How can the crisis be overcome?” “

What can be done to ensure that the fostering of vocations to the consecrated life and to the priesthood becomes a duty for everyone in the Church, and what is needed in normal pastoral care to ensure that the young hear the call of God? These are the questions at the basis of the annual […]

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gipsies" "

The injuries of the Romanies” “

While the 5th World Congress of the pastoral care of nomads on “Church and gipsies, a spirituality of communion (cf. SirEurope nos 39, 43 and 47/2002) is in progress in Budapest (30 June-7 July), we present some “thoughts” and information on the world of nomads in Europe. “ The healing of memory: the Romanies and […]

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The disabled" "

The message of tenderness” “” “

“The danger is that of remaining at the level of the head, whereas the whole mystery consists in putting the head in the heart and the heart in the head. It’s not enough to give fine speeches. We need to have an intelligence capable of transmitting itself to the other person. Communicating means transmitting a […]

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European Churches" "

England and Wales: return of the Apostolate of the Sea” “

“The mission of those who work at sea, on board ships, is extraordinary but often forgotten. I am aware that those who live on these ships are among the poorest persons and those most separated from their families. They deserve all our support, hospitality and care”. So said Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, president of the Bishops’ […]

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Holland: Pax Christi and the war in Iraq” “

In a letter to De Hoop Scheffer, Dutch Foreign Minister, the president of Pax Christi in Holland, Bishop Adrian van Luyn asks to know why the first Balkenende government gave its political, even if not military, support to the war against Iraq. News of the Pax Christi intervention was recently released by Katholiek Nederland, the […]

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Turkey: celebration of the feast of Saint Peter” “

The 8th Symposium of Antioch was held from 28 June to 1 July on the theme “Paul: apostle between Tarsus and Antioch – Archaeology, History, Religion”, on the initiative of the Franciscan Institute of Spirituality – Pontifical Antonianum University, with the contribution of the University of Antioch “Mustafa Kemal”. The participants included the Apostolic Nuncio […]

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Czech Republic" "

Towards the future with head held high” “

The first session of the ‘Synod of the Church in the Czech Republic’ will be held at the sanctuary of Velehrad, in Moravia, from 6 to 12 July 2003. Theme of the Synod: “Let’s not deprive ourselves of our future!”. The Synod will be attended by the bishops of the country, the rectors of the […]

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The Catholic Church in the Czech Republic” “

Out of a population of over 10 million inhabitants, there are approximately 4,300,000 Catholics (41.93%), subdivided in 9 ecclesiastical circumscriptions, 3135 parishes and 21 other communities. Their pastoral care is entrusted to 17 bishops including 1 cardinal, 1364 diocesan priests, 595 religious priests, and 141 permanent deacons. There are 101 male religious, 2297 female religious, […]

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Spain" "

A subject "like any other"” “

The teaching of the Catholic religion in schools and the pastoral care of the people are the two main issues on which the attention of the Spanish Church is being focused at the present time. In Spain Catholic religion in schools will in future be “a subject to be evaluated like history or mathematics, and […]

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Road safety: a campaign of prevention ” “

“Promoting a Christian culture of the highway to prevent accidents”. That is the objective of the awareness-raising campaign “Drive!” ( Condùcete) called by the Spanish Episcopal Conference’s office for the pastoral ministry of the highways for this summer. A total of 4,026 people were killed in road accidents in Spain in 2002 alone. The bishop […]

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