Redazione

On Sunday 12 January, the German Episcopal Conference launched its initiative: “Solidarity with persecuted and oppressed Christians”. “It cannot be ignored – explained Cardinal Karl Lehmann, president of the German bishops, at the press conference to present the initiative – that it is dangerous in many places to declare oneself a Christian and to live […]

“Albania is experiencing this year 2003 as a special year of grace, declared by the Pope an ‘extraordinary jubilee year”, points out Bishop Angelo Massafra of Scutari, president of the Albanian Episcopal Conference. “On Wednesday 15 January the bishops of the whole Albanian-speaking area assembled in Lezhe, in the north of the country – explains […]

“A responsible and mature choice”: that’s the hope expressed by Archbishop Joseph Mercieca of Malta, Bishop Nicholas J. Cauchi of Gozo and Annetto Depasquale, auxiliary bishop of Malta in a message issued on 11 January on the forthcoming referendum of 1st May to ballot citizens about Malta’s membership of the European Union. According to the […]

“Christ, hope of Europe”: that’s the slogan of the “Mitteleuropäischer Katholikentag “, the first assembly of the Catholics of Central Europe, organized by eight European bishops’ conferences: Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia and Hungary. A delegation led by Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, president of the Austrian Episcopal Conference, and composed of leading exponents […]

If the preparations for the war in Iraq are being stepped up with the growing despatch of Western troops to the Persian Gulf (especially by the USA, Britain and France), the attempt to resolve the stand-off with Saddam Hussein without recourse to arms is, it seems, increasingly gaining ground. The Greek foreign minister and current […]

After the recent announcements of the Raelian sect that it had successfully completed experiments in human cloning, the European Union has also joined its voice with all those protesting against the possibility of science dedicating, or perverting, itself to such practices. The Commission recalled that “human cloning for reproductive purposes is prohibited by article 3 […]

in brief" "

Representatives of the episcopates of England and Wales, Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain, the USA, the Council of the Episcopal Conferences of Europe (CCEE) and the Commission of the Episcopates of the European Community (Comece) met in Jerusalem with the patriarch of the Latins, Michel Sabbah, the apostolic Nuncio in Israel, Pietro Sambi, and the representatives […]

With 274 votes in favour, 269 against and 14 abstentions the European Parliament approved the Report of the Dutch socialist Joke Swiebel on the situation of the fundamental rights of the European Union for 2001. Following a heated debate and numerous external pressures, the Assembly considered it appropriate to eliminate from the text of the […]

editorial" "

It was 17 December 1989: early in the morning the first snow flakes began to fall. They fluttered solemnly down on the city of Bucharest and heralded in silence the forbidden arrival of Christmas. I was 19 at the time. I was serving compulsory military service for my country. I had been drafted in September […]

“Everyone speaks of values, but no one respects them”. That’s the concern voiced by Cardinal Joachim Meisner, archbishop of Cologne, in an interview published in the daily Kölner Express on 18 December. The cardinal placed particular emphasis on the family: “We are – he said – in the midst of a disaster which continues uncurbed. […]