Union faction leader Volker Kauder welcomes the… © Michael Kappeler
…Appointment of Jan Figel © Olivier Hoslet
Slovak politician Jan Figel is first EU special representative for religious freedom. CDU politicians in Berlin on Sunday welcomed the appointment of the Commissioner for Religious Affairs by EU Commission President Jean Claude Juncker.
Olympic Games to begin © Ju Huanzong
Now the official starting gun can go off this Friday: Winter Olympics open in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The German Catholic community in the capital city of Seoul, 150 kilometers away, is also cheering for the victory.
CBA: Expect visitors to your parish for the duration of the Winter Games?
Thomas Lubanga always wanted to go down in history, say companions. But this is hardly how the former Congolese militia leader imagined his appearance in the world's spotlight. Since Monday, he is the first defendant to be tried by the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda accused the ex-commander at the start of the trial of recruiting children under the age of 15 as soldiers between September 2002 and August 2003. For these war crimes, the prosecution wants up to 30 years in prison. The 48-year-old Lubanga rejected all accusations. His defense attorney said he pleaded innocent. During the trial, which is expected to last several months, the prosecution intends to prove its allegations with about 1.Support 670 documents and call 34 witnesses, including several former child soldiers. Judges awarded victim status to 93 people. The verdict will be handed down by three judges: Briton Adrian Fulford, Costa Rican Elisabeth Odio Benito and Bolivian Rene Blattmann.
"Not a big fish"
The Dusseldorf state government wants to increase kindergarten places for under-threes by 2013 from 16.000 to 144.000 by 2013. This was announced by Family Minister Armin Laschet (CDU) on Wednesday during the second reading of the controversial Child Education Act (Kibiz) in the state parliament. Laschet appealed to the churches, which account for more than half of the 9.500 daycare centers in NRW to participate in the expansion of places for young children. Only then, he said, was the reduction in their share of sponsorship from 20 to 12 percent justified.
In his sermon, the Pope warned of a godless world. Since the Enlightenment, a part of science has been working assiduously to find "an explanation of the world in which God becomes superfluous," the Catholic church leader criticized. Commitment to faith challenged In the modern world, there are life-threatening diseases of religion and reason, the Pope said, referring to hatred and fanaticism.
In his homily, the Pope warned of a godless world. Since the Enlightenment, a part of science has been working diligently to "find an explanation of the world in which God becomes superfluous," the Catholic Church leader criticized.
Confession of faith urged
Kenya fails to calm down despite international mediation efforts. More than 20 people were killed in violence over the weekend, although a "peace plan" had been presented on Friday evening.
The "peace plan" had been brokered by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. He is to map out the roadmap for talks between government and opposition. In the west of the country, militias continued to persecute minorities. In the city of Eldoret, they set fire to another church.The "four-point plan" presented after ten hours of negotiations calls for an end to violence, humanitarian aid measures and a resolution of the leadership ie after the presidential election on 27 June. December within seven to 14 days before. According to the plan, the unjust distribution of resources in Kenya and the land ie are to be resolved within a year. However, no concrete steps have been agreed upon. However, representatives from both sides called for an immediate end to the ban on meetings and the news blackout. Diplomats reacted wait-and-see to the agreement.
"One wonders if he wants to make the situation worse"
Stuttgart's city dean Michael Brock will be bid farewell from his office with a service on Sunday. In an interview, Brock takes stock of his work and explains how he sees his future task as chairman of the Liebenau Foundation.
CBA: Prelate Brock, what is your balance sheet after about two decades as a pastor in Stuttgart?
Small but effective: more than half a dozen websites now compete with each other to help French-speaking customers make friends in a Christian spirit. French sociologists view the development with mixed feelings.
27-year-old Astrid from the Paris area is looking for someone who shares the same values as she does. Robert, 51, from the French Mediterranean coast, values family life and describes himself as serious, balanced and attentive. Marie-Claire from the French West has been painting icons and seeking spiritual exchange since 2003. They all advertise on a French Christian partnership site on the Internet. www.theotokos.fr, where Astrid, Robert and Marie-Claire advertise themselves, currently counts about 70.000 registered members, of which 15.000 active subscribers. It is thus one of the big ones among the small ones. By comparison, the dating market leader "Meetic", which is not fixed on a specific clientele, advertises with about 42 million profiles throughout Europe and allegedly counts about 700.000 subscribers.
By mouse-click the acknowledgment of a "Christian charter