Funeral
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Central Europe
Switzerland: LGBT graves cause unrest
LGBT people should have a “safe space” when they are dead. That is the opinion of various LGBT organisations in the Swiss city of Zürich. The initiative is met with criticism. Mourners should feel safe when they visit their deceased loved one, argue the organisations. They, therefore, want deceased LGBT…
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Northern Europe
Swedish crematorium under fire for “making death less taboo”
A Swedish crematorium organises a treasure hunt for children. This way, they can learn about death, the centre argues. But not everyone agrees. “Whether you are young or old, you have questions about what happens to your body after death.” With this opening line, the Church of Sweden in Borås…
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Opinion
Grief teams at school to help kids to mourn
A friend loses a lost one. And when you see him, you are dumbfounded. What do you say to someone in mourning? Few people have learned how to deal with grief. Therefore, children should be taught about grief and how to deal with it. That is the plea of two…
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Northern Europe
Danes go to church mainly for funeral
Danes who attend a church service often do so in connection with a funeral. That is shown by a survey from Kristeligt Dagblad. Not the Sunday services, baptisms, confirmation or weddings are the main reasons for attending a church service. Instead, Danes come to church mainly when there is a…
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Northern Europe
Norwegian churches remain closed for non-Christian funeral
Should churches become neutral premises for funeral ceremonies? That is the question the Church of Norway considered recently. Bishops now decided that the answer is no. Before the Covid pandemic, the Church of Norway abode by the rule that its church buildings are Christian and should be used for the…
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Southern Europe
Every day, 11 people commit suicide in Spain
The number of suicides in Spain is rising. In 2021, every day, 11 people took their own lives. Suicide has been on top of the list of causes of non-natural deaths since 2008. The Covid pandemic worked as a catalyst, EU Observer reports. Recently, a study from researchers from the…
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Northern Europe
Church of Sweden opens first funeral parlour
The Church of Sweden is opening its first funeral home in Bålsta. It does so after the Synod ruled in the fall that the church should have its own funeral parlours, Dagen writes. The decision led to heated debates. Critics feared that church-run funeral parlours have a competitive advantage over…
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Western Europe
Largest Muslim cemetery of Western Europe opens in the Netherlands
Muslims believe that deceased people should be secure of an eternal burial place. Due to a lack of space, this is often impossible in the Netherlands. Now, the Muslim community has opened a large cemetery specially designed for this purpose. The cemetery, called Maqbara Rawdah Al Moslimin (Cemetery Garden of…
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Southern Europe
Late Pope Benedict leaves personal testament
The late Pope Benedict does not write about the Roman Catholic Church in his testament. Instead, he leaves a personal legacy in which he emphasises the importance of faith. In his testament, published by Swiss Cath, the late Pope thanks his parents and siblings. He speaks about his sister, who…
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Western Europe
Report: The Netherlands should criminalise desecration of deceased bodies
Currently, there is no article on the desecration of the bodies of deceased people in the Dutch criminal code. That should change, the Scientific Department of the Dutch Justice Ministry argues in a report. People are protected insufficiently after their death, the report of the research department of the Justice…