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Northern Europe
Finnish church goes for gender-neutral clothing for priests (M/F)
The Finnish Lutheran Church has stopped prescribing particular male and female garments for priests. But no one has to buy new clothes. “Everyone can choose the most natural clothing for them,” says the bishops’ secretary. It is still important that a priest can be recognised as a church representative. The…
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Western Europe
France wants to extend family benefits to single parents
Single-parent families should get the same advantages as families with two parents, the French MP Fanta Berete believes. Therefore, she is working on the creation of a “solo parent” card. With this card, divorced, separated, widowed, and other types of single parents could get economic benefits, for example. The physical…
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Eastern Europe
Court sentences top official of Ukrainian Orthodox Church
For the first time since the Ukrainian independence in 1991, a court has convicted a senior church leader of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC, Moscow Patriarchate) for pro-Russian propaganda. Three years in prison. That was the sentence from the district court in Kropyvnytskyi for Metropolitan Iosaf (Petro Huben) of the…
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Southern Europe
Pope Francis and Prime Minister Meloni plead for the traditional family
Meloni wants a “nation where parenting is not out of fashion, but a socially recognised value.” According to her, having a child is a beautiful thing. Meloni said so during the Conference on Demography in Rome last Friday. According to her, it is “time to rediscover the beauty of parenting.”…
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Southern Europe
Portugal approves euthanasia law despite Presidential veto
The Portuguese population may now legally choose euthanasia to end their lives. The Portuguese Parliament approved a law that allows euthanasia in the country, even though the President vetoed the proposal earlier. On Friday, the Portuguese Parliament voted in favour of the euthanasia law. It was the fourth time an…
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Northern Europe
Participating police officer Norway must not wear uniform at Pride
Norwegian police officers who march along the gay Pride in Oslo are no longer allowed to wear a uniform if they are not doing so for their work. During other years, the Norwegian police showed their support for the LGBT community by visibly participating in the event. However, the Norwegian…
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Central Europe
New Bible for children with hearing problems
German children with hearing problems will also be able to read the Bible together with their family members who have healthy ears. A new children's Bible makes this possible. The Protestant-Lutheran Church in Hannover worked together with the Centre for Pastoral Care and Counseling in Hanover and the Protestant Michaelis…
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Central Europe
German theologians see no need for new end-of-life law
Germany does not have to introduce a new law on assisted suicide. Theologians Reiner Anselm and Peter Dabrock do not think any existing end-of-life proposals will help suicidal people. For months German politicians have been working on a new law on assisted suicide. Three proposals have been tabled. However, according…
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Central Europe
Catholic childcare centre confronted for cancelling Mother's Day
A Catholic childcare centre in Germany is under scrutiny for cancelling Mother's Day gifts. The management argues that a special day for the mother is outdated, but parents strongly disagree. These days, not every child has a mother. Sometimes it has two fathers. To acknowledge this reality and diversity, a…
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European Union
European Christians divided over drag queens reading to children
There is controversy in several European countries around drag queens reading stories to children. Christians differ on how to deal with this. Should taxpayers fund a man, dressed as an erotic fair queen, reading stories to children? Swedish politicians clashed over this question during a live televised debate on Monday.…
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