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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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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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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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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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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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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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 […]

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Accounts in order but improvable” “

The Audit Court of the EU published its annual Report for the 2003 financial year on 16 November. The Report emphasizes – for the tenth consecutive year – the substantial correspondence of the consolidated balance sheets of EU institutions with their declared and certified debits and credits. The Court gives a positive evaluation in the […]

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Terrorism: controls on cash circulation” “

The Council of the Ministers of the Economy and Finance (ECOFIN) reached a “political agreement” (voted by qualified majority with the sole contrary vote of the Italian delegation) in Brussels last week, with regard to the proposed Regulation of the Commission on controls on the circulation of cash between EU countries at the point of […]

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PRIMA PAGINA" "

Memoria e impegni condivisi” “

Una dichiarazione sull’apertura dei negoziati con la Turchia, il giudizio preoccupato sull’Agenda di Lisbona, lo sguardo rivolto al futuro dell’Unione con l’impegno rinnovato “a sostenere con decisione il processo di integrazione continentale”. Era fitta di argomenti l’agenda della sessione plenaria della Comece, la Commissione degli episcopati della Comunità europea che raccoglie i rappresentanti di 21 […]

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