Redazione

ALBANIA

“All Albanians aspire to enter Europe. So the accord of association with the Eu – to which the European Parliament gave its go ahead last Wednesday – is very important for Albania”, declares LUAN OMARI , member of the Academy of Sciences in Tirana, commenting on the accord of stabilization and association which will soon […]

“Not man, but God is the real protagonist of history”: this principle was recalled during the liturgy held on 2 September to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the consecration of the basilica of Esztergom. The mass was officiated by Cardinal Péter Erdo, in the presence of numerous authorities. “The cathedral is a symbol of divine […]

“We mustn’t delude ourselves: immigration is increasing; not only do immigrants need and are seeking a better life, but we too need them to be able to maintain our way of life”. That’s how the Most Rev. Bernardo Álvarez Alfonso, bishop of Tenerife, in the Canary Isles, comments on the recent wave of disembarkations of […]

Bishop Kurt Koch of Basel is to be the new President of the Swiss episcopate, says a statement put out by the Swiss Bishops’ Conference (SBC). Koch thus succeeds Amédée Grab, whose term of office ends on 31 December. Elected during the 273rd ordinary assembly of the SBC which ended at Ascona (diocese of Lugano) […]

BENEDICT XVI IN GERMANY

While the apostolic journey of Benedict XVI to Munich, Altötting and Regensburg continues (9-14 September), we present a preliminary assessment of the visit in an interview with LUDWIG RING-EIFEL , director of the KNA (Katholische Nachrichten-Agentur), the German Catholic press agency. How has Bavaria received Benedict XVI? Was he welcomed with the same warmth also […]

FRONT PAGE

Twenty years after the interfaith meeting of “prayer for peace” (Assisi, 27 October 1986) Benedict XVI has underlined the historical importance and the prophetic character of the teachings of John Paul II on the relation between religions and peace. In his message to the bishop of Assisi to mark the 20th anniversary of that memorable […]

EUROPEAN INSTITUTIONS

The debate on the institutional reforms of the Eu seems to have languished for many, perhaps too many months. What’s become of the Constitutional Treaty for the European Union after the negative vote of the referenda in France and Holland? And what are the immediate challenges that the institutions are called to tackle in the […]

EU-CHINA

The European Parliament approved in recent days a report on the relations between the European Union and China, in which Europe’s interest in increasing its cooperation with China is expressed, though asking in return respect for rules in trade relations and in human rights, including religious freedom. The report identifies some current problems, including piracy […]

A better understanding of the role of the permanent diaconate: that is the challenge of the Catholic Church of the future, according to the national Conference of priests that was held in Leeds last week. The title of the conference, which was attended by delegates from each of the 22 dioceses of England and Wales, […]

The proposal of Prime Minister Tony Blair to identify even before birth the children at risk of delinquency, because they come from “dysfunctional families” and therefore could become a threat to society, has raised concern in the pro-life movement in the UK. In Great Britain approximately a million adolescents decide to have children in very […]