France: abolition of Pentecost, the bishops’ fears ” “

The abolition in France of the feast of Pentecost in 2005 may risk “seriously damaging the social life and religious activities” of the country: that’s the warning made by Archbishop Jean-Pierre Ricard of Bordeaux and president of the French Episcopal Conference, during its general assembly held in Lourdes in recent days. The French government has […]

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Germany: Catholics and Evangelicals” “

With 121 votes out of 135 the Synod of the German Evangelic Church (EKD) recently elected a new president of their ruling Council. He is Wolfgang Huber, bishop of the Evangelic Church of Berlin-Brandeburg, who takes over from the outgoing president, Manfred Kock. The president of the German Episcopal Conference, Cardinal Karl Lehmann has expressed […]

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England and Wales: bishops’ plenary assembly

“United in body”: that’s how Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor summed up the biennial meeting of the 35 bishops of England and Wales, held in Leeds, from 10 to 13 November. In October the bishops had completed an ad limina visit to Rome, as a preparatory step for the meeting in Leeds. On that occasion the Pope […]

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Austria" "" "

Autumn plenary assembly of the bishops” “

Central European Katholikentag (MEKT), a ban on any type of cloning, the rejection of research on embryos and euthanasia, concerns about the Holy Land and the memory of the extermination of peasants perpetrated by Stalin in 1932-33: these were the main issues recalled by the Austrian Episcopal Conference at the end of their autumn plenary […]

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Abuses: Cardinal Schönborn, "provisions to deal with offenders"” “

“Unconditional information, aid and counselling to victims, and appropriate provisions to deal with offenders”: these are the main measures identified by Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, archbishop of Vienna and president of the Austrian bishops, as ways of countering cases of sexual abuse in church. Schönborn issued a “Declaration on the procedural questions relating to sexual abuse […]

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Croatia" "" "

A "space to be inhabited with pride"” “

“A space to be inhabited with humility and pride and in a climate of genuine dialogue” without “forgetting that to remain faithful to its own vocation, Europe must go beyond its own frontiers and become a real protagonist in the world, with particular attention to the ‘forgotten’ countries”: that’s the Europe aspired to by the […]

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The legacy of Cardinal Franjo Šeper ” “

“Cardinal Franjo Šeper was a pastor who knew how to read the signs of the time. Very conscious of the situation in which the Church had to live under the Communist regime, following in the footsteps of his predecessor, the Blessed Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac, he did not give way to despair, but tried to come […]

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Church and money" "

Between God and mammon?” “

Who should we choose between “God and mammon”? The French Church is now tackling a question that is almost taboo for Christians, but also for society in general: money. The question will be discussed during the 78th Social Week of French Catholics in Paris from 14 to 16 November. The speakers include Robert Rochefort , […]

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ecumenism" "

Russia: Vatican, Putin’s comments” “

Representing 90% of Russia’s believers, the Russian Orthodox Church is the “principal religion” and the “majority church” in the country. “For this reason I cannot fail to take it into consideration”. That’s how the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin replied to the Washington Post which had asked him why the Russian government has […]

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England: Anglicans and the "Al Azhar" Centre” “

“A new and significant step in the construction of relations between the Anglican communion and the famous Islamic ‘Al Azhar’ University in Cairo”: that’s how Anglicans have called the visit of Shaykh Fawzy El-Zafzaf, chairman of the committee for dialogue with the monotheist faiths of Al Azhar, to the theological college in Cambridge, Ridley Hall. […]

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