Judicial protection for the under-age” “

How can the under-age – and more particularly younger children who are victims of crimes – be protected during penal proceedings? The Advocate General of the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg, Juliane Kokott, ruled last week on the possibility of courts to listen to a five-year-old child during the preliminary hearings, prior in any […]

di Redazione

Cities for Europe” “

“Towards an integrated approach to urban questions and reinforced cooperation with the cities within the European Union”: that’s the title of the Vienna Declaration adopted by the general assembly of Eurocities (10-12/11/2004), the network of major European cities that now boasts of 120 members. The Declaration contains 18 recommendations, aimed at the EU institutions and […]

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Committee of the regions" "

The territory’s vocation” “

A dialogue between the institutions of Brussels and Strasbourg and the citizens of the Union, through the regional governments and municipal administrations: that’s the “vocation” of the Committee of the Regions, established in 1994 and based in the Belgian capital. It is a consultative organ composed of 317 members representing the local authorities. It celebrated […]

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anglicans" "

Female episcopate?” “

“Women bishops in the Anglican Church?” is the title of the Report drawn up by the “Women in the Episcopate” group chaired by the Bishop of Rochester, Michael Nazir-Ali. The document was presented to the House of Bishops, the main ruling body of the Anglican Church in England, at the beginning of November and has […]

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Portugal: the Bible written by hand ” “

Portuguese Prime Minister Pedro Santana Lopes was the last “amanuensis” of the “Manuscript Bible” that involved the whole of Portugal from 5 to 21 November. This unique venture, of writing out the Bible by hand, was promoted by the Portuguese Biblical Society. “Scriptoria” were set up in 22 Portuguese cities, where people were invited to […]

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Ireland: government approves the papal visit” “

If his conditions of health permit it, the Pope could visit Ireland in 2005. After the invitation made to him by the Irish episcopate (cf. SIR no.56 of 23 July) and (according to Archbishop Seàn Brady of Armagh, Primate of all Ireland) accepted “in principle”, the Irish government has now given its approval of such […]

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Poland: too restrictive legislation on life?” “

The issue of life and the protection of maternity have recently touched the Polish Church. The UN Commission for Human Rights has in fact condemned Poland for having too restrictive a legislation on abortion, which is only allowed in the case of rape or if the life of the mother is at risk. In its […]

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czech republic - slovakia" "

Fifteen years after” “

A week after the fall of the Berlin Wall, on 17 November 1989, the bloodless Velvet Revolution led to the end of the Soviet regime in Czechoslovakia. In contrast to what happened in 1968 the movement was not stopped by Soviet tanks. So it came to pass that in January 1990, in the country’s first […]

di Marian Gavenda" "Spokesman of the Slovak Episcopal Conference" "" "" "

Poverty: job insecurity is mainly to blame” “

This year too French Caritas has published a statistical report on poverty in France. It handed over the document to Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin on Tueday, 16 November, during his visit to the Centre for hospitality and social insertion (CHRS) created and run by Caritas in the Cité Notre Dame in Paris. The report was […]

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france" "

A law that jeopardises freedom of expression” “

A bill that aims to combat discrimination of sexist or homophobic character is arousing considerable discussion in France. The national Commission of human rights – meeting in plenary assembly last week – asked for it to be withdrawn and the archbishop of Paris, Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger, who is a member of that Commission, spoke of […]

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