Vatican
Pigs can fly or the pope is green
Does Benedict XVI really have green fingers? He’s been branded the ‘green pope’ for his advocacy of global environmental protection for years – but is it merited?
vatican, environment, lifestyle, green cities, energy, environmental protection, rome
Press review pope Benedict XVI: condom statements
In an interview, pope Benedict XVI accepted the use of condoms in individual cases to prevent infection with HIV. Critics have welcomed this concession but doubt that it signals a fundamental change of direction for the catholic church
vatican, euweek, religion and democracy, pope benedict xvi, religion, society
Spain ‘aggressively secular’ according to Pope
On his two-day trip to Spain Benedict XVI drew parallels to the situation in the 1930s. Spanish, Belgian and Dutch commentators are divided on his comments - vilifying or justified? Press review
vatican, press review, spain, pope benedict xvi, religion, society
No job? There’s always God, says Pope to youth
It’s not a good time to be the pope. From 16-19 September the pontiff will be visiting Britain, on his first trip to the country since John Paul II’s six-day tour in 1982. And the British don’t want it
vatican, united kingdom, labour, europe, labour market, precarity, youth
Atheist campaigners: arrest pope
Enunciations and remarks by high ranking catholic clergy only serve to validate two prominent atheist campaigners' proposed legal action for 'crimes against humanity' against the pope. Rather an offbeat way to mark 19 April, which is the fifth anniversary of Benedict XVI's pontificate
vatican, paedophilia, atheism, religion and democracy, catholicism, pope benedict xvi, church
Condoms worsen the AIDS epidemic in Africa
Pope Benedict XVI began his Africa tour on 17 March. The European press criticises his statement, made in Cameroon, that the distribution of condoms was worsening the Aids epidemic rather than helping to stop it. Views from the UK, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Germany
Benedict XVI, stuck in the Middle Ages?
The catholic church is in trouble. On the one hand the raging controversies with other religions and the non-religious world have been reduced to a minimum. On the other hand however there is a fraction in the Pope's internal world
vatican, laïcité, pope benedict xvi, church, religion, society
God is a communist and unaware of it
Now that the largest catholic political party are no longer present in parliament and the centre-left are significantly weakened, it is the Vatican who are playing the role of the greatest opposition to the Italian government. Others however denounce the church as ‘crypto-communist’
Vatican: keeping the faith
The Vatican – city within a city – and the Roman Diocese, which together govern the 338 parishes, 247 colleges and 558 Catholic secondary education institutions, condition life in the Italian capital
vatican, rome, architecture, western eu, cities, italy, religion
US congress candidates jump on holy bandwagon
On Nov 7, Americans will elect their new representatives. In the US and in Europe, politicians smear, heckle and taunt each other on religious issues
vatican, united states, elections, america, politics, religion, society
Europe, the Vatican's new crusade?
In an EU where interest groups are pulling both for and against secularism, the Vatican has found ways to work to further its goals
New Europe, old habits
The draft treaty between the Vatican and Slovakia, which would affect abortion rights for Slovakian women, could undermine EU law. So will the institutions turn a blind eye, or will they act on their own report that condemns it?
“As Pope, Ratzinger cannot be the intellectual he was before”
Alberto Melloni, one of the most famous European experts on the Vatican, speaks freely to café babel about the concerns surrounding the new Pope.
An ecumenical and diplomatic Pope
Communication between religions is rather like foreign diplomacy, but with two exceptions: the rivalries concern the differences in interpretation of faith and the debates are founded on 2000 years of history.
No place for God
The increasing gap between the Church and the EU is unlikely to be bridged by the appointment of the conservative Ratzinger. So is there no place left for Christianity in a modern Europe?
