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Eastern Europe
Russian Church opposes death penalty
The Russian Orthodox Church opposes the restoration of the death penalty in Russia. According to the Church, capital punishment will not lead to positive changes in society and reduce the number of crimes. That said Metropolitan Hilarion, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, according…
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Central Europe
Catholic criticism on nuclear energy as 'green'
The Katholische Aktion Österreich (Catholic Action Austria) has criticised the European Commission for categorising nuclear power and natural gas as sustainable energy sources. Religion.orf reports this. The Katholische Aktion Österrreich (KAÖ) finds the decision of the European Commission concerning because it “downplays the dangers of nuclear power.” According to the…
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Christian Life
Sabbath is central theme during Week of Prayer
The European Evangelical Alliance (EEA) is organising a Week of Prayer again in the coming week (January 9th-16th). The topic is Sabbath: Living According to God’s Rhythm. The day of rest is under attack nowadays, says Thomas Bucher, the general secretary of the EEA to Evangelical Focus. “People become more…
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Central Europe
Disappearance German church bells remains mystery
A church in the German place Dietzenbach misses the sound of its bell. Unknown people removed the bell that weighs 800 kilograms and disappeared mysteriously. The German police have been searching for the church bells, but it is still unclear how the thieves managed to take the heavy metal object…
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Northern Europe
Swedish Christmas service source of infection with Covid-19
Many attendants of a church service in Immanuel Church in Örebro tested positive for Covid-19. They had been present during a service on Christmas Eve, Dagen reports. In total, 200 people were present in the evangelical church meeting, and all were vaccinated, according to Dagen. Yet, more and more people…
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Central Europe
Frank Schwabe new German Commissioner for religious freedom
The German Member of Parliament Frank Schwabe is appointed as the new Federal Commissioner for worldwide freedom of religion and belief. He is a member of the Social Democratic SPD. The new German Cabinet approved his appointment this week on Wednesday. The 51-year-old Protestant succeeds Markus Grübel (Christian Democratic CDU),…
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Southern Europe
Italy makes Covid vaccination mandatory for over-50s
The Italian Cabinet voted in favour of making vaccines against the Covid-19 virus mandatory for everyone over 50 years old. The newspaper Avvenire reports this. The measure has gone into force immediately on Wednesday and remains in place until June 15. Starting February 15, all employees over 50 will have…
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Southern Europe
Don't only take dogs, but get children too, says Pope
Pope Francis warns against the decline of the number of children in Western countries. He regrets the development of people “buying pets to replace children”, media report. The Pope expressed his concern at the General Audience on Wednesday, Religion.orf reports. He referred to the term 'demographic winter' that he used…
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Central Europe
Christians worldwide donate for flood relief in Germany
Christians worldwide have collected donations for the victims of the flood disaster in the German regions North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate. German Protestant news service Idea reports this based on information on the website of the Diakonie (deaconry) Rheinland-Westfalen-Lippe. Church congregations in Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Rwanda, South…
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Northern Europe
Young religious Norwegians restrain themselves on social media
In Norway, many young people choose to tone down or refrain from expressing their religious beliefs and identities on social media for fear of reactions and lost career opportunities. It emerges from a qualitative study, about which the Norwegian newspapers Dagen and Vårt Land write. Ronald Mayora Synnes and Irene…
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