Redazione

poverty" "

17% of the European population is living below the poverty threshold (for the 14 EU member states see the following page) and the European governments do not seem to have any great political will to achieve the objectives fixed at Lisbon in 2000, in other words, to eradicate poverty by 2010. That’s the conclusion of […]

“A quiet revolution”: that’s how Romano Prodi, president of the European Commission, calls the process of the Union’s enlargement. Addressing the session of the European Parliament (EP) in Brussels on 5 November, Prodi reviewed the situation regarding the entry of the next “members” of the Union. “The official date of the entry of the 10 […]

“Brussels investigates the thousand denunciations of corruption in aid to the candidate countries” is the opening story in “ La Razón” ( 4/11). The Spanish daily notes that “the cases of corruption to the Community budget continue to increase”. According to Franz-Hermann Brüner, director of the European anti-corruption office (OLAF), the cases of the misappropriation […]

The European Commission presented its new action plan in favour of disabled persons for the period 2004/2010. The Plan, that aims to “improve the economic and social integration” of the disabled and foster equal opportunities within the enlarged Europe (the data suggest that with the entry of the new countries some 2 Europeans out of […]

“Hands off the European Parliament”: the response of EP President Pat Cox, Irish liberal, to the proposal supported by some ministers of finance to limit, in the text of the future EU Constitution, the powers of the parliamentary assembly in matters of financial planning and budget, was tough. Through his spokesman, David Harley, Cox declared, […]

The 10th anniversary of the Treaty of Maastricht was celebrated on 1st November. The Treaty gave the official go-ahead to the single currency and to the financial rules to participate in the euro. Born when the Union was still the European Economic Community, the Treaty was signed in the Dutch city of the same name […]

" "EU-China

The sixth summit between China and the European Union was held in Beijing on 30 October. The European leaders and the President of the Chinese People’s Republic, Hu Jintao, reaffirmed their joint commitment to the promotion of peace, security and sustainable development in the world, and pronounced their support for a reinforced role of the […]

Anglicans" "

After months of debate, the Rev. Gene Robinson, who has lived with a male partner for 14 years, was consecrated bishop of the diocese of New Hampshire, in the USA. Robinson has thus become the first bishop of the Anglican Communion to openly declare himself gay. His ordination has however caused strong divisions within the […]

parishes" "

Commentary on the daily Gospel reading; a slot dedicated to the family; news bulletins that also include news about the Catholic Church, its dioceses and parishes, and not just current affairs; youth debates on such issues as alcohol and drugs; animated cartoons; masses; and films: these are just some of the programmes of TMT, the […]

The mausoleum of Yad Vashem has honoured the late Cardinal Joseph Höffner, former president of the German Episcopal Conference from 1976 to 1987, and his sister Helene Hesseler-Höffner, who is still alive, with the title of “Just among the Nations”. During the period of the Holocaust, Höffner and his sister had saved Jewish citizens from […]