In recent years, Asia has become the "centre" of the world. With its load of successes and moments of persecution, the Church's mission focuses on human-centred development. We celebrate the 10th anniversary of our agency, a small tool of mission and peace for the Asian continent.

Rome (AsiaNews) - On 9 October 2013, an International Symposium will take place from 3.30 pm to 8 pm dedicated to "10 years of Asia - 10 years of our history".  The Symposium will be held in the Aula Magna of the Pontifical Urbanianum University, Via Urbano VIII, 16, in the Vatican.  It will be hosted by the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions and AsiaNews and all are welcome.

Guest speakers will include:
- Card George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney (Australia)
- Archbishop Savio Hon Taifai, Secretary of Propaganda Fide (Hong Kong, China)
- Fr Samir Khalil Samir, expert in Islam (Beirut, Lebanon )
- Prof Angelo Caloia, economist, professor at the Catholic University of Milan and LUMSA
- Testimonies of Christians from Asia

The symposium aims to focus attention on the global importance that the Asian continent has acquired over the past ten years. Despite its contradictions, it has seen gigantic economic growth amid widespread poverty; fundamentalism and the Arab Spring; Party dictatorships and struggles for democracy; the crucial mission of the Church in the midst of success stories in evangelisation and radical persecution. Religious freedom and the freedom to evangelise are the path for more human-oriented development and the reconciliation of tensions.

At the same time, the Symposium will celebrate the 10^th anniversary of the online news agency AsiaNews.it, which since 1 November 2003 has published daily news on Asia in Italian, English and Chinese (www.asianews.it).

Asia is the continent that Pope Francis wants to visit soon, "our common task for the third millennium", as John Paul II had predicted.

Journalists interested in attending the event are asked to apply for accreditation by 5 October via e-mail or by telephone at the following contacts:

desk@asianews.it

+39-06-58320223

• There will be a Coffee break 5.30PM and a buffet will follow the Symposium.

 

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• international
• symposium
• asianews
• rome