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Eastern Europe
Ukrainian churches oppose same-sex partnership bill
Ukrainian churches oppose the same-sex partnership bill introduced in Ukraine recently. The Council calls it an “attack on the institution of marriage and family established by God and the Constitution of Ukraine.” The new bill proposes to equate same-sex partnership to heterosexual relationships, classifying both as a “family union.” That…
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Northern Europe
Nordic bishops affirm Catholic teaching on sexuality
Catholic Bishops of the five Nordic countries have given a statement to affirm the church’s teaching on marriage and sexuality. Entitled the “Shepherd Letter on human sexuality,” the document has been written in response to a recent decision by the Catholic Church in Germany. The Dagen report also said that…
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Eastern Europe
Synagogue Russia reopened after closure of 80 years
Since Sunday, a century-old synagogue in Russia has been open again after over 80 years of closure. The Bryansk synagogue had not been used as a religious house of prayer since 1939. The opening ceremony occurred on Sunday, IRP reports. It was led by the rabbi of Bryansk, Menachem Mendel…
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Northern Europe
Court case Jehovah's Witnesses Norway kicked off
Norwegian Jehovah's Witnesses are in court this Wednesday and Thursday. They are fighting the government's decision to remove their registration as a religious community. The case is between the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Ministry of Children and Families, Dagen reports. The Oslo district court is to rule whether the religious…
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Southern Europe
Pope Francis sharpens measures against sexual abuse
Pope Francis has extended the measures of the Roman Catholic Church to counter sexual abuse. Until now, bishops and heads of religious orders had to report suspected abuse cases to the ecclesiastical authorities. According to the new rules of the so-called “Vos estis lux mundi”, decreed by the Pope, also…
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Western Europe
Dutch minister: EU does not impose abortion legislation on third-world countries
The Dutch government and the European Union do not make adaptations of laws and regulations on abortion and LGBT as a precondition when concluding trade agreements with third-world countries. This stated Liesje Schreinemacher, Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, on Friday in response to parliamentary questions by the SGP…
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Northern Europe
Tension mounts around Kyiv church monastery
There is less than one day left until the Ukrainian Orthodox Church's mandatory departure from the famous Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery. In no way does a compromise seem to be in the making. Meanwhile, the UN termed the “security measures” from the state against the church “discriminatory”. The Lavra in Ukraine's…
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Northern Europe
Split among European Methodists because of marriage
The Methodist Church in Norway has approved same-sex marriages within their congregations. In a report from Dagen, the Christian Council of Norway recently discussed the roles of women in leadership and same-sex relationships. Both topics have proven to be contentious issues within the Church and have caused divisions among some…
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Central Europe
March for Life takes place in three German cities
Germans march for life in September. Up till now, they did so annually in Berlin. Now, the initiative extends to two other German cities as well. Every year, the March for Life takes place in Berlin. Participants show their opposition to abortion during these protests. This year, the initiative will…
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Western Europe
Dutch sperm donor must appear before court for fathering hundreds of children
A Dutch organisation for donor children and a mother have started a court case against a sperm donor who fathered hundreds of children worldwide. The organisation, Stichting Donorkind (foundation for donor children) and mother Eva want the donor to stop fathering children. They want to achieve this goal via the…
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