SURVEY OF IDEAS

New horizons of knowledge

While few weeks ago Benedict XVI, although invited by the rector, was prevented from delivering his address at Rome’s ‘La Sapienza’ University, in Russia a debate sparked off on the role of religion in the public sphere and in education. The two events were linked together by Aleksej Judin, from Moscow’s humanistic university, who interprets […]

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EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

Efficiency and transparency

The ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, the problem of the Continent’s aging population, the situation in Kosovo and the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza strip. The EU Parliament sitting in plenary session in Strasbourg (February 18-21), has been called to address “domestic policy” issues along with new emergencies on the international scene. On the agenda […]

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EU ENLARGEMENT

Alternating pace

After four years since the entry into the European Union of ten new Member States (Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Chzeck Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary), followed by Bulgaria and Romania’s adhesions in 2007, the EU enlargement process is marked by an alternating but irreversible pace in the direction of the Balkan Countries and of […]

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interreligious dialogue

Wcc, Jews

Wcc: the Churches faced with ethical challengeOn February 13 the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches representing 349 Protestant, Anglican and Orthodox Churches opened in Geneva. The meeting, which will close on February 20, was introduced by a long report read by Wcc Secretary General Rev. Samuel Kobia describing the past year’s activity. […]

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ECUMENISM

Greece, Geneve, Anglicans

Greece: catholic Church non invited On Saturday, February 16, the new Orthodox archbishop of Athens and All Greece, His Beatitude Ieronimus II, took office. He was elected by the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Greece on February 7, after the death of His Beatitude Christodoulos. Representatives of the Catholic Church were not invited […]

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England, Portugal, Ireland

England: shariah, “no religious tribunals””It is necessary to make a distinction between the legal recognition of religious tribunals and the need for legislation to meet the needs of religious faithful”. This was the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales’s remark regarding Anglican Primate Rowan Williams’ claim of introducing a part of the sharia in […]

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KOSOVO

A new home

Fireworks, dancing and public celebrations in Pristina marked Kosovo’s declaration of independence from Serbia. The new Kosovo flag: six stars on a blue background and the State’s design. It represents Albanian majority (over 95%) but not the Serbian minority, approximately 120 thousand people living in the Northern part of the Country. In Kosovo still live […]

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FRONT PAGE

It won’t be easy

Now that independence has been proclaimed, all that remains to do is build a State.The task that awaits the government of Kosovar leader Hashim Thaci certainly won’t be easy. Its secession from Serbia ratified by the Parliament of Pristina on Sunday, 17 February, Kosovo now seems an empty container, held together by nothing more than […]

di Mauro Ungaro expert in Balkan politics

FEDE E CULTURA: CARD. BERTONE, "LA PREGHIERA ISPIRA E PROGRAMMA POLITICHE DI GIUSTIZIA”

“La preghiera ispira e programma politiche di giustizia, all’insegna del prendersi cura dei più deboli”. Così è intervenuto, questa sera all’Università lateranense , il card. Tarcisio Bertone, segretario di Stato Vaticano, alla presentazione della “Enciclopedia della preghiera” (Lev). Il porporato, domani in partenza per Cuba, è arrivato in tarda serata, dopo avere incontrato il presidente […]

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CHIESE D’EUROPA: ALLA PRESIDENZA UE, "PACE NEI BALCANI" E "AGENDA SOCIALE" (2)

Con riferimento alla definizione dei parametri per i futuri colloqui di adesione con la Turchia, le Chiese hanno ribadito "l’importanza che l’Ue richieda la piena attuazione della libertà religiosa nel Paese e il riconoscimento di stato giuridico alle comunità religiose". "La coerenza sociale e un’adeguata protezione" dei più deboli "sono per le Chiese elementi fondamentali […]

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