EN | IT – No. 2 of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeev, President of the Department of External Relations since 2009, recently took part in the works of the Synod on the family, meeting Pope emeritus Benedict XVI, the president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and Pope Francis.
EN | IT – The Conference of European Justice and Peace Commissions, representing 22 national commissions of Catholic Bishops’ Conferences, has come to Greece for an International Workshop on theme of Human Dignity and Economic Crisis. In Greece the impact of the crisis has been particularly stark and visible, with people taking to the streets to protest about the widespread unemployment and its consequences. We have come here to reflect on the threats to, and offences against, human dignity that have emerged, and learn about models of good practice for the protection of human dignity.
EN | IT – “What the experience in Albania shows, rather, is that a peaceful and fruitful coexistence between persons and communities of believers of different religions is not only desirable, but possible and realistic. The peaceful coexistence of different religious communities is, in fact, an inestimable benefit to peace and to harmonious human advancement” (Pope Francis, Apostolic visit to Tirana, Albania – September 21st, 2014)
EN | IT – The European Conference of Justice & Peace Commissions will meet from the 3rd to the 7th of October in Athens and Corinth (Greece) for their annual International Workshop and General Assembly. The general theme of the meeting is “Human Dignity and Economic Crisis”. During the General Assembly, Archbishop Jean-Claude Hollerich from Luxemburg will take over from Bishop William Kenney, auxiliary bishop from Birmingham, as President of Justice and Peace Europe. 22 of the 30 European JP commissions will be represented in Athens. The event is organised in close cooperation with the Justice and Peace Commission of the Catholic Church in Greece.
EN | DE | IT – The news of the brutal massacres by ISIS troops in Iraq against Christians, Yazidis, and Shiites have turned on a new debate on war and peace in the Christian Churches of Europe. Essentially, the question is whether it is morally permissible to help beleaguered nations or ethnic groups in other countries with the use of weapons and force.
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 | 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 – Antje Jackelén was installed as Archbishop on 15 June and was welcomed with standing ovations in a packed Uppsala Cathedral. She is historic as the first woman in this position and is the 70th Archbishop in the Church of Sweden’s register of Archbishops.
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.