In any case "unacceptable"” “

A possible US attack on Iraq continues to arouse the concern of the bishops of various episcopal conferences and ecclesial movements Netherlands. A “preventive and unilateral military intervention” in Iraq is incompatible with the “just use of force”, say the bishops of the Netherlands in an official communiqué released in recent days, in response to […]

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globalization" "

From ideas to proposals” “

The two world forums of Davos and Porto Alegre have just ended. At the one politicians and economists, at the other organizations of civil society, discussed the fate of the world from different viewpoints. The third Social Forum at Porto Alegre, attended by hundreds of thousands of people who took part in over 1500 meetings, […]

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Comece" "

The danger of a catastrophe” “

“I fully endorse the views expressed by French president Chirac, who declared that it’s up to the UN Security Council to decide on a possible conflict, and that war always represents the worst solution”: so said Bishop Josef Homeyer of Hildesheim (Germany), president of COMECE, the Commission of the Episcopates of the European Community and […]

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Europe and Latin America: accelerating rapprochement” “

An appeal “not to lose sight of the great difficulties that are today afflicting many regions in the world, in particular Africa and South America” was recently made by the presidents of the Council of the Episcopates of Latin America (CELAM), Archbishop Jorge Jiménez Carvajal, and of the Commission of the episcopates of the European […]

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ecumenism" "

Italy: Pope Leo XIII, a pioneer of ecumenism” “

He took to heart the cause of Christian unity and his pontificate represented “the dawn of ecumenism” in the early years of the 20th century”: that’s how Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity, presented Pope Leo XIII on inaugurating the celebrations promoted by the diocese of Perugia (Italy) to mark […]

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France: the Protestant Churches also reject cloning ” “

After the Catholic Church (see page 13) the Protestant Federation of France has also rejected human cloning, and pressed for its “explicit” prohibition under French law. “Reproductive cloning – declares a document issued by the Federation in recent days – is a negation of what constitutes the identity, dignity and freedom of each human being”. […]

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Russia: the Orthodox Church opposes an attack on Iraq” “

The Russian Orthodox Church has also added its voice to the chorus of those rejecting a war in Iraq – an opposition that has unanimously brought together in recent days all the Christian Churches and religious communities of Europe and the world (USA included). “The experience of history teaches us that it is very easy […]

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EU in brief" "

EU: a new strategy for employment” “

Aiming at quality of employment, and not just quantity of jobs: that’s one of the main objectives indicated in the new European strategy for employment defined by the European Commission. In a communication adopted in recent days, the Commission spelt out three priorities: pursuing the goal of full employment, increasing quality and productivity of work, […]

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The role of the Regions in the EU” “

The debate on the role and functions of the local authorities in the EU decision-making process occupies a central position in the framework of the institutional reform of the European Union. With the aim of giving a voice to local communities, the Treaty of Maastricht of 1992 established the Committee of the Regions, a consultative […]

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EU-environment: procedures against 8 members” “

Just when the European Commissioner for the environment, Mrs. Margot Wallstroem, was making known the EU’s environmental priorities for 2003 (implementation of EU environmental legislation for the countries of enlargement, reinforcement of the strategy of sustainable development, prevention of disasters, new policy for chemical products, obligation of Environmental Impact Evaluation – EIE), the Executive opened […]

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