Thomas Jansen - Germany

EDITORIAL

Alcide De Gasperi was born in Pieve Tesino (Trentino region, Italy) 130 years ago, on 3 April 1881. It is thus a consequential time to recall the merits of the great statesman, justly considered the founding father of the new democratic State and of the European Community. In fact, we owe the momentous decisions taken […]

chURCHES IN BRIEF

KBS Plenary AssemblyPreparation for the Year of st. Cyril and Methodius 2013, marking 1150. anniversary of arrival of these two missionaries of Christianity to Great Moravia, was one of the main topics of the spring plenary assembly of the Bishop’s conference of Slovakia (Kbs) held March 28th-29th. Preparation has already started with pilgrimage of the […]

churches in brief

Prayer vigil for John Paul IIThe shrine of Fatima joins other world shrines in a prayer vigil that will take place on April 30th, on the occasion of the beatification of John Paul II. The Marian shrine intends to “joyfully” join “in the worldwide celebrations and initiatives” for the beatification of May 1st. On the […]

EU

“While the European population is getting older, fertility has begun to increase again, life expectancy keeps growing and the EU continues to attract a large number of immigrants”: Eurostat, EU statistics office, has just published its third Report on demographic trends in the EU, specifying the variations in the population, the composition of family units, […]

Citizens’ rights: the Commission’s report”To make the Charter work in practice, people need to know their rights and how to apply them so that justice can be done”, Vice-President Viviane Reding, the EU’s Justice Commissioner thus commented on the Annual Report on the application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights Charter issued by the […]

THE pYRENEES AND ZION

Almost 46 years have passed since the promulgation of “Nostra Aetate” (October 28 1965) and the ensuing guidelines for implementing the Declaration (1974 and 1985). What is the state of Jewish-Christian dialogue today? The opening of new horizons between Christians and Jews is largely due to three events: the Shoah, the birth of the State […]

ecumenism

“Europe owes its existence to the Gospel. Christianity has reunited diverse peoples and tribes, living on the lands of what was to become Europe, in a single religious faith, thus creating a large area marked by multi-faceted cultural traditions”, declared Cardinal Walter Kasper in the address delivered during the “Subiaco Colloquims” held in the town […]

churches in brief

France: keynote address of Cardinal Vingt-TroisThe fears of French society, the economic crisis, the nuclear incident of Fukushima and the energy question, the law on bioethics and the debate on secularity: these are the main issues tackled by Cardinal André Vingt-Trois, Archbishop of Paris and President of the French Bishops’ Conference, in the keynote address […]

chURCHES IN BRIEF

Ireland: in support of pregnant womenThe 34th the annual conference of CURA, the crisis pregnancy agency set up by the Irish Bishops’ Conference in 1977 took place in Athlone on April 1-2. The auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese of Armagh Msgr. Gerard Clifford addressed 159 delegates attending the meeting and underlined the objectives of the […]

TERREMOTO ABRUZZO

“In questo anniversario, sono preso da un desiderio violento di silenzio. Vorrei rimanere muto. Vorrei poter parlare solo con la vicinanza più sincera e affettuosa a chi ha perduto più di tutti gli altri in quella terribile notte. Ogni giorno mi scorrono davanti i volti di tutti i fratelli e sorelle che non sono più […]