Civil protection ” “

The EU Commissioners for the environment (Stavros Dimas) and external relations (Benita Ferrero-Waldner) jointly presented two documents in Brussels last week containing a series of new proposals aimed at introducing or reinforcing European structures of intervention in the event of natural calamities, emergencies and disasters. According to Ferrero-Waldner, “after the tsunami there is a need […]

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Asylum applications ” “

The European Commissioner for liberty, justice and security Franco Frattini has presented a plan for the harmonization at the EU level of procedures for requesting political asylum. The Executive’s proposal – tabled some months ago but as yet unable to find agreement in the Council of Ministers – starts out from the recognition that “the […]

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Early warning for immigration ” “

The Justice and Internal Affairs Council of the European Union reached an agreement in Luxembourg last week on the entry into force of the so-called “European early warning system on immigration”. The system will permit EU member states to monitor migratory flows into the entire territory of the Union through the exchange of data in […]

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Human rights and the Russia ” “

The Council of Europe has firmly condemned the human rights situation in Russia. In a document of 120 pages, experts and parliamentarians of the Strasbourg-based organization draw attention to the “inadmissible” shortcomings and violations of fundamental rights that have emerged from hundreds of interviews conducted in Russia and in the countries of the Community of […]

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On the side of life” “

Once again the roads of the European Union and the Council of Europe have crossed. What emerges from this encounter is a reinforced commitment to the safeguard of human rights, both within and beyond the frontiers of the continent, and to the defence of life from the threat of euthanasia. This commitment was expressed by […]

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The Commitment and the challenge” “

The first anniversary of CASE (Catholic agency to support evangelisation), (www.caseresources.org ), the agency founded by the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales in 2004 to support dioceses, parishes, schools and groups in the new evangelisation, was celebrated in London in early April. Speakers at the anniversary meeting included the head of the agency, Monsignor […]

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Silence and memory” “

“Night of silence”: that is the name of an initiative jointly promoted by the association “A letter to the stars”, the Austrian Churches, the Ministry of the Interior and the Austrian Trades-Union Federation (öGB) to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Mauthausen. On the night between 7 and 8 May 100,000 candles will […]

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England: Christians and politics ” “

“The public role of the faith: politics and theology” was the theme of an international conference held in Cambridge in recent days, promoted by the Von Hugel Institute, a Catholic organization dedicated to the study of issues relating to faith and society. “The aim of the conference – said Severine Deneulin, associate researcher of the […]

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Germany: Schoenstatt Movement commemorates John Paul II ” “

“In Grata Memoria”: that’s the title of the document commemorating John Paul II issued in recent day by the Apostolic Movement of Schoenstatt. “His fostering of the ecclesial movements as fruit of the Spirit and springtime of the Church – says the document – calls us to keep alive the particular charism we have each […]

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Holland: huge demand for John Paul II prayer leaflets ” “

The first record printing of 550,000 prayer leaflets dedicated to John Paul II, printed by the Dutch Bishops’ Conference following the Pope’s death, was exhausted in just 7 days. The second printing of 100,000 copies was issued on 11 April. These are record figures: the first print-run of 550,000 copies – exhausted in just seven […]

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