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Europe
Cologne Reeling After Damning Abuse Report
March 18, 2021
Christopher R. Altieri
The report found more than 200 wrongdoers and more than 300 victims, most of them boys under the age of 14. Roughly half the allegations pertained to sexual abuse of different kinds and gravity, while the rest fell under the rubric of “boundary violation” or other misconduct of a sexual nature.
Swiss voters narrowly back ban on burqa, niqab as religious leaders voice concern
March 09, 2021
CNA Staff
Over 51% of voters backed the measure in a March 7 vote. The ban on facial coverings in public places does not mention Islam directly but was presented as a burqa ban. It would also affect protesters who wear ski masks and bandanas. The ban exempts venues that are religious institutions, facial coverings used for health reasons and masks used for traditional Carnival celebrations.
French investigator: As many as 10 thousand victims of clerical sexual abuse
March 03, 2021
Staff Reporter
Jean-Marc Sauvé, the highly regarded 71-year-old career civil servant and former vice-president of France’s Council of State, told reporters on Tuesday that a June 2020 figure of 3,000 victims “is certainly an underestimate.”  
Catholic Organizations Address “The Elderly and the Future of Europe”
March 02, 2021
Staff Reporter
Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich SJ, Archbishop of Luxembourg and current President of COMECE, addressed the concluding session of the study day, stressing that Europe's future -- and that of humanity as a whole -- depends on the family, and that the strength of society can be measured by the practice and cultivation of intergenerational solidarity. 
Head of German Catholic bishops: ‘I do not deny Communion to a Protestant who asks for it’
February 26, 2021
CNA Staff
Bishop Georg Bätzing told journalists at a press conference on Feb. 25 that it was necessary to respect the “personal decision of conscience” of those seeking to receive Communion.
Turn in Maltese Murder Investigation as Key Figure Makes Plea Deal
February 24, 2021
Staff Reporter
One of three men accused of assassinating investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malta in 2017 has received a 15-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to all charges in connection with his role in the murder. Vincent Muscat had previously entered a Not Guilty plea, but reportedly accepted a plea bargain arrangement with prosecutors. He
French Catholic women launch manifesto on feminine vocation in the Church
February 22, 2021
Catholic News Agency
CNA Staff, Feb 20, 2021 / 03:11 pm MT (CNA).- A group of Catholic women in France has launched a manifesto to underscore the “beauty of the women's specific vocation.”
French geneticist one step closer to sainthood
January 22, 2021
Ferdie Rous
The pioneering French geneticist who discovered the cause of Down's syndrome is one step closer to sainthood. In a statement, Pope Francis declared Jerome Lejeune Venerable yesterday, after acknowledging his "heroic virtue" – alongside a miracle, one of the prerequisites for beatification.
Climate issues fall on many deaf ears as Paris Agreement summit begins
December 12, 2020
David Kilby
One group that seems to be forgotten in climate discussions is the indigenous people living in and surviving on the Amazon rainforest.
Masses cancelled until January for Belgian Catholics
December 01, 2020
Catholic News Agency
Belgium’s Catholic bishops called Tuesday for dialogue with the government after it decreed that public Masses would remain suspended until Jan. 15, 2021. Following a ministerial decree Nov. 29, the country’s approximately 6.5 million Catholics will be obliged to celebrate Christmas at home. In a Dec. 1 press statement, the bishops acknowledged the need for
German, Swiss churches prepare for religious Christmas at home
November 17, 2020
Catholic News Service
Hanover, Germany — Lutheran and Catholic churches in Switzerland and Germany are planning for people to celebrate religious Christmas services at home because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Germany, Matthias Kopp, spokesman for the Catholic bishops’ conference, said Catholic and Lutheran churches will publish a mini brochure that will be available to download. The German
Pictures: French Catholics protest for resumption of public Masses
November 16, 2020
Staff Reporter
Catholics gathered outside churches across France on Sunday demanding the French government lift its ban on religious services. Hundreds gathered by a statue of the Virgin Mary in Nantes, while similar gatherings also took place in Strasbourg, Bordeaux and outside St Louis Cathedral in Versailles, the AP reports. Demonstrators held up banners saying “Let us
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