Europe

• 14 June 2005
  EUROPE/AUSTRIA - “Silent majority wins: a sign of growing awareness of the need protect life” Fr. Leo Maasburg national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies Austria told Fides Vienna (Fides Service) - “In this vote the victory went to the silent majority “ Fr Leo Maasburg, national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Austria, missio Austria, told Fides commenting Italy’s unsu ...
• 14 June 2005
  EUROPE/ITALY - “If we resist syndromes of defeat or victory this can be new time of encounter between believers and non and for the centrality of Parliament”: S. Egidio Community comments Referendum on Fertility Treatment Rome (Fides Service) - Three quarters of Italians clearly underlined an element which was undervalued in the electoral campaign. The fact that a referendum is not the right means for expressing views on sensitive issues ...
• 14 June 2005
  EUROPA/ITALY - “Matters regarding human life cannot be decided with a vote”: says Prof Luigi Alici, President of Catholic Action Italy with regard to the referendum on fertility treatment laws Rome (Fides Service) - “The referendum gave voice to the will of the people: matters of human life cannot be decided with a referendum or a vote. I believe that with their non-vote Italians wanted to say that maternity ...
• 13 June 2005
  EUROPE/ITALY - Overseas Catholics in Italy unite to support Italian believers: “With their abstention Italian Catholics protected life and remained faithful to Church teaching” Rome (Fides Service) - The Italian Catholic world demonstrated great unity in the referendum battle. And the results show that Catholics are united with regard to fundamental values starting with the supreme value of lif ...
• 13 June 2005
  EUROPE/SPAIN - Bishops of Spain support 18 June pro-family demonstration: Spain faces a matter of the utmost moral and social importance to which citizens must respond with clarity and decision Madrid (Fides Service) - The Spanish Catholic Bishops’ Conference (CEE) has given full support to the demonstration organised by the Spanish Family Forum (FEF) June 18, to protest against the proposed amendment to the ...
• 13 June 2005
  EUROPE/SPAIN - “The maturity of the laity is becoming a realty. Their reaction is more than ever urgent and necessary today” said Eduardo Hertfelder, President of the Spanish Institute for Family Policies commenting the large non-vote in Italy’s referendum to relax fertility treatment laws Madrid (Fides Service) - “The large number of non votes in this referendum in Italy following encouragement and efforts from secular groups and the Catholic Church in Italy meant that the required 50% was not reached ...
• 13 June 2005
  EUROPE/GERMANY - “Italy’s non vote in the referendum on fertility treatment law is an example for the rest of the countries in Europe” Dr Norbert Martin, Professor of Sociology and member of the Pontifical Council for the Family tells Fides Koblenz (Fides Service) - “I am delighted with Italy’s non vote in the referendum on fertility treatment law” Dr. Norbert Martin, Professor of Sociology at the University of Koblenz, Germany, and member of the Pont ...
• 11 June 2005
  EUROPE/GERMANY - World Youth Day will emphasise ecumenism Cologne (Fides Service) - The 20th World Youth Day organised by the Catholic Church to be held in Cologne Germany 11 - 21 August will have a strong ecumenical dimension and include various ecumenical activities. On 17 Au ...
• 6 June 2005
  EUROPE/GERMANY - “Extraordinary number” of volunteers: 31,145 helpers from 119 different countries sign up for 20th World Youth Day in Germany Cologne (Fides Service) - Applications for voluntary helpers for the 20th World Youth Day 11-21 August in Cologne closed with the extraordinarily high number of 31,145 volunteers from 119 different countries. “The num ...
• 6 June 2005
  EUROPE/GREAT BRITAIN - The Apostleship of the Sea comes home to celebrate and to relaunch spiritual assistance for millions of men and women seafarers engaged in the international shipping industry Glasgow (Fides Service) - On Saturday 4 June at St Aloysius’ Church, Glasgow, where it all began 83 years ago, the Apostleship of the Sea was re-launched in view of changes in its mission to minister to seafarers in th ...
• 3 June 2005
  EUROPE/SWITZERLAND - Sunday 5 June popular consultation on recognition of same sex unions. “the proposal is an unacceptable imitation of the law on matrimony” Secretary General of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Switzerland told Fides Friburg (Fides Service) - On Sunday June 5 Switzerland is called to a referendum on two questions: the Schengen Agreement with the European Union and the “civil pact of solidarity” or same ex unions. An affirmative r ...
• 1 June 2005
  EUROPE/SWITZERLAND - Proclaiming the Gospel in Europe today: innovation and tradition. The secretaries of Europe’s bishops’ conferences meet in St. Gallen, Switzerland St Gallen (Fides Service) - Although there are many signs of hope for the future of the Church in Europe, the picture painted by the general secretaries of Europe’s bishops’ conferences meeting in St. Gallen (Switzer ...
• 1 June 2005
  EUROPE/SPAIN - "The family is important. For the right to a mother and father. For freedom": 18 June in Madrid thousands of families will protest against proposed law which offends and undermines marriage and the family Madrid (Fides Service) - Thousands of families from all over Spain will take part in a demonstration in Madrid on 18 June to protest against the government’s intention to make amendments to the law which undermine marr ...
• 30 May 2005
  EUROPE/ITALY - Benedict XVI closes 24th Italian National Eucharistic Congress: “The one and the same Christ is present in the Eucharistic Bread everywhere in the world. This means we cannot encounter him alone without all the others. We can only receive him in unity. The consequence is clear: we cannot communicate with the Lord unless we communicate among ourselves” Bari (Fides Service) - “I wanted to be here with you today to celebrate with particular emphasis the Solemnity of Corpus Christi and so pay homage to Christ in the Sacrament of his love and at the same time to strength ...
• 28 May 2005
  EUROPE/GERMANY - “Under-construction, help us build a world of greater justice!”: for the first time World Youth Day preparation includes social programmes of solidarity “to build a civilisation of love and justice” Cologne (Fides Service) - During the “Days of encounter in German dioceses” 11 to 15 August in preparation for the Catholic Church’s 20th World Youth Day organised this year in Cologne Germany, the young participa ...