As already announced on 23 September, Cathobel, the Catholic press agency of Belgium, is to close. “For three years write the agency’s president Eric De Beukelaer, Luc Tielemans, administrative director, and Bernadette Lennerts, senior editor Cathobel has provided news on the life of the Church and religious activity in general in Belgium and in the world. It did a lot, despite its modest means, with all the rigour and professionalism of a press agency. We wish to thank all the journalists who participated in this enterprise for their devotion and expertise. Cathobel says the statement will now be integrated in the interdiocesan press and information service (SIPI) and will publish a daily news bulletin under this title”. Just to permit these logistic adjustments, Cathobel will interrupt the diffusion of its news service on Saturday 24 December before resuming its transmissions on Tuesday 3 January 2006. The press agency, supported by the St. Paul Foundation, by some Catholic media and by the dioceses of Namur and Brussels, will transmit some 30 to 40 articles each week, in particular on the life of the Church and on the Holy See. Four years ago it had resumed the activity of the CIC Catholic agency, founded in 1944.
