Redazione

debates" "

An opportunity to discuss the position of science towards the biotechnologies “in a calm and constructive way” was offered by the debate “Humanity faced by the promises of the biotechnologies – Science and society torn between hopes, utopias and risks”, held in recent days at the Goethe Institut in Rome, with the participation of Giuliano […]

A project called “Memento Gulag”, aimed at dedicating a day to the memory of the victims of the Soviet gulags, has been presented by the “Committee for Liberties”, founded in Milan in 1997 by a group of intellectuals of various political and philosophical persuasions. The association’s president is the Russian intellectual Vladimir Bukovskij, leader of […]

The International Penal Court has its seat in The Hague (Netherlands), close to the International Penal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, once again in the spotlight following the assassination of Serbian premier Zoran Djindjic, whose good offices had permitted some Balkan war criminals, including Milosevic, to be handed over to the tribunal to stand trial. […]

human rights" "

Eighteen judges, including eight Europeans, took their oath of office at The Hague on 11 March, in the course of the ceremony of formal installation of the International Penal Court. Before UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, each judge solemnly swore: “I shall perform my tasks and exercise my powers as judge of the International Penal […]

200,000 brochures have been printed to convince the almost three million believers in the Czech Republic to vote in the referendum to be held in June to seek the electorate’s endorsement of entry into the EU. The Christian Churches of the Czech Republic are actively participating in the Government’s propaganda campaign to boost support for […]

While the country continues its process of modernization and fight against poverty (Albania stands 85th in the index of human development), the Catholic Church of the “Country of the Eagles” wishes to transmit a strong message of recovery of the past and support of the national identity: “This year, throughout Albania and together with all […]

The anniversary of the saving of some 50,000 Bulgarian Jews, on 9 March 1943, was marked in recent days in Bulgaria with various celebrations. Christian and Jewish representatives, together with politicians and foreign guests, commemorated the gesture of courage of the Bulgarian people who opposed the deportation of thousands of their fellow-citizens of Jewish origin […]

European Churches" "

There were 327 young men enrolled in Spanish seminaries (62 major and 41 minor seminaries out of a total of 67 dioceses) in 2002, and 195 new priests were ordained. The overall number of major seminarians (1699) shows a steady decline over the last ten years (there were 1947 in 1992, so there has been […]

Representatives of the Christian laity from all over Europe met in Cracow (Poland) from 7 to 9 March to debate the theme “Overcoming the crisis, succeeding in enlargement”. At the meeting, promoted by the Committee for the Social Weeks in France and the Committee for German Catholics (Zdk), in liaison with the Polish publishing group […]

WYD" "

An invitation to the young not to be ashamed “of reciting the Rosary to themselves, as they go to school, to university or to work” and to be at the same time peacemakers, is made by John Paul II in his Message for the 18th World Youth Day (Palm Sunday, 13 April 2003) which this […]