The Church has "neither the expertise nor the mandate" to put forward technical and financial solutions but the economic crisis calls on the Church to outline the ethical implications of the economic system. Cardinal Vingt-Trois, Archbishop of Paris and President of the French Bishops Conference, had spoken about the financial crisis in his opening lecture […]

The 47th plenary assembly of Bishops has started today in Lourdes (France) with the opening lecture of his president, Cardinal André Vingt-Trois. Among the participants 112 Diocesan Bishops, 17 Emeritus Bishops, three overseas Bishops and one Apostolic Nuncio. The assembly will be held until Sunday 9 November and bishops will discuss the three main themes […]

"The girl judged as ‘guilty’ of adultery and stoned to death in Somalia last week was 13 years old, not 23", as opposed to what had been reported by the press: it has been pointed out by Amnesty International in a release. Aisha Ibrahim Duhulow had arrived in Chisimaio three months ago from the refugee […]

According to Mgr Migliore, "there are three top priority issues" on religious freedom also underlined in his address to the UN General Assembly. First of all, he said to the SIR, "persecutions carried out against Christian Communities." Secondly, "the risk that in nowadays ‘conjuncture’ the issue of defamation of religion, largely debated at the UN, […]

"A wise respect of every faithful and every person’s religious freedom is essential to ensure peaceful coexistence and cooperation. This commitment should be made not only by governments, but also by the civil society, by every individual and, in particular, by the religious communities themselves." These words were spoken by Mgr Celestino Migliore, Permanent Observer […]

"Today we have celebrated in Baghdad the first Inter-Religious Congress of Iraq," said Mgr Warduni. "It was attended by the Prime Minister Al Maliki and by Christian, Shiite and Sunni representatives. In our delegation there were 5 Bishops and 25 priests. In that occasion, I wanted to recall that it is necessary, for all, that […]

"It is better for us to die with dignity than to live and be despised." A bitter comment given to the SIR by Mgr Shlemon Warduni, patriarchal vicar of Baghdad, on the news of today’s approval by the parliament of the law on provincial councils whose text is actually allocating only six seats to minorities, […]

"Once again, this is a politically correct language gone crazy, and I am glad to know that our Muslim and Jewish friends share our view". With these words, mgr. Crispian Hollis, bishop of the diocese of Portsmouth, to which the south side of Oxford belongs, commented the decision taken by the famous university city to […]

According to the experts of the EU Commission, "economic prospects will not be too encouraging for the EU" in the middle term, and while we can expect prices to slow down, public accounts should grow worse and unemployment should rise "in several countries". The crisis of real economy, "the cause of which – they insist […]

The "bleak horizon" depicted by commissioner Almunia concerns Europe, but it does not spare the other global competitors either. "Prospects have grown considerably darker when the economy of the European Union was affected by the crisis of the financial markets that worsened in Autumn, and this affects the confidence of companies and consumers". So far, […]