Comece" "

2004, a crucial year” “

Not just “Christian roots”: to construct a Europe that is extending its own frontiers eastwards and towards the Mediterranean, a Europe that is internally cohesive and the driving force of an international peace policy, a more comprehensive action is needed. Beginning with the drafting of a Constitution “that may recognise the basic values and the […]

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Convergence, not confusion” “

“To make the ship weigh anchor, everyone must first be on board”: a simple image to explain the need for a basic agreement between the member and candidate countries of Europe if a “European common home” is to be realised. As part of the programme of the COMECE plenary assembly on 30/31 October, a debate […]

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European churches" "

Spain: Church and human rights, parishes, healthcare” “

The Church and the defence of human rights; the parishes and the pastoral care of the sick; diocesan and religious publications: these are the three issues to be discussed at three separate meetings to be held in Spain in the days ahead, on the initiative of various offices and commissions of the Spanish Episcopal Commission. […]

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France: does money rule the world?” “

“Does money rule the world?” To this question a five-week survey is being devoted by the French Catholic daily La Croix, also in preparation for the Social Week of French Catholics, to be held on the same theme in Paris from 14 to 16 November ( cf.SirEurope 72/2003). In its edition of 28 October La […]

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Austria: Katholikentag for Central Europe” “

A joint celebration of the Austrian bishops, currently meeting in their autumn plenary assembly, was held in St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna on 4 November. The mass was also celebrated to mark the Katholikentag of the Catholics of Central Europe MEKT). In the view of Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, president of the Episcopal Conference, Austrian Catholics […]

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No to the "list of safe countries of origin"” “

On the eve of the meeting of the Council of EU ministers of justice and internal affairs on 6 November, Amnesty International denounced the fact that some of the proposals being discussed at this meeting (such as the “Directive of the Council containing minimum norms for the procedures applied in member states with a view […]

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Slovenia: a lesson in religion” “

“Lesson in religion – transmission of the faith” is the title of the international symposium organised by the Slovene and Austrian committee for the Central European Katholikentag (MEKT) and by the theological faculty of the University of Ljubljana. Being held at Celje in Slovenia from 6 to 9 November, the symposium focuses on a problematic […]

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Germany: death, a question suppressed” “

“In daily life there is no question more suppressed than that of death”: so said Bishop Heinz Josef Algermissen of Fulda, on the occasion of the feast of All Saints. “The mechanisms of suppression with which we react to death are only a continuation of those we use to suppress what comes before it: old […]

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France" "

What solidarity?” “

The plenary assembly of the French Episcopal Conference (CEF) opened at Lourdes on 4 November, on the theme: “The Catholic Church in France today. From one century to another: relations with the State, presence in society”. Two main issues were addressed by the President of the French bishops, Archbishop Jean-Pierre Ricard of Bordeaux, in his […]

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Germany" "

Embryos and human dignity” “

A furious controversy has been raging in Germany over the last few days, sparked off by some statements made by the German federal minister of justice, Brigitte Zypries, on the defence of the life of test-tube embryos. Speaking at the Humboldt University in Berlin on 29 October, Zypries had declared that test-tube embryos “do not […]

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