Europe
Italy: Vatican City - child abuse allegations
The historical child abuse allegations against the Vatican continue after three former altar boys who were at a seminary in the Vatican in the 1980s have now accused two priests of sexually abusing…
Brexit uncertainty halts anti-trafficking work in Glasgow
A partnership between Romanian police and Glasgow Airport aimed at tackling human trafficking more effectively has been suspended. Flights between Romania and the UK have been identified as high risk for trafficking. Romanian…
Venice ‘state of emergency’ flooding
Italy declared a state of emergency on 14 November after floods brought carnage to Venice. The prime minister described the flooding as 'a blow to the heart of our country'. The government took…
Denmark: border checks
Danish authorities, struggling to quell a wave of bombings attributed to Swedish gangs, have introduced passport controls at the border with Sweden for the first time since the 1950s. Sweden has been rocked…
Belgium: church welcomes migrants
The parish of Riches Claires has a dedicated committee that has worked for thirty years helping new arrivals to Europe. For many residents in Brussels the Christian outreach was a key step for…
Italy: two nuns expecting babies
An investigation has been launched by the Catholic Church after two missionary nuns became pregnant whilst working in Africa. One of the nuns, a mother superior, aged 34, only realised she was pregnant…
Vatican: ‘Click to Pray’ eRosary app
Frédéric Fornos, director of the Pope's worldwide prayer network, has said that the eRosary combines the best of Church tradition with the best of technology. The device is aimed at young people who…
France: secularism sowing hatred and division
Religion is again at the forefront of French public debate. After an 84-year-old former far-right candidate fired shots at a mosque in Bayonne, Emmanuel Macron evoked the French concept of ‘laïcité’ in a…
Europe’s arms exports to Saudi Arabia
European countries temporarily halted arms exports to Turkey after its military incursion into Syria. But Europe’s other arms trading partner, Saudi Arabia, has caused deaths or injuries of 18,000 in Yemen, where 24.1…
Brussels: concern for displaced Venezuelans
The EU, along with UNHCR and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), is organising a high-level international conference on 28 and 29 October in Brussels. They are calling for urgent and concerted action…
