Redazione

“Per i migranti e i rifugiati la priorità attuale è l’integrazione”. Con questa consapevolezza, Caritas Europa – che riunisce le Caritas di 43 Paesi europei – ha organizzato dal 12 al 15 giugno il Migration Forum 2003 in Spagna, all’Escorial (Madrid). L’incontro ha riunito i principali responsabili di migrazione delle Caritas europee di altri gruppi […]

gipsies" "

There are some 9 million gipsies (“people of the wind”) in Europe, of whom between 6 and 7 million in the countries of Eastern Europe. It’s an estimate difficult to establish with precision, but one that conveys the idea of a presence that assumes different forms. In Eastern Europe gipsies live in permanent settlements sometimes […]

disabled" "

Many awareness-raising projects are being promoted in various countries during the “European Year of the Disabled”. We present some of them below. Denmark A highly integrated system for the support of disabled persons exists in Denmark. The funding of this system occurs mainly through state and local taxes, especially privileging those aspects linked to rehabilitation […]

ITALY" "

In Italy, one diocese in three has a sector specifically dedicated to the pastoral care of the disabled and the attention of local Churches in this field “is in continuous growth”, according to the catechistical office (department for catechesis to the disabled) of the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI). The presence of disabled people in the […]

Holland" "

“Catholics with heart and soul” is the title of the celebrations of the Dutch Catholic Church marking the 150th jubilee of the restoration of the episcopal hierarchy in 1853, thanks to Pope Pius IX. After three centuries of restrictions on freedom of religion, it was once again possible for Catholics to openly celebrate their own […]

Germany" "

The recent declarations of Chancellor Gerhardt Schroeder on the need for some essential reforms of federal welfare policies have re-ignited the debate on healthcare and social services in Germany. The president of the German Episcopal Conference, Cardinal Karl Lehmann, and the chairman of the episcopate’s Commission for social and charitable problems, Bishop Joachim Reinelt of […]

Czech Republic" "

“We want to enter the European Union. We must have no fear, because isolating ourselves is worse”. That’s how Cardinal Josef Glemp, president of the Polish bishops, urged his fellow-citizens to vote in favour of EU membership on the eve of the referendum held in Poland on 7 and 8 June. Cardinal Glemp’s words echoed […]

Poland" "

The sixth of the ten candidate countries to go to the polls for its referendum on EU membership, Poland voted ‘yes’ to entry into the EU: 77.5% voted in favour. The voters formed 58.8% of the electorate; the opponents were 22.5%. SirEurope sounded out the views of the spokesman of the Polish Episcopal Conference, Father […]

European Union" "

The Summit of Heads of State and of Government that ends the Greek Presidency of the Union is to be held in Salonica (Greece) on 20 and 21 June. The fundamental point on the Agenda consists in the official presentation of the draft Constitution drawn up by the Convention on the future of Europe: but […]

COMECE" "

The Presidium of the Convention on the future of Europe has drafted a new version of the Preamble of the future European Constitution in recent days. In contrast to the first draft, the new text cancels both any explicit reference to the Greco-Roman tradition and to the philosophy of the Enlightenment. What’s innovative in the […]