Vatican advances beatification process for Belgium’s King who abdicated rather than approve abortion
Rome, Italy AP The Vatican has taken the first main step to implement Pope Francis’ wish that Belgium’s late King be beatified for having abdicated for a day rather than approve legislation to legalise abortion. The Holy See’s saint-making office on 17th December established a historical commission, made up of experts in Belgian history and […]
Pope gets an earful from Belgian King, PM and abuse victims over scandals and failures to respond
Updated: 8:20am, 29th September (AEST) Brussels, Belgium AP On a brutal day for the frail and aging Pope Francis, the King of Belgium, its prime minister and the rector of the Catholic university that invited him here all ripped into the institution he heads for a spectrum of sins: for covering up cases of clergy sex […]
European Parliament poised for rightward shift after final voting
Brussels, Belgium Reuters Voters in 21 EU countries including France and Germany will conclude a four-day election for the European Parliament on Sunday, which is expected to shift the assembly to the right and boost the numbers of eurosceptic nationalists. The election will shape how the European Union, a bloc of 450 million citizens, confronts […]
Pope expels disgraced former bishop, says Belgian church
Brussels, Belgium Reuters The Pope has expelled from the priesthood a disgraced former Belgian bishop who admitted more than a decade ago to sexually abusing two nephews, the Belgian church said on Thursday. Roger Vangheluwe, 87, resigned as Bishop of Bruges in 2010 after admitting he had abused one nephew for 13 years. A year […]
Western leaders in Kyiv, G7 pledge support for Ukraine on war anniversary
Kyiv, Ukraine Reuters Heads of the Group of Seven major democracies on Saturday pledged to stand by war-weary Ukraine, and Western leaders traveled to Kyiv to show solidarity on the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion, with no end in the sight to the fighting. After initial successes in pushing back the Russian army, Ukraine has […]
Western leaders in Kyiv to show support on war anniversary
Kyiv, Ukraine Reuters Four Western leaders arrived in Kyiv on Saturday to show solidarity with Ukraine on the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, which has cost tens of thousands of lives and ravaged the country’s economy. The prime ministers of Italy, Canada and Belgium – Giorgia Meloni, Justin Trudeau and Alexander De Croo – […]