About: Catholic church
EU founding father Schuman moves closer to sainthood
Robert Schuman, one of the founding fathers of the European Union and a devout if discreet Catholic, will soon take the first step towards sainthood, a top Vatican official told AFP.
‘We did it, sisters’: Argentina Senate legalises abortion
Argentina’s Senate voted on Wednesday (30 December) to legalize abortion, a first for a big country in Latin America and a triumph for women’s rights campaigners achieved over the visceral objection of the Catholic Church.
Poland debates abortion rights curbs, coronavirus limits protests
Polish lawmakers are to debate a proposal to tighten already restrictive abortion rules on Wednesday (15 April), while rights activists protested on social media as coronavirus limits public gatherings.
Catholics take measures against coronavirus while Greek Orthodox Church ‘prays’
While religious authorities around the world are taking precautions against the coronavirus outbreak, the Greek Orthodox Church has so far failed to address the issue adequately.
Polish centre-left taps gay MEP as presidential candidate
Poland's left-wing parties on Tuesday (7 January) approved Robert Biedron, an openly gay politician, as their candidate in the May presidential election.
Poland’s parliament on knife-edge as opposition takes upper house
Poland's nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party appears to have narrowly won a second term in power, final results from the parliamentary election on Sunday (13 October) showed, but its drive to push through its agenda may be hampered by its loss of the upper house.
Tens of thousands march for ban on abortions in Slovakia
Tens of thousands marched in Slovakia's capital on Sunday (22 September) calling for a total ban on abortions in the predominantly Catholic central European country.
EU says ‘doubts remain’ over DR Congo election result
The EU said Sunday (20 January) that "doubts remain" over the result of the DR Congo's disputed election, after the country's highest court declared Felix Tshisekedi president, outraging opponents.
Church leader: John Paul II left a legacy in Kazakhstan
Religious dialogue in the service of peace is a brainchild of the President of Kazakhstan, inspired by the visit of Pope John Paul II to Kazakhstan in September 2001, a Catholic priest who helped organize the visit told EURACTIV.
Catholic Church tells CSU to show Christian values in immigration policy
Chancellor Angela Merkel's Bavarian allies, who are pressing her to toughen up immigration policy, should remember their Christian roots and show a sense of responsibility towards the poor and weak, the head of the Catholic Church in Germany said.
Pope and Macron hold ‘intense’ meeting at Vatican
French President Emmanuel Macron held an "intense" meeting with Pope Francis during his first official visit to the Vatican yesterday (26 June), discussing global issues including the fate of migrants coming to Europe.
After Bulgaria, Slovakia too fails to ratify the Istanbul Convention
A wave of opposition in Central Europe to so-called “gender ideology” has led Bulgaria on 15 February, and then Slovakia yesterday (22 February) to oppose ratifying the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.
Right-wing Polish priest barred from Britain
A right-wing Polish priest has complained he was “banned from defending Christian children”, after being turned away from the UK at the weekend.
Socialists and Democrats reject Polish ‘morning-after pill’ restrictions
MEPs from the Socialist & Democrats are pushing back against the latest attempts by the right-wing government in Warsaw to clamp down on access to contraception, calling it an “attack on women".
Abortion protests rock Polish government, prompt backtrack
Poland's ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party has looked firmly in control since sweeping to power a year ago but it may have pressed its conservative agenda too far by initially backing a virtual ban on abortion.
Battle over abortion law heats up in Catholic Poland
Poland's abortion battle resume today (22 September) when the devoutly Catholic country's parliament debates rival initiatives to either liberalise or further tighten a law that is already one of the strictest in Europe.
Pope’s climate change politics gets mixed reception in Catholic Poland
Pope Francis's plunge into the climate change debate has caused uneasiness in conservative Poland, exposing the dilemma for Catholics who are devout but prefer their leaders to steer clear of "liberal" causes.
Pope calls for ‘open spirit’ towards climate change encyclical
Pope Francis has called for his encyclical on the environment to be received with an “open spirit”, saying the unprecedented ecological statement should be seen as an appeal for responsibility.
Tensions grow as Burundi leader clings to power
Authorities in Burundi arrested a leading dissident and shut down the main independent radio station Monday (27 April) as they battled a second day of demonstrations against a bid by the president to cling to power for a third term.
Melinda Gates suggests Vatican should approve modern contraceptives
Challenged to comment on Pope Francis' recent comment that Catholics shouldn’t “breed like rabbits”, Melinda Gates told a Brussels audience that women in developing countries should be educated, and use modern methods of contraception in family planning.
Lampedusa is wake-up call for EU immigration policy, church says
Francesco Montenegro, the archbishop of the Sicilian archdiocese of Agrigento and Lampedusa, visited Brussels last week to urge EU representatives to boost their actions on asylum and migration and to “put the human being first” in their policy initiatives.
Malta lawmakers make divorce legal
In an historic vote, Maltese MPs passed legislation to legalise divorce this week (25 July), after a small majority voted in a May referendum to change the law.