Maastricht, ten years later

The 10th anniversary of the Treaty of Maastricht was celebrated on 1st November. The Treaty gave the official go-ahead to the single currency and to the financial rules to participate in the euro. Born when the Union was still the European Economic Community, the Treaty was signed in the Dutch city of the same name […]

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" "EU-China

” “Question of time” “

The sixth summit between China and the European Union was held in Beijing on 30 October. The European leaders and the President of the Chinese People’s Republic, Hu Jintao, reaffirmed their joint commitment to the promotion of peace, security and sustainable development in the world, and pronounced their support for a reinforced role of the […]

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Anglicans" "

An injury for all Christians” “

After months of debate, the Rev. Gene Robinson, who has lived with a male partner for 14 years, was consecrated bishop of the diocese of New Hampshire, in the USA. Robinson has thus become the first bishop of the Anglican Communion to openly declare himself gay. His ordination has however caused strong divisions within the […]

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parishes" "

Madrid, a TV channel ” “for evangelization” “

Commentary on the daily Gospel reading; a slot dedicated to the family; news bulletins that also include news about the Catholic Church, its dioceses and parishes, and not just current affairs; youth debates on such issues as alcohol and drugs; animated cartoons; masses; and films: these are just some of the programmes of TMT, the […]

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Cardinal Joseph Höffner, "Just among the Nations"” “

The mausoleum of Yad Vashem has honoured the late Cardinal Joseph Höffner, former president of the German Episcopal Conference from 1976 to 1987, and his sister Helene Hesseler-Höffner, who is still alive, with the title of “Just among the Nations”. During the period of the Holocaust, Höffner and his sister had saved Jewish citizens from […]

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Germany" "

Embryos and human dignity” “

A furious controversy has been raging in Germany over the last few days, sparked off by some statements made by the German federal minister of justice, Brigitte Zypries, on the defence of the life of test-tube embryos. Speaking at the Humboldt University in Berlin on 29 October, Zypries had declared that test-tube embryos “do not […]

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France" "

What solidarity?” “

The plenary assembly of the French Episcopal Conference (CEF) opened at Lourdes on 4 November, on the theme: “The Catholic Church in France today. From one century to another: relations with the State, presence in society”. Two main issues were addressed by the President of the French bishops, Archbishop Jean-Pierre Ricard of Bordeaux, in his […]

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Germany: death, a question suppressed” “

“In daily life there is no question more suppressed than that of death”: so said Bishop Heinz Josef Algermissen of Fulda, on the occasion of the feast of All Saints. “The mechanisms of suppression with which we react to death are only a continuation of those we use to suppress what comes before it: old […]

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Slovenia: a lesson in religion” “

“Lesson in religion – transmission of the faith” is the title of the international symposium organised by the Slovene and Austrian committee for the Central European Katholikentag (MEKT) and by the theological faculty of the University of Ljubljana. Being held at Celje in Slovenia from 6 to 9 November, the symposium focuses on a problematic […]

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No to the "list of safe countries of origin"” “

On the eve of the meeting of the Council of EU ministers of justice and internal affairs on 6 November, Amnesty International denounced the fact that some of the proposals being discussed at this meeting (such as the “Directive of the Council containing minimum norms for the procedures applied in member states with a view […]

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