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Eastern Europe
Protecting traditional values only on the basis of religion, Russian church says
The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) supports a bill to protect traditional values for the country. However, it believes that this must be based on faith in God. The church wants a firm resistance against Western values as “LGBT propaganda and non-traditional relations.” In January, the Ministry of Culture of Russia…
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Eastern Europe
Human rights activists: Belgian Court fails in protecting lives by amending euthanasia law
Human rights activists are concerned about the decision of the Belgian Constitutional Court. The Court decided on February 17 that health care institutions can no longer refuse to perform euthanasia. Suppose a medical practitioner does not want to perform euthanasia. In that case, he is forced to send anyone wanting…
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Eastern Europe
Putin claims to protect Russian church against “persecution” and “genocide” in Ukraine
At the bottom of the political tension between Russia and Ukraine is religious persecution of Russian-minded people. That becomes clear from the words of President Putin and his Foreign Minister Lavrov. Ukraine is harassing churchgoers and clergy of the Russian part of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. During his address on…
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Southern Europe
Seville names streets after persecuted Reformation women
New streets in Seville will honour women persecuted by the Inquisition during the Reformation era. The city council of the Spanish town Seville has approved the proposal. New streets in Seville will honour women persecuted by the Inquisition during the Reformation era. The city council of the Spanish town Seville…
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Eastern Europe
Latvian death rate twice its birth rate in 2021
For every Latvian that was born in 2021, two citizens passed away. Demographic statistics showed that the Latvian death rate is twice as high as its birth rate. In total, Latvia registered 34,142 deaths in 2021. That is the highest number of yearly deaths in the past 20 years, the…
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Eastern Europe
Churches in and around Ukraine reckon with many refugees
Churches in Ukraine and surrounding countries are preparing for a time of unrest with Russia. Church leaders promise refugees shelter and aid shipments are on their way to the conflict areas. The president of Poland's Catholic bishops' conference appealed to Poles on Monday to show “open and hospitable hearts” to…
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Northern Europe
Neutral society is not realistic, Norwegian Christian Democrat says
A “so-called neutral society” is “a utopia”. That is the opinion of the Norwegian politician Olaug Bollestad. She observes that the space for the Christian view of life in today’s society has become smaller. Bollestad, leader of the Christian Democratic Kristelig Folkeparti (KrF) in the Norwegian parliament, writes this in…
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Central Europe
Film: Pastor takes care of former Socialist leader East Germany
After the fall of the Berlin Wall, pastor Uwe Holmer offered Erich Honecker, the former East German head of state, asylum. His story is told by the 90-minute film “Honecker und der Pastor”, which Arte releases on March 18. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, pastor Uwe Holmer offered…
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Central Europe
German deacons help prostitutes to step out
The German organisation Diakonie Saar has started a project to help prostitutes from Saarland to step out of the Red-Light Districts. Diakonie Saar offers women counselling and funding to support them in their long-term reorientation and integration into society Diakonie Saar writes on its website. Diakonie Saar is a non-profit…
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Western Europe
In French universities, gender-neutral pronoun “iel” gets more common
In French universities, the gender-neutral pronoun 'iel' -a contraction of the 'il' (he) and elle (she)- is becoming more widespread. Some professors already use these pronouns in their email signatures. The use of gender-neutral pronouns for non-binary or transgender people seems to be no longer a taboo, writes the French…
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