Erasmus growing. Spain is the favourite country” “

Some 144,000 university students of 31 European countries benefited from a period of study abroad, ranging from 3 to 12 months, in the academic year 2004/2005, thanks to the EU student-exchange programme Erasmus. During the same period over 20,000 university teachers had access to the same programme. Ján Figel, European Commissioner for education, training and […]

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Citizens’ Forums: Europeans discuss integration” “

Enlargement, Constitution, European social model: these are the main themes tackled during the first two Citizens’ Forums held respectively at Saarbrücken and Hamburg (Germany) on 16 and 20 March. The meetings form part of the agenda of public meetings promoted by the European Parliament. After the rejection of the Constitution by the citizens of France […]

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EUROPEAN COUNCIL " "

Revival or risky standstill?” “

In a problematic phase of reflection on the future of the European Community as a whole – Constitution, identity, frontiers and budget – the spring European Council, traditionally dedicated to economic issues, could provide an occasion to revive the EU or bring it to a new and risky standstill. For this reason all eyes are […]

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PRIESTS " "

From East to West ” “

Vocations are falling in Slovakia. At least that’s what seems to be the case judging from the figures: an average of 213 young men annually entered a seminary in the period 1990-1995; that figure dropped to 132 in the late 1990s, and has now fallen further to 87 in the period 2000-2005. Interviewed on the […]

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AUSTRIA " "

Family is life” “

The spring session of the plenary of Austrian bishops ended at Sonntagberg on 16 March. Among the main issues discussed by the bishops was the protection of life and of the family, including one novelty: the presentation of the new official portal of the Austrian Catholic Church, which can be consulted on the website www.katholisch.at […]

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United Kingdom: Pope’s visit impossible in 2007″ “

Due to his many commitments, the Pope will not be able to visit the United Kingdom next year, explained Austen Ivereigh, spokesman of the archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor, who on 6 March had invited the Pope to England. The Holy See’s Secretariat of State – says the press release issued in London […]

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Switzerland: human rights and Holy Land” “

100,000 roses will be sold at a price of 5 euros each throughout Switzerland next Saturday, 25 March, to support human rights. On the occasion of the annual ecumenical campaign “Bread for our neighbour” and “Action for Lent”, several hundred groups and parishes throughout the country will testify their solidarity to those who must struggle […]

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Italy: the Church and the general elections ” “

“Our attitude” is “that of not involving ourselves, as the Church and, hence, as clergy and church organizations, in any choice of political coalition or party, and at the same time reminding electors and future MPs of those indispensable contents, founded on the primacy and centrality of the human person and on the pursuit of […]

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Spain: vocations by e-mail” “

One Spanish bishop has clear ideas about vocations. He is José Manuel Lorca Planes, bishop of Teruel and Albarracín: if a young man in the diocese wants to become a priest, all he has to do is send him an e-mail and speak directly with him (pastoralvocacionalteruel@hotmail.com). He has reminded the youth of the diocese […]

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Slovenia: plenary of the bishops” “

The 28th ordinary Assembly of the Slovene Bishops’ Conference (SBC) was held in Ljubljana on 6-7 March. According to the Slovene bishops’ spokesman, the Rev. Andrej Saje, the bishops during their plenary had a meeting with the dean of the Faculty of Theology at the University of Ljubljana, Father Bogdan Kolar, and with other faculty […]

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