RUSSIAN FEDERATION

The best ways

The 15th International Ecumenical Conference “The transfigured Christ in the Orthodox spiritual tradition” was held at the monastery of Bose (Italy) in recent days. During the meeting SirEurope’s correspondent Chiara Santomiero interviewed the Apostolic Nuncio to the Russian Federation, Monsignor ANTONIO MENNINI , on the dialogue between Catholics and Orthodox. Patriarch Alexei Il has thanked […]

di Redazione

Hungary: Budapest, the new evangelisation

“Evangelisation in the metropolises of the XXI century will largely depend on the clarity of the content that we have been entrusted to proclaim”: it was said in Budapest, as he spoke at the International Congress for new evangelisation, which opened on September 16th (until 22nd), by Ralph Martin of the “Renewal in spirit”. “I […]

di Redazione

Bulgaria: with the Holy See remarkable progress

Over the last few years, the relations between Bulgaria and the Church, and in particular the Holy See, have made remarkable progress. Especially after the Pope’s visit in May 2002″. It was said by the apostolic nuncio to Bulgaria, mgr. Giuseppe Leanza, at the end of the conference on “The Balkans, the crossroad of Europe. […]

di Redazione

Turkey: the ultranationalist video, “an isolated fact”

“An isolated fact which should be given the right weight but not emphasis. Such events do not reflect the thoughts of the vast majority of the Turkish population”. It was stated to SIR by mgr. Luigi Padovese, apostolic vicar to Anatolia, who commented the music video which has been cast on the web by a […]

di Redazione

Holland: an document “wrong and ambiguous”

“In contrast with the doctrine of the Catholic Church”. This is how the emeritus bishop of Breda, mgr. Huub Ernst, censured the “Kerk en Ambt” (Church and Ministry) brochure that was given away in late August by the Dutch Dominican friars in the country’s 1,300 parishes. The text seems to reflect theses that are close […]

di Redazione

Switzerland: letter to youth to prepare for Sydney 2008

“WYD makes us ever more aware that we mustn’t remain passive in our life of faith, i.e. we mustn’t be merely consumers of the Word of God. On the contrary, we must do something with this Word: we must bear witness to it”. The exhortation is contained in a letter that the delegate for youth […]

di Redazione

Germany: poor countries and climate change

The poor countries are the most exposed to the consequences of climate change, and the most at risk of natural disasters: the situation was stigmatised during a press conference held by the Catholic aid organization Misereor and the Münchener Rück Stiftung (foundation) in Potsdam on 18 September. Its aim was to launch a study on […]

di Redazione

Czech Republic: ecumenical meeting of bishops

The 26th ecumenical meeting of bishops-friends of the Focolare Movement was inaugurated in Prague on 20 September. The meeting, which will continue till 27 September, is being attended by 43 bishops of 18 Churches from 19 countries throughout the world. They have come together to reflect on the theme “There’s no darkness in my night: […]

di Redazione

Spain: “love of God does not generate violence”

“The love of God generates not violence but martyrs”, declared Cardinal Antonio M. Rouco Varela, archbishop of Madrid, in his homily on 16 September, broadcast by the Catholic channel COPE. He was referring to an exhibition on the religious phenomenon in the Cultural Centre “La Villa”, which has aroused a good deal of controversy. The […]

di Redazione

Belgium: advertising in “poor taste”

“In recent memory, a comic has never been reprimanded by the bishops, even if cartoons or comedy sketches could offend the sensibilities of believers. There is freedom of expression in our democratic societies and a right to express humour. We defend this freedom, even though it does not immunize us against poor taste”, declared Eric […]

di Redazione