The 53th International Frankfurt Book Fair, the most important world event of its kind in the publishing sector, opened on 9 October, amid massive security measures. Its inauguration took place in the presence of Chancellor Schroeder and Kostantinos Stephanopoulos, head of state of the country being celebrated at the fair this year, Greece. In 9 […]

“Gaining awareness of human communication in culture, promoting collaboration and developing ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, and providing support to education in the media”: these are just some of the objectives set by “Signis”, the new world Catholic association born from the fusion between OCIC (International Catholic Organization of Cinema and Audiovisuals), an umbrella organization that […]

A Protestant view of current affairs in a Catholic daily. In France that is possible. Jean-Luc Mouton, director of the periodical “Riforma” since 1995, has resigned from his post to join the editorial team of the Catholic daily “La Croix” as from 1st October. He’s in charge of national political questions on the paper. Born […]

The ecumenical consultation has reached a successful conclusion: the “Message of the Churches” on the social and economic future of Switzerland has been published. “By means of the ecumenical consultation – the project leaders write in a letter – we have experienced what it means to be a listening Church… The end of the Consultation […]

In response to the terrorist attacks of 11 September and the subsequent air strikes on Afghanistan, the World Council of Churches (WCC), the Joint Action of the Churches (Act) and the ecumenical Alliance “Acting together” have decided to set up a rapid instrument of consultation to facilitate the exchange of information. The Internet site www.wcc-coe.org […]

Ex-Yugoslavia and Afghanistan: the tragedy repeats itself. Interview with the bishop of Banja Luka, Franjo Komarica and Maria Rita Saulle “No, the war didn’t arrive here, but we are still suffering from the damage it caused. The Catholics were expelled en masse, following the policy of ethnic cleansing pursued by the Bosnian Serbs during the […]

The European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE), the network of support to refugees composed of some seventy NGOs that operate in 28 European countries, has for many years been alert to the development of EU policy in the fields of asylum and immigration. ECRE considers it essential to facilitate the legal assess to the […]

The last provisions of the European Parliament for a more “user-friendly” Union The European Parliament (EP), gathered in Strasbourg in plenary session from 1st to 4th October, approved two provisions on asylum and immigration, respectively the Report of the British Labour MEP Evans on the Commission’s Communication to the Council and to the EP “ […]

A coordination of Caritas agencies throughout the world for aid to Afghan refugees. We interviewed Roberto Rambaldi on this question After the first attacks of the USA on Afghanistan, flanked by airplanes that dropped food packs, blankets and medicines to the stricken populations, Roberto Rambaldi, vice-director of Italian Caritas and head of its international division, […]

The testimony of Thomas Koenig, volunteer of Misereor, on the situation on the frontier of Afghanistan 300,000 DM to be placed at the disposal of experts working in the areas most directly involved by the military escalation underway over the last few days: the initiative is that of the German aid organization Misereor which ever […]