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Southern Europe
First case of (legal) euthanasia in Spain
Eight months after legalising euthanasia, Spain has had the first case this week. Spanish media report about the 58-year-old patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in Madrid. Before he passed away, he said that he would “die for dignity”, as El Pais is reporting. The 58-year-old actually wanted to die…
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Eastern Europe
Cremation is on the rise in Russia because of corona
Russians are increasingly choosing to cremate their loved ones rather than bury them. That's the clear tendency during the corona pandemic. There are indeed more deaths in Russia than usual. The country has one of the world's highest excess death tolls from Covid-19. In recent weeks, the infections are surging…
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Northern Europe
Investigation into the role of the Norwegian Church in the war
Should the Norwegian Church apologise to Jews for their role in the war, 76 years after it ended? Several Norwegian historians think she should. Let's listen what was said before the war: There are no people on earth “who are as power-hungry as Jews are.” Anti-Semitism is not just an…
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Western Europe
French bishops speak about money for victims of abuse
The bishops of the French Roman Catholic Church are discussing the widespread children's abuse. The 120 bishops are in Lourdes for a week's gathering until Monday. Usually, it can take ages before the Catholic church tables a critical report for discussion. The Sauvé report receives a different handling. This was…
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Eastern Europe
Russian evangelicals fear increased control from the state
The Russian state received more instruments to control churches, through some amendments to legislation on religion. Evangelicals fear that the state will have more say on religious education, Czech [Krestan Dnes](https://www.krestandnes.cz/rusti-evangelikalove-se-obavaji-dusledku-novych-zakonu/) writes. The amendments are the most significant increase in government control since 2016, when the law banning evangelisation came…
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Northern Europe
New attack on churches in Germany and Norway
Both in Germany and Sweden, churches were attacked in the past few days. Pastor Klemens Müller of the Evangelical church in Nordhausen, Thuringia, looked out of his window and saw a man around the church late last week. He was demolishing the furniture and even breaking the cross with the…
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Eastern Europe
Court in Bulgaria concludes: only biological sex, no gender
Regarding the Bulgarian constitution, the word “gender” can only refer to biological sex. Ratification of the human rights treaty against domestic violence (known as the so-called Istanbul Convention) would be anti-constitutional. That was the long-awaited interpretative decision, last week, of the Bulgarian Constitutional Court. The Court ruled on October 26th…
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Northern Europe
Swedish Christian Democrats ask to move embassy to Jerusalem
The Christian Democrats in Sweden ask the government to move the country's embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. Above that, the party wants the government to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel “as soon as possible.” These proposals will be tabled at the party's congress in mid-November. The Swedish daily…
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Eastern Europe
Long prison term for Russian Jehovah's Witnesses
Last week, a Russian court gave the longest sentences for Jehovah Witnesses since the group was called “extremist” in 2017. Three men have to serve eight years in prison because of their “extremist actions”. A female member got 3,5 years. The verdict was given by judges in the southern Russia's…
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European Union
Threat of climate change leads to radical actions
Across Europe, religious organisations and individuals have joined hands to speak out to Glasgow's Climate Change Conference (COP26) decision-makers. “Ordinary people are more radical than politicians.” ## Climate pilgrimage 1450 Kilometres. That is the distance a group of so-called climate pilgrims are walking to Glasgow. The ecumenical group started in…
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