Bulgaria: an ecumenical conference

Coinciding with the Easter festivities that Orthodox and Catholics will celebrate together this year, an ecumenical conference organized by the two Churches was held in the Bulgarian town of Svistof, on the Danube, on 26 March. The Catholic Bishop of Nicopoli Petko Hristov, the Metropolitan of Veliko, Tarnovo Gregorio, the Mayor of Svistof Svetoslav Blagov, […]

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ECUMENISM

Greece: “when shall we have an Easter for all Christians?”

At the beginning of the rites for the Holy Week, the president of the Greek Bishops, mgr. Francesco Papamanolis, bishop of Syros, Santorini and Crete, wishes the Greek Churches may reach “an agreement for Christians to be able to celebrate Easter all together”. “This year, we Catholics of Greece too have the joy of celebrating […]

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Belgium: “interpreting the signs of the times”

“Cannot you read the signs of the times?”: this question, taken from the verse of Matthew’s Gospel, is the title chosen by the bishops of Belgium for a pamphlet published in recent days with the objective – says the introduction – “not of making resounding statements, but rather of pointing out that, contrary to the […]

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England/Wales: appeal for the sailors held in Iran

An appeal to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, for the release of the British sailors and marines captured by the Iranian authorities on 23 March was issued on 3 April by the Right Rev. Tom Burns, Roman Catholic Bishop of the Armed Forces in England and Wales. “The marines have sought to act with dignity […]

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Comece : a website to the congress of Rome

www.rome-2007.eu is the address of the website that the Commission of the EU Bishops Conferences (Comece) has launched online and where one can consult all the materials that concern the international conference held in Rome from 23rd to 25th March for the 50th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome. The website, which is in four languages, […]

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Czech Republic: poor but living Church

Bishop Jan Graubner of Olomouc, President of the Czech Bishops’ Conference, visited the Czech community of Bela Crkva, in Serbia, between 24 and 25 March. He met the civil and ecclesiastical authorities, and participated in the celebrations marking the 2nd centenary of the foundation of the local parish church. Some Orthodox priests were also present. […]

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Austria: combating poverty

“The high risk of poverty is a disgrace”, declared the Social Affairs Minister Erwing Buchinger, speaking in Vienna in recent days at a round table on poverty in Austria. Other participants were the director of the evangelical charity (Diakonie), Michael Chalupka, and Christa Ellbogen, spokeswoman of the forum “Labour, Economy and Society” of Austrian Catholic […]

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France: the bishops make an appeal for Darfur

At the end their plenary assembly on 29 March, the French bishops made an appeal for the stricken region of Darfur in Sudan: “Neither Europe nor France can fail to react to so much suffering”. In their statement the bishops declare that the conflict in Darfur “cannot be reduced to a mere enumeration of figures: […]

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FRONT PAGE

Don’t close the heavens

John Paul II never disguised his “passion” for Europe: he devoted almost a thousand interventions to it, wholly or in part. His symbolic gestures and his decisions are also eloquent in this sense: from the mass celebrated at Auschwitz in June 1979, to the address at the Brandenburg Gate (Berlin) in June 1996, to the […]

di Aldo Giordano Ccee general secretary

MARTIRI DELLA FEDE: MONS.GIROTTI (PENITENZIERIA APOSTOLICA), "SEGNO DI DIALOGO E COMPRENSIONE TRA LE CULTURE"

""La testimonianza dei nostri fratelli missionari uccisi aiuta a superare tutte le forme di intolleranza e diventa per la Chiesa e per il mondo segno del dialogo e della comprensione tra le culture e le religioni". E’ quanto ha detto oggi pomeriggio mons. Gianfranco Girotti, Reggente della Penitenzieria Apostolica, presiedendo nella Basilica di Santa Maria […]

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