Belgium: for the victims of paedophilia ” “

“Compassion and condolence” were expressed by Bishop André-Mutien Leonard of Namur (Belgium) to the family of Elisabeth Brichet, the twelve-year-old Belgian girl who disappeared in 1989, close to Namur, and whose body was found on 3 July in the grounds of the castle of Satou, in the Ardennes on the borders between Belgium and France. […]

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Austria: President Klestil commemorated” “

In a first statement on the death of Austrian President Thomas Klestil, released on 7 July, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, president of the Austrian Episcopal Conference, said he was “profoundly moved”. Cardinal Schönborn “espressly” thanked President Klestil “for his tireless service to our country”, and recalled his efforts to “maintain good relations with the Churches and […]

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Turkey: Caritas on the earthquake in Agri” “

18 dead, of whom 11 children and 21 injured, thousands of homeless: that is the provisional balance-sheet of the earthquake measuring 5 on the Richter scale that struck the village of Dogubeyazit, in the north-east province of Agri, on the frontier with Iran, on 2 July. Though not directly involved in the relief efforts, at […]

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croatia" "

A new beginning” “” “

Scholars from all over the continent are due to meet in Italy to discuss European religious history. That is the aim of the 26th week of reflection and discussion promoted by the Paul VI Ambrosian Foundation, which this year will review the past and present of Croatia and Slovenia, after having done the same for […]

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ecumenism" "

England: Iraq, Rowan Williams writes to Blair” “

In a letter of reproof to the prime minister Tony Blair, the archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, primate of seventy million Anglicans worldwide, accuses Tony Blair of “double standards” and maintains that the government risks losing the trust of the population due to the way in which Iraqi prisoners have been treated. “There is also […]

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Bulgaria: Othodox Synod, "Harry Potter bad for children"” “

The Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church has condemned Harry Potter, the fictional and cinematic character loved by millions of children throughout the world, famous because magic is at the centre of all his adventures. The question has aroused a heated debate in Bulgarian society and in the press. “The adventures of Harry Potter […]

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Germany: the Churches and immigration” “

In a joint communiqué, the German Churches, in the person of the representative of the Council of the German Evangelic church (EKD), Stephan Reimers, and of Karl Jüsten, director of the relevant commission of the German bishops, have welcomed the approval of the new law on immigration by the Bundestag (German federal parliament). The Churches […]

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Turkey in the EU: doubts of the Russian Church” “

The Patriarchate of Moscow has serious misgivings about the possibility of Turkey becoming a member state of the European Union. So says a statement put out by the Department of Foreign Relations of the Patriarchate in response to a “discussion paper” drafted by the CEC (Conference of the European Churches that represents 124 Orthodox, Protestant, […]

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Portal for energy saving” “

That’s the address of the new website launched by the European Commission at the end of June with the aim of “supporting the development of renewable energy sources and promoting energy efficiency, thanks to the new technologies of “information and communication”. The portal – managed by the Commission’s General Directorate for transport and energy and […]

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Unemployment: concerns growing ” “

Forty-seven Europeans out of every hundred place work at the top of their concerns. That’s the result of a survey conducted by the Commission on a sample of 9,000 citizens in eight countries of the European Union. The finding reflects the recent Eurostat data, according to which the unemployment rate in the EU shows no […]

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