Bosnia-Herzegovina" "

The example of Ivan” “” “

“Blessed are the pure in heart” (Mt 5:8): that’s the motto of the Pope’s forthcoming journey to Bosnia and Herzegovina on 22 June. It will be John Paul II’s second visit in the Balkan country, after that of 12 April 1997. During the visit, that will take him to Banja Luka, the Pope will beatify […]

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United Kingdom" "

‘Refugee Week'” “

“Refugees are the product of the failure of the policies of states and of governments aimed at the promotion of peace, reconciliation, development and human rights”. The denunciation has been made by Bishop Patrick O’ Donoghue, head of the Office for political refugees of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, in the “Refugee Week” […]

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European Treaty and "cultural vandalism"” “

“The draft preamble of the European constitutional Treaty? An act of cultural vandalism”. The archbishop of Glasgow, Msgr. Mario Conti does not mince words in criticising the absence of any explicit reference to Christianity in the draft preamble of them European Constitution. “This omission – declares Archbishop Conti – gives rise to a philosophical historical […]

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Prayer for Africa” “

The attention of the European episcopates in the problems of Africa is growing. After Italy, whose Episcopal Conference expressed its support in recent days for Uganda, a country being bled white by continuous civil wars, now it’s the turn of Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, Archbishop of Westminster, to launch, in his diocese, a week of prayer […]

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Europe and Islam" "

Courtyard and parliamentary chamber” “

Eight months lived together with an Afghan family to report on how people live in Afghanistan after the war, when the spotlight of the media has been switched off: that’s the experience of the Norwegian journalist and writer Asne Seierstad , as recounted in her book “The Bookseller of Kabul” which documents the condition of […]

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European Churches" "

European Forum on the Catholic laity” “

The meeting of the delegates of the European Forum of the national Committees of the laity opens in Ljubljana, in Slovenia, on 20 June, and will end on 22 June. The Forum is aimed at the promotion of regular contacts between the national committees and lay councils or corresponding organizations of the continent with a […]

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Seminar on Catholic schools in 22 countries ” “

“The current priority for immigrants and refugees is integration”. With this awareness, Caritas Europe – a body representing the national Caritas agencies of 43 European countries – organized the Migration Forum 2003 at the Escorial (near Madrid) from 12 to 15 June. The meeting brought together coordinators for immigration of Europe’s Caritas agencies and representatives […]

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Caritas Europe on immigration and enlargement” “

Some 40 bishops with special responsibility for education and schooling from 22 European countries met at Bensberg, in Germany, on 16 June, for a seminar on Catholic schools. The meeting, which brought together for the first time bishops from Western and Eastern Europe on the question, was held on the initiative of the CEEC, centre […]

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christian roots" "

On the roads, like Francis” “

“Reviving the practice of solidarity and combating every form of violence and fundamentalism”: that’s how the Minister General of the Friars Minor, Father José Rodriguez Carballo (50 years ago, Spanish), sums up the reflection on the Order’s mission conducted by the general Chapter, which ended at Assisi in recent days. The particular role that Europe […]

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disabled" "

The Olympics of life” “

“Life in all its fullness” is the title of the pastoral letter issued by the bishops in Ireland in recent day to mark the approaching 11th “Special Olympics” world summer Games reserved for disabled athletes. Taking part in the Special Olympics will be 7000 mentally handicapped athletes, 2000 coaches, 28,000 family members and 30,000 volunteers. […]

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