Posts From Editorial
EN | IT – The Council of European Bishops’ Conferences has sent a letter signed by the Presidents of Bishops’ Conferences from the entire continent members of CCEE to the United Nations Security Council. In it the bishops call on the international community to take urgent “decisions to put an end to the atrocious actions against Christians and other religious minorities in Iraq”. A copy of this letter will be handed over to different European governments and European Union authorities that they might join in this appeal.
EN | IT | FR | DE – The statement of CCEE’s Presidency for Immediately peace in Iraq.
EN | IT | DE | FR – “We cannot be silent” is the title of the statement issued on August 2 by the Italian Catholic Bishops’ Conference to denounce the persecution of Christians in the world, particularly in Iraq and Nigeria. The Italian bishops vigorously addressed a Europe which is “careless and indifferent, blind and dumb.” For August 15 they have proclaimed a Day of Prayer for persecuted Christians. This is the full text of their statement.
EN | IT – While everybody is talking and has been talking about Brazil, with all its problems and contradictions, as the country hosting the 2014 FIFA World Cup, there’s another reason to talk about Brazil, which will “host” – and this is certainly much less known – the 2015 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (January 18 to 25, 2015). It was actually a work group coordinated by the Council of Churches of this South American country (Conic) who prepared the resources for next Week of Prayer entitled “Give me to drink”, taking as a starting point the passage in the Gospel where Jesus comes across a Samaritan woman (John 4:7).
EN | IT – The European Union must set a clear “Zero-Hunger Goal” before the end of this year, with the aim of eradicating worldwide hunger by 2025. This should be taken into consideration by the new European Parliament and included among the priorities of the Italian presidency of the EU when outlining a common EU position on the Post-2015 Agenda.
EN | IT | FR – Statement of CCEE Presidency on the crucifixion of people in Deir Hafer (Syria)
EN | IT | FR | DE – The Secretaries of 25 Catholic Bishops’ Conferences belonging to the CCEE (Council of the European bishops’ conferences) met, as every year, in Strasbourg on June 19 -22. In the agenda: deepen the knowledge of the Council of Europe, discuss and share – together with some persons responsible of the Strasbourg institutions – their common concern for the continent. Here follow some reflexions taken from the press release issued at the end of the meeting.
EN | IT – In the book “Turbulent and Mighty Continent: What Future for Europe?” (published in Italy by Il Saggiatore in 2014) by Anthony Giddens, let’s take a passage from the introduction by the same author, who, in a few lines, points out the basic question already highlighted by Jacques Delors: are we at the end or at the transformation of the “dream” of the Founding Fathers? How to get out of a ‘paper’ European Union and enter what Giddens calls the “community of destiny”? Anthony Giddens, an English sociologist, directed the London School of Economics and sits in the House of Lords. His works include “Europe in the global age” (2007).
EN | IT – A message in nine points was born in Minsk, Bielorussia, where the IV Catholic-Orthodox Forum took place from 2 to 6 June 2014. “Religion and Cultural Diversity: Challenges for the Christian Churches in Europe” was the general theme of the meeting, which gathered 35 representatives of the orthodox churches in Europe and of the catholic bishops conferences, from 22 European countries. The Forum opened with a prayer for peace in Europe and the Ukraine in the crypt of Minsk’s Memorial Church of All Saints and Innocent Victims in the Motherland.
EN | IT – A few days after the results of the European elections is still very heated debate on the future of the EU and more generally of Europe. The growth of pessimism and skepticism – far from weakening the commitment of those who believe in the Europe of peoples, cultures, spirit – imposes an in-depth analysis on the reasons of being European citizens today. Bearing this in mind, we will offer some reflections of the great figures of European cultural history. We will open this path with Romano Guardini (1885-1968), Italian-German philosopher, European philosopher and thinker of Europe.
