front page" "

From crisis to chance” “

The will expressed by the people of France and the Netherlands has put in question the ratification of the Constitutional Treaty and created a critical situation for the European Union. However, this event does not signify the end of European construction. A crisis can become an opportunity. After the catastrophe of the Second World War, […]

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christians and immigrations " "" "

Letter to the President of the European Council” “” “

Satisfaction for the efforts aimed at establishing a common immigration and asylum policy in Europe, but also concern about the criminalization of irregular workers and all those, including Churches and NGOs, that help them, were expressed to the current president of the European Council, Jean-Claude Juncker, by six European Christian organizations (Caritas Europe, COMECE, Commission […]

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France: new structures for the Catholic Church ” “

A new internal organization “to favour the collegial exercise of the Episcopal ministry” and “to support the action of the Church” in the country was decided by the French bishops during their plenary assembly held at Chevilly-Larue from 13 to 15 June. ‘Trasversality’, flexibility, simplification and participation – says a statement issued at the end […]

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Germany: ‘no’ to research on embryos” “

With a press release issued on 14 June, the German Bishops’ Conference, through its secretary, Father Hans Langendörfer, has “forcefully rejected” the statements of Chancellor Schröder on research on embryonal stem cells. “The Chancellor’s mention of the eventuality of research being conducted on embryonal stem cells cannot disguise the fact that fundamental and inalienable values […]

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Lithuania: the bishops against ‘occultism'” “

A letter addressed “to the faithful and to all men of good will”, warning them of the danger of the diffusion of occult practices, was issued in recent days by Cardinal Audrys Backis, president of the Lithuanian Bishops’ Conference (LBC), by its general secretary Msgr. Gintaras Grusas, and by an expert in psychology, Fra Arunas […]

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asylum and immigration" "

Switzerland: "asylum is a human right"” “

“Asylum is a human right”. That’s the motto chosen for 2005 for Refugee Saturday and Sunday, which will be celebrated in Switzerland on 18 and 19 June. It is “a heart-warming motto”, write pastor Thomas Wipf, chairman of the Federation of the Evangelical Churches of Switzerland, Fritz-René Müller, bishop of the Christian Catholic Church of […]

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England: Refugee Week” “

A week is being dedicated to political asylum by the Catholic Church of England and Wales from 20 to 25 June. In a press release published to mark Refugee Week, Bishop Patrick O’Donoghue points out: “The fact that the world still finds a need for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and refugee NGOs […]

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Ireland: a project for refugees” “

There were 4265 new asylum applications in Ireland in 2004, with a monthly average of more than 355 applications; that is a decline over the monthly figure for 2003 which was 620. Immigrants mainly arrived from Nigeria (37%), Romania (6%), China and Sudan (3%). These are some of the data furnished by the “Refugees Project” […]

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croatia" "

Special session of the Bishops’ Assembly” “

The pilgrimage on 24 September to the Marian sanctuary of Brezje (diocese of Ljubljana), the tenth anniversary of the military police campaigns at Bljesak and Oljuja and the project for the church of Croatian martyrs at Udbina (its foundation stone will be laid on 9 September), were the main questions discussed by the Croatian Bishops’ […]

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Youth and vocations” “

The date of the national youth meeting was also announced at the bishops’ assembly: it will be held at Pola on 29-30 April on the theme “The Master is here and is calling you”. During the same bishops’ assembly, some members of the Croatian Bishops’ Conference met the religious provincials. “Meetings like this – observed […]

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