ITALY

Unacceptable amibiguity

On 8 February the Italian government unanimously approved the bill with the title “Rights and duties of persons permanently living together” (known under the acronym ‘Dico’). It now awaits passage through Parliament. On 12 February, questioned by journalists on a question that has divided public opinion, Cardinal CAMILLO RUINI, President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, […]

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Romania: meetings of ecumenical formation

Formative meeting open to Catholics, Greek-Catholics and Orthodox in preparation for the European Ecumenical Assembly in Sibiu in September: that’s the initiative being promoted by the missionaries of Mary Immaculate (OMI) at Bucharest. The 3rd European Ecumenical Assembly on the theme “The light of Christ shines upon all. Hope for Renewal and Unity in Europe” […]

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Germany: improving family policy

“The family policy of the Federal Government is anti-child and ideological”, said the Bishop of Augsburg, Walter Mixa. He was expressing his view in recent days on the family policy projects of Minister for the Family Ursula von der Leyen, which provide, among other things, for a tripling of the number of kindergartens by 2013. […]

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Ccee: mixed marriages and the family in Europe

Mixed marriages and the family in Europe: these will be the focal points of the meeting of the Presidents of the Bishops’ Conferences of South-East Europe due to open on 1st March (until the 4th), at Oradea (Romania). In particular, reflection will focus on marriage between a Catholic and a person baptized in another Christian […]

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Spain: laity and “education in citizenship”

The Council of Laity of the archdiocese of Madrid has denounced “the lack of neutrality of the Spanish State on religious questions” and “the imposition of the new school subject called ‘Education in citizenship'”. This school subject – decided on by the Zapatero government – is, says the Council, an “inadmissible imposition” and “a flagrant […]

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Bulgaria: difficulties for religious education in schools

Religious education in Bulgarian schools is facing difficulties. The Minister for Education Daniel Valchev has said that the introduction of religion as a compulsory subject would lead to a reduction of the hours devoted to the teaching of other subjects, such as literature, history and maths. Nonetheless he admitted religion helps to inculcate moral values […]

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Hungary: fund raising for Catholic schools

“Year after year Hungarian Catholics are ever-more generous in their donations to Catholic schools, because it’s clear also to them that our institutions suffer from a serious disadvantage in the system of state contributions”, declared Bishop Pápai Lajos, delegate for schools of the Hungarian Bishops’ Conference, on the occasion of the annual collection in churches […]

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Holland: Lent in the sign of poverty

Food counters reveal in a strident manner the contrast between abundance and need in the Netherlands. “Through this we see, also close to our home, what happens when the ratio between poverty and affluence increases in a distorted manner”, write the Dutch bishops in their letter for Lent, published in recent days. In the view […]

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FRONT PAGE

Overcoming mistrust

The relation between Hungarian society and the process of European unification is contradictory. For many Hungarians, financial conditions are deteriorating. Not only the uneducated, but also the middle class – health workers, teachers, families with two or more children – do not perceive any improvements in their quality of life. This general feeling among people […]

di Katalin Neumayer Magyar Kurir - Hungary

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

With different words

“We must support the linguistic heritage of European countries, but we must also understand each other within the Eu and understand our neighbours”, declared LEONARD ORBAN who assumed the post of European Commissioner for Multilingualism on 1st January. This is a branch of Community policy that hitherto has had no portfolio of its own. For […]

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