Ethics and nanomedicine

The European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies (GEE, a “neutral, pluralist and multidisciplinary advisory authority”) has presented the European Commission with its “opinion on the ethical aspects of nanomedicine”, commissioned by the Executive last November. The document states that the nanotechnologies applied to medical sciences are “full of possibilities for new diagnostic, […]

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Old age pensions

The Court of Justice of the European Community gave its ruling on 25 January on the controversial proceeding promoted by 836 staff on the payroll of a British firm, whose bankruptcy in 2003 led to insolvency in relation to the pension regime applicable to former employees. The liquidation of the company’s assets created a situation […]

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EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

Common policies

Climate change, moratorium on the death sentence, fight against obesity and chronic diseases: these are just some of the various questions tackled by the EP in its session of 31 January/1st February. The EP also received in solemn session the Presidents of Romania and Bulgaria and adopted some decisions on the composition of the commissions, […]

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YOUTH

In their minds

“We are forgetting human life and its spiritual dimension. The construction of Europe cannot be based exclusively on economic, political and scientific values”. The warning comes from the President of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conference of the European Community (COMECE), Bishop Adrian van Luyn, “We cannot dispense with the rediscovery of human values that […]

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FRANCE

On the side of children

“The challenge is to create new relations between education and media to permit each child to grow and not to suffer”, explained Bishop JEAN-MICHEL DI FALCO of Gap, chairman of the Council for Communication of the French Bishops’ Conference, commenting on the theme of this year’s Journées chrétiennes de la communication (JCC) in France: “Children […]

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ITALY

The one morality

“Human life, the family and marriage are no less important than peace, non-violence and justice”, since “they form part of the one morality that has as its horizon a full and shared humanism”, declare the Italian bishops in the final communiqué of the permanent episcopal Council (Rome, 22-25 January), published on 30 January. Turning their […]

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Church, University and Europe

The relation between Church, education and the mission of university teachers was discussed in recent days in Moscow, at a meeting promoted by Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, head of the diocese of the Mother of God, together with a group of university and college professors. “For priests – said the archbishop – it’s important to meet […]

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Christians and hopes of society

“Now that the ever-more secularised world calls us to common preaching and witness, the words of Our Lord sound out louder and stronger than ever before. Wait no longer. Times passes and we need to use it to defend our moral values and build a more just world”, declared the Archbishop of Moscow, Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, […]

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RUSSIA

2007, year of charity

The 24th plenary session of the Conference of Catholic bishops in Russia was recently held in St. Petersburg. The Russian bishops have called 2007 the “Year of Charity”. The motto they have chosen for the pastoral year is: “Hasten to do good”, taken from the words of the famous Russian physician, Feodor Gaza, protector of […]

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IRELAND

Going be yond none

“It’s not the task of the European Union to become a mini-superpower, but it is its task to be maxi and super in solidarity”, remarked the Archbishop of Dublin DIARMUID MARTIN summing up Europe’s role on the international stage. Solidarity, together with subsidarity, said the archbishop, is one of the founding values that continue today […]

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