ECUMENISM

Different but not far apart

On the 12 May over 180 movements and communities of various Churches, and over 10,000 participants, will meet in Stuttgart, Germany, for the second time (the first was on 8 May 2004), fifty years after the signing of the Treaties of Rome and as part of the process of preparation for the Third European Ecumenical […]

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Centenary of the scouting movement

Celebrations to mark the centenary of the scouting movement began on 22 February. But the key date is 1st August 2007 when all the scouts of the world will celebrate “the Scouting Sunrise”, i.e. the beginning of a new century of scouting, a hundred years since the day on which Baden-Powell began his experimental scout […]

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Formation and research: new European network

“A European network of trades-unionists and researchers with the aim of formulating new ideas and promoting studies and research on such issues as employment, social protection, immigration, the participation of citizens and the development of the territory”: that is the intention of the founders of the association ASEGE (European Social Actor for a European Governance), […]

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ASSOCIATIONS

IFCA meeting in Madrid on the future of Europe

“Where is Europe going? Christians, value and hope for the future” is the title of the 4th continental meeting of the IFCA (International Forum of Catholic Action) for Mediterranean Europe due to be held in Madrid on 1-4 March. Focal point of the meeting, explain its promoters, will be reflection on “a Europe of the […]

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Slovenia: “Christians should read Holy Scripture”

The Slovene Church is celebrating 2007 as “Year of Holy Scripture”. The motto of the event is “We announce to you the word of life” (1 Jn 1:1). And linked to this theme, the bishops have published a pastoral letter for Lent, which was read out in all parishes on Sunday 11 and 18 February. […]

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Austria: fasting from use of the car and prayer e-mails

Fasting from use of the car: that’s what the Catholic and Evangelical Churches of Upper Austria and the diocese of Linz are asking of their faithful for Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday. The aim is to help protect the climate and conserve the creation. Participants are asked to register on the website www.autofasten.at. “The […]

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LENT

Germany: 40 different days

“Trust to live 40 days in a different way”: that’s the name of the Lenten project of the diocesan radio station of Cologne, Dom Radio. Each day of Lent, from the website www.domradio.de, either as podcast or with the system “Video on demand”, it is possible to download a video message from the Capuchin friar […]

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Poland: the clergy ask for forgiveness

The Ash Wednesday of the Polish clergy was wholly dedicated to penance and to the request for forgiveness. Polish priests were thus responding to the appeal for reconciliation and trust between priests and faithful, made by the bishops on 14 January, after the case of Monsignor Wielgus, who had been accused of having collaborated with […]

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Ireland: anti-alcohol campaign during Lent

“This Pastoral Letter is an attempt to initiate a debate that will help us to gradually change our unhealthy attitudes towards alcohol”, said Bishop Eamonn Walsh, vice-chair of the Irish Bishops’ Drugs and Alcohol Initiative. The Bishop, speaking in Dublin on Sunday 18 February, Day of Prayer for Temperance, was presenting the pastoral letter of […]

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Germany: terrorists, pardon or repentance?

“In principle, the act of pardon is always granted in an unconditional and gratuitous manner; it is and remains a gift”, declared the Bishop of Trier, Reinhard Marx, interviewed by the daily Saarbrücker Zeitung on 19 February, with regard to rumours about the possibility of the President of the Federal Republic Horst Köhler granting a […]

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