Bulgaria: orphans of police forces at papal audience

A group of 20 Bulgarian children, orphans of policemen and firemen who have lost their lives in the service to their country, will be at the general audience of the Pope on 17 October, accompanied by the President of the Bulgarian bishops, Archbishop Hristo Projkov, Bulgarian Interior Minister Rumen Petkov and the heads of the […]

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Bosnia: 50th anniversary of Fidei donum

The Church of Bosnia Herzegovina is reflecting on the 50th anniversary of Pius XII’s encyclical “Fidei donum” and on the call to missionary responsibility. As explained to the Fides press agency by the national director of the Pontifical Mission-Aid Societies, Father Tomo Knezevi, “all the activities marking the 50th anniversary of Fidei donum are being […]

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Spain: document on immigration

Pastoral ministry for immigrants, beatification of 498 martyrs and illumination of the times: these were the main issues discussed by the permanent Commission of bishops of the Spanish Episcopal Conference which ended in Madrid in recent days. Bishop José Sánchez González of Sigüenza-Guadalajara, who chairs the episcopal committee for migration, presented a draft document on […]

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Austria: right to life of disabled children

The current Austrian legislation on abortion places in doubt the right to life of disabled children, claimed Franz Joseph Huainigg, spokesman for the disabled of the Austrian Volkspartei (VP) in a recent briefing. Huainigg especially pointed his finger at the “eugenic indication” of paragraph 97 of Austria’s law on abortion, according to which abortion can […]

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United Kingdom: day of fasting for Zimbabwe and Sudan

Up to 3 million pounds, over 4 million euros, to help the population of Zimbabwe, where by now one out of three people starve to death. “Cafod decided to devote to Zimbabwe the funds raised on the Harvest fast day, the autumn day of fasting, which falls on 5th October this year”, explains Nana Anto-Awuakye, […]

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Portugal: communicating with skill and freedom

In his final address at the National Days of Social Communication, held at Fatima on 27-28 September, on the question “Is what we see, hear and read true?”, Bishop Manuel Clemente of Porto maintained that “Catholic social communication must privilege skill rather than emotion and depth rather than superficiality: we aren’t selling anything to anyone, […]

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CHRISTIAN CHURCHES

Romania: Patriarch Daniel enthroned

The enthronement of the new Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Daniel, took place in the patriarchal cathedral of Bucharest on Sunday, 30 September. During the ceremony, the insignia of the patriarchal dignity – sacred vestments, crosses and pectorals – were solemnly handed over to the new Patriarch, who had been elected by the ecclesiastical […]

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Constantinople: recourse to the court in Strasbourg

The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople has brought a suit against the Turkish government at the European Court of Human Rights. As reported by the Turkish television network NTV and the “Turkish Daily News”, the action against the Turkish government regards rights to ownership of an orphanage situated on the island of Büyükada. The disputed property […]

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Anglicans: halt to gay ordinations

“We affirm our passionate desire to remain in communion”. This is the motive that has led the bishops of the Episcopalian Church of the USA – American arm of the Anglican Communion – to halt the further consecration of gay candidates to the episcopate and to the priesthood, and also to interrupt the practice of […]

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Prague: ecumenical meeting of bishops

The annual ecumenical meeting of Bishops/Friends of the Focolare Movement has ended in Prague. At the invitation of the Archbishop of the city, Cardinal Miloslav Vlk, the meeting had brought together 43 bishops of 18 Churches, from 17 nations in four continents from 20 to 27 September. The climax of the week was the “Ecumenical […]

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