Redazione

EU

With the New Year the EU has grown – at least in numbers. The member states have now risen to 27, those that have adopted the single currency to 13, while the number of official languages has increased from 20 to 23 (apart from Bulgarian and Romanian, it will now be possible to speak Gaelic […]

SPAIN

The Spanish government broke off the peace negotiation with the Basque terrorist organization ETA in recent days, following the terror attack of 30 December on the airport of Madrid, which caused the death of two Ecuadorian citizens, numerous injuries and serious material damage to the new terminal building. The Spanish bishops, who have already published […]

MIDDLE EAST

The 7th visit of European and American bishops to Israel and Palestine begins on 11 January (and ends on 18 January). Organized by the Coordination of the Episcopal Conferences in support of the Holy Land (composed of the European Bishops’ Conferences, CCEE, and the Commission of the episcopates of the European Community, COMECE, with bishops […]

FAMILY

The family is increasingly becoming the focal point of attention by the European churches: their proposals include pastoral programmes, aids, competitions and initiatives aimed not only at promoting marriage and encouraging young couples to bring children into the world, as an economic source of support, but also at encouraging greater protection and legislation for the […]

Father Dietger Demuth, director of Renovabis, the German humanitarian organization of aid to the countries of Eastern Europe, has welcomed the entry of Bulgaria and Romania into the EU. “Their entry into the EU at the start of the year shows that Bulgaria and especially Romania historically and culturally belong to the community of European […]

Epiphany of solidarity with the Churches of Africa: the initiative is that of the French Church which has decided to send the offerings collected during Masses on Sunday 7 January to the African Churches. The initiative is reported, in a communiqué, by the French Bishops’ Conference, citing the words of the national director of the […]

The new church built over the ancient chapel of the Milk Grotto in Bethlehem, a cave sanctuary much venerated by the Christians of Bethlehem, was inaugurated on 31 December, in the presence of 600 Slovak pilgrims and many Italian pilgrims. According to an ancient tradition, drops of milk that fell from the Virgin’s breast as […]

POLAND

“Many years after the end of the Communist regime, and now that the great and unassailable figure of John Paul II is no longer with us, the current wave of attacks on the Catholic Church in Poland is not so much a sincere search for transparency and truth as, in many respects, a strange alliance […]

FRONT PAGE

The Pope began the New Year by focusing his attention on the international situation to “examine the challenges we are called to tackle together”. Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Europe were each reviewed in turn in the speech that Benedict XVI addressed to the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See for […]

In 2006 the Eu continued developing a better-coordinated asylum and immigration policy. In particular, three principles were pinpointed: solidarity among the member states; partnerships with third countries; protection of migrants, especially the more vulnerable groups, such as lone children and women. ENGAGEMENTS TO AFRICA . However, 2006 has been the year in which engagements with […]