the episodes that highlights what is happening in that area: due to extensive tourism marketing, these tribal people, who were the first settlers of the island are threatened, abused, deprived of their rights. Their land is occupied and the goal is to expel them altogether." "As a Church - says the Bishop - we are close to the natives through apostolic groups, pastoral care and social action in the Diocese of Kalibo. We try to defend their rights and their lives. They are our brothers and sisters, innocent people and helpless in the face of abuse. Incidents like these happen also to leaders of other tribes in other parts of the country, like the island of Mindanao. We are on their side and ask the government of Manila to protect the dignity and rights of these people." The indigenous Ati in Boracay are about 2,000 and claim the "ancestral domain" on lands, lamenting the destruction of the landscape and the environment due to building plans promoted by foreign companies and supported by the institutions. In January 2011, the National Commission for Indigenous Peoples of the Philippine government assigned the Ati two hectares of land in Boracay, certifying it as "ancestral domain", compared to more than a thousand hectares allocated to tourist resorts. In the territory of the island public works, roads or private buildings have initiated. The issue was brought to the attention of the Philippine Congress, but after two years, there have been no answers. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 28/02/2013)

Nairobi (Agenzia Fides) - "Choose peace for our beloved Kenya, before, during and after the general election. We can only do that by transcending our ethnic affiliations, voting good leaders capable of serving people without discrimination, and rejecting all forms of pre and post election violence," said Archbishop Boniface Lele, Archbishop of Mombasa, in a statement sent to the various national bodies of information, on the occasion of the presidential and parliamentary elections of March 4. Archbishop Lele has in particular stressed the need to overcome ethnic divisions and accept the winner despite the ethnic community they come from: "Our Nation belongs to all the diverse ethnic communities found in the same land and whoever emerges the winner after the General Election should be accepted and respected by all as the choice of majority Kenyans." Archbishop Lele finally pointed out that any post-election dispute must be resolved through the judicial system, without resorting to violence. "Political violence cannot resolve election disputes and neither can it be justified under any circumstance," said the Archbishop of Mombasa. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 28/02/2013)

Rome (Agenzia Fides) - "America, doors open to the mission" is the theme of the Hispanic American Day, which is celebrated on March 3 in Spain, the traditional event since 1959 invites all Iberian dioceses to keep alive the bonds of solidarity, communion and cooperation with America. As reported to Fides, on the occasion of the Day, Cardinal Marc Ouellet, President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America sent a message that invites us to renew the missionary commitment, in this Year of Faith. Taking the contents of the Letter of Benedict XVI’s "Porta Fidei", the text reminds us that "The Year of Faith is a missionary invitation. This missionary zeal has always been, and still is, the best indicator of the vitality of the faith of the Church and of the Christian community. " "That same vitality brought to the New World a legion of missionaries, who have defended the dignity of the indigenous and handed down the most precious gift: faith in Jesus Christ, the Word of God made man and Savior of mankind. The inculturation of faith in the lives of the American people was so deep that, even today, the Catholics baptized are more than 80% of the American population, " notes the Cardinal. Currently, the Spanish missionaries "continue to find open ports for the mission in Latin America. The centuries-old experience of the mission ad gentes, of which Spanish missionaries are protagonists, helps to ensure that "the Church in Latin America will be able to take up the missionary commitment and go to other parts of the world." The realization that more than 50% of Catholics around the world live in America, "recalls Latin America to completely open the doors to the mission." The message states that the apostolic cooperation between Christian communities is one of the most valid answers to ensure "globalization in solidarity" and is one of the forms that characterizes the "new evangelization." (CE) (Agenzia Fides 02/28/2013)

Istanbul (Agenzia Fides) - The American Protestant Pastor Jeremiah Ian Mattix, who for over ten pastoral served in the Protestant church in Diyarbakir, was expelled from the country because accused of carrying out "illegal work." As learned by Fides, the Pastor for years had received the renewal of a "tourist visa" on his passport, and had continued his services in his church. In recent weeks, after undergoing scrutiny by two plainclothes, the Pastor was reported to the Immigration Office and charged with carrying out work illegally." The Turkish authorities decided to expel him to Turkey, condemning the Pastor and the church to pay a fine. The Pastor responded by saying that authorities and citizens of the region, "knew the services he carried out very well." The Protestant Church in Diyarbakir explained that Mattix had been sent by the Church in the United States in the absence of a Pastor to the community. Mattix served in a totally voluntary manner and did not receive any salary. The Church asks the government to allow "Christian religious officials" to stay in Turkey for worship, just as the imam living in Europe. In another case reported to Fides by the Protestant Church in Izmit, the police arrested 14 suspects in the attempted assassination of the Protestant Turkish Pastor Emre Karaali. The group of terrorists who had infiltrated among the faithful of the Church in Izmit, were planning attacks against Christians in the month of January. Two of those arrested attended the meeting for more than a year, to become closer to the Pastor and his wife. The Association of Protestant Churches in Turkey reported at least a dozen incidents of intolerance towards Pastors and Christians in 2012, launching an appeal for the respect of human rights and religious freedom in Turkey. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 27/02/2013)

Montevideo (Agenzia Fides) - Ten major international organizations urge the ministers of labor throughout the world to protect children working in domestic service and to ratify the Convention of the International Labour Organization (ILO) on domestic workers In an open letter released on February 25 and sent to Fides, organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, ask to establish a minimum age for domestic work, in accordance with the ILO Convention, adopted in June 2011. The document aims to improve the lives of nearly 15 million children, who are estimated to be engaged in domestic work in different countries in the world, saying that they should not be deprived of education, which is an essential right. The Convention has been ratified so far by four governments: in Uruguay, the Philippines, Italy and Mauritius, and in at least 48 countries, Parliament and other institutions are analyzing the text for approval. The signatories of the open Letter are organizations for children's rights, human rights and humanitarian groups, present in more than 135 countries around the world: Amnesty International, Anti-Slavery International, Defence for Children International, Child Rights International Network, Global March against Child Labour, Human Rights Watch, International Domestic Worker Network, the International Labor Rights Forum, Plan International and World Vision. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 27/02/2013)

Mexico City (Agenzia Fides) - Mission travels underground, on undergrounds: on Saturday 9th March, a group of young Catholics will get on the underground in Mexico City to bring the message of Christ to thousands of people who every day use this means of transport. "The Mision Subterranea" (Mission in the metro), as this day of evangelization has been called is organized for the second year by the youth of the Church of the Immaculate Conception of Azcapotzalco, under the slogan: "Let us go and spread our faith to who needs it." The note sent to Fides by the Archdiocese of Mexico reports that all the parishes have joined the youth’s initiative, with the contribution of their artistic talents, with logistic support, with material for evangelization. Young people will be present on all underground lines, spreading the Gospel through songs or other artistic expressions. This type of mission was inspired by the famous "Flashmob", organized about a month ago, in which thousands of people in cities around the world, took the underground half-naked "to have fun and show that one can do something together without having met before." "But we want to bring the Word of God in a public place like the underground. With our guitars, drums, and our voice we want to sing to evangelize. We will also distribute postcards of saints, because people ask us to speak of the saints and the Bible." the day of "special mission underground" will end with a concert, which will be attended by hundreds of young missionaries. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 27/02/2013)

Juba (Agenzia Fides) - The Catholic Church is sponsoring 20 amputees, all war victims, who suffered amputations in the war in the Nuba Mountains (Sudan) to reach a hospital in Uganda where they can get new implants. These people will join another 13 from Yida Refugee Camp (South Sudan). The Sudan Catholic Network quoted a medical officer that explained how His Exc. Mgr. Macram Max, Bishop of El Obeid lobbied for funds to fit the patients with artificial limbs and allow them to lead normal lives. The first batch of 35 people had been sent to Uganda to undergo the implantation of artificial limbs. An amputee said he was happy to be on the list of those who will be traveling to Uganda to receive a new leg and thanked the Diocese of El Obeid for the opportunity. Ten different groups of amputees were planned for trips to different hospitals in Uganda to be fitted with new limbs. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 27/02/2013)