As a counterbalance to the big stories, I decided to start a weekly blog post with the smaller Catholic news items which usually don’t make it to these pages, but which are an integral part of Catholic life. The roundup will contain short texts with links to the relevant news items.
This week I cam across things like these:
- 14/11: In its autumn edition, Dutch-Flemish monastic magazine De Kovel asks questions about priestly celibacy, under the title ‘Celibacy – free choice or inconvenient duty?’ It offers commentaries both pro and contra celibacy. Source.
- 14/11: The Diocese of Haarlem-Amsterdam has a photo report of the ordination of six deacons on Saturday. Source.
- 15/11: Archbishop Léonard celebrated a ecumenical Te Deum service. He asked the faithful to pray for wisdom and courage for modern politicians and policy makers in Belgium. Source.
- 16/11: Two-thirds of the Dutch people have no trust in the churches. This is an increase from half the population in 2006. Source.
- 16/11: The Dioceses of Roermond, Liège and Aachen have established an international cooperation in care for HIV patients and the discrimination they suffer. Two conferences, in 2012 and 2013, are on the agenda. Source.
- 17/11: The deanery in Diest, Belgium, has had a stone thrown through one of its windows. A link is made with the display of two posters, one featuring Archbishop Léonard and the other containing an anti-abortion message, in deanery’s window. Source.
- 17/11: The Diocese of Groningen-Leeuwarden announces new members and auditors of the diocesan council of priests. Eight priests, one permanent deacon and two pastoral workers, in addition to the two vicars general, take up duties in the council which advises the bishop in matters of policy and pastoral care. Source.
- 18/11 Bishop Gerard de Korte pleads for a “broad ecumenism”, and suggests that parishes should not limit their ecumenical contacts with the middle of the Protestant church, but should also reach out to the Reformed, Evangelicals and other church communities. Source.
- 19/11: For his 60th birthday, Bishop Gerhard Feige of Magdeburg will host people with financial and social problems for dinner. Instead of giving him presents, the bishop has asked people to donate to the ‘Network Life’ foundation, which helps people in difficult situations. Source.
In Caelo et in Terra 