Damiano Beltrami (from the United States)

Youths

Catecheses, multi-language prayers, a large concert along with a typical Polish dance performance coupled by polka lessons. A giant screen will broadcast the meeting in Krakow with Pope Francis in real time. Typical Polish dishes will also be available, such as pierogies and kielbasa. For those unable to travel to Poland for the World Youth […]

The times we are living

The Harry Potter saga has grown us used to the same stratagem adopted by his friends: in the effort of not evoking the spectre of the evil figure of Voldemort, they avoid calling him by name, and thus refer to him with a palliative expression: you-know-who. There was a time when I had a suspicion […]

From “the new world”

Of over 1.5 million youths that will be leaving for Poland from world countries to take part in the World Youth Day (Krakow, July 15-31), 5 thousand will be arriving from the land of birth of Pope Francis. As many as 2,500 youths will be arriving from Buenos Aires and the surrounding districts, while another […]

Open Debate

We should not forget that integration and European unification are processes aimed at the political unity of our continent in the full respect of national and cultural diversities. Solidarity and subsidiarity, peace and freedom, reconciliation, tolerance and justice are values of utmost importance in defining the content and motivation of this project: They are constitute […]

Document and debate

The document titled “To promote peace in the world, vocation of Europe”, drawn up by COMECE bishops as a contribution to the EU’s Strategy on Foreign and Security Policy, entrusted by the European Council to the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Federica Mogherini, is equally orientative and concrete. Unless the outcomes of the […]

Zero tolerance

It’s the case of paedophile priests. The bomb exploded on media outlets in 2002, in Boston. The inquiry launched by the daily newspaper “The Boston Globe” was severe: denunciations, condemnations, complicity, and covering up of cases of sexual abuse on minors on the part of the Catholic clergy. In the city of Boston alone, 89 […]

National gathering

“Behold the man” is the title of the 100th edition of the Katholikentag, the Day of German Catholics, to be held in Lepizing May 25-29. The big event takes place at a time of heated social political, religious debates at national level. The Katholikentag is traditionally organized by ZDK (Zentralkomitee der deutschen Katholiken – Central […]

Great Britain and “the common home”

June 23 is approaching and no one in Britain can say exactly what will be the outcome of the referendum on the permanence of the United Kingdom in the European Union. Surveys conducted by various institutions still give the lead to pro-Europeans, but the distance between the two fronts, which in September last year was […]

General Assembly

          On Monday May 16 Pope Francis delivered his third opening address at the Italian Bishops Conference’s Assembly (CEI), dedicated this year to “Renewal of the clergy”, with the purpose of furthering lifelong formation. The Holy Father always surprises us, this time with a “reversed perspective.” Instead of offering a “systematic […]

Beyond the crisis

The Catholic Church has had a favorable view of the European project since its inception. Pius XII imparted his discreet blessing to the “founding fathers”, despite some reluctance to express excessive public support by the Church for fear of compromising a political initiative that was to involve all Europeans and, above all, not to exclude […]