In the press (among many):
On institutional sites:
• SEX EDUCATION:
Also to be noted is the success of the book, recently published by Thérèse Hargot, a Catholic Belgian specialized in emotional and sexual education of young people, "Une jeunesse sexuellement libérée (ou presque)". There has been much talk about it in the media, even among non-Catholics. She has become very popular, although her discourse on sexual issues is not "main stream,"—for example, she defends the natural birth regulation.
Here is the link to her site:
And a short presentation in the press
• INTERNET:
According to the National Institute of Demographic Studies (France), 14% of people between age 26 and 65 have already registered on a meeting site on the Internet
• HANDICAP:
In France, the National Evaluation Council of the educational system (Cnesco) has issued a series of recommendations for a more inclusive education for disabled children.
• BIOETHICS:
An article (among others) on a new book written by the president of the Jérôme Lejeune Foundation, in defense of people with Down syndrome. Jean-Marie Le Méné speaks before all else about transhumanism and its consequences for these people.
• THE POPE IN MEXICO:
Here is an article (among many) on the Mass celebrated by the Holy Father in Chiapas, with his sermon in defense of the family
• CANADA:
On February 3rd, Cardinal Thomas Collins, Archbishop of Toronto, spoke before the Special Joint Committee about assistance to the dying, as a representative of the Coalition for Healthcare and Conscience,
• LENT
The French theologian Anne-Marie Pelletier, Ratzinger Prize 2014, who teaches at the College of Bernardins in Paris, will participate in the Lenten Conferences in Normandy, on the following theme
Who is Anne-Marie Pelletier?
http://www.lavie.fr/religion/catholicisme/anne-marie-pelletier-laureate-du-prix-ratzinger-2014-17-06-2014-54073_16.php
• FRANCE / TEACHING OF THE CHURCH:
"Couple, Sexuality, Family: What the Church Really Says" in the Catholic weekly "Famille chrétienne", an interview with the head of the Associations familiales catholiques, section of the diocese of Angers (the most Catholic region of France). This interview dealt with the gap between what Christians live in the family and what they know from the teaching of the Church.
• FRANCE / WOMB FOR RENT:
The French Bishops' Conference has announced a meeting, scheduled for March 1st at the Jesuits' Centre Sèvres (Paris), in collaboration with the Jesuit magazine "Etudes." Father Patrick Verspieren, of the Department of Bio-Medical Ethics of the Centre Sèvres, will be one of the participants. In July 2015, the Supreme Court authorized the inscription of children born abroad to a surrogate mothers in the registers.
• EUROPE / BIOETHICS:
While the European Commission is working on a common structure for palliative care, the COMECE, through its working group on ethics in research and medicine, has issued a notice, now available in French and English.
• BELGIUM / POVERTY:
Thirty percent of children in French-speaking Belgium live below the poverty line, according to a survey republished in the Belgian press; Belgium is therefore among the countries with the highest rate of child poverty in Europe.
• CANADA / EUTHANASIA:
An interesting summary of the various statements of Canada's Bishops about euthanasia (legalized a year ago), has been published on their website.
Notably, the fight against euthanasia is at the center of the Lenten Message of the President of the Canadian Bishops' Conference, Msgr. Douglas Crosby.
• INDONESIA / LGBT:
On February 18th, in a joint statement, the religious representatives in Indonesia, including the Bishops' Conference, united in opposition against any kind of encouragement and lobbying to legitimize the LGBT culture in the country. They want to avoid the development and legalization of these practices.
• AFRICA / WOMEN:
An article in the Huffington Post notes that Africa is now able to gradually reduce the disparities between men and women in the workplace and in society. The article presents the progress made in various countries, in different ways and for different reasons. However, although women have better chances to get a position, there are still major obstacles to overcome.
• IRAQ:
A beautiful story. Thanks to the help of the French association "Fraternité en Irak," an Catholic Iraqi family has been able to open a bakery in Zakho, in the north of the country, also incorporating youth from other villages. They prepare good "Iraqi pizzas" for refugees.
• IRAQ (2): Plans have been made to build three new Maronite churches in the outskirts of Damascus, in 2016, intended to respond to the needs of families who are presently struggling to come to go to the region's only Maronite church, located in the Iraqi capital.
