France’s top Muslim official says 5000 mosques are needed in that nation, and has suggested converting abandoned Catholic churches. Dalil Boubakeur, rector of the Grand Mosque in Paris and the president of the French Council of Muslim Faith, said: “It’s a delicate issue, but why not?” There are currently about 2500 mosques in France with Read more
Posts Tagged ‘France’
France uses Catholic model for dialogue with Muslims
Friday, February 27th, 2015
The French government has proposed a plan for dialogue with Muslims which is based on a model it uses to liaise with the Catholic Church. The plan would promote an Islam “faithful to the values of the republic”. The official council of French Muslims has been unable to deal with the challenges presented by Islamist Read more
French bishops refuse to sign Charlie Hebdo declaration
Friday, February 20th, 2015
France’s Catholic Church has refused to sign a media declaration that challenges faith groups to give unreserved support for free speech. The declaration, proposed by the group Reporters without Borders (RSF), came after French religious leaders last week backed free speech, but stated it had to be exercised responsibly. The issue comes in the wake Read more
Stupid blinkered secularism: French court bans nativity scene
Friday, December 12th, 2014
A nativity war has broken out in France after a court’s ban on a nativity scene in the La Roche-sur-Yon town hall. The French court’s ban is to preserve France’s secular traditions and has sparked a fierce backlash, reports The Guardian. “Why not ban Christmas and the public holidays that go with it?” screamed Le Parisien; its headline ran Read more
The European Union and refugees: fortress Europe
Tuesday, October 15th, 2013
They come seeking refuge, but when asylum seekers cross into the European Union, they often find little compassion. In Greece, they are held in squalid detention camps, while in Italy they often end up on the street. Here is what they face at entry points across the EU. They know they are putting their lives Read more
Pacific Conference of Churches supports Tahiti independence
Tuesday, February 26th, 2013
A proposal to endorse the re-inscription of Tahiti on the United Nations Decolonization Committee’s list will be on the agenda at the Pacific Conference of Churches’ annual general assembly in Solomon Islands this week, despite opposition from France, New Zealand and Australia. PCC acting general secretary and Tahiti native, Reverend Francois Pihaate, told Radio Australia’s Pacific Read more
Claims contruction under way on Mururoa Atoll
Tuesday, February 5th, 2013
The French military has confirmed rumours circulating that construction work is being carried out on Mururoa atoll, the former site of French nuclear tests in the Pacific. Addressing the media in Tahiti after touring the area, Commodore Anne Cullerre says that platforms have been built on Mururoa atoll, should a coral cliff collapse trigger a huge Read more
Far-right Catholics could be disbanded in France
Tuesday, December 18th, 2012
Far-right Catholics in France have been warned they will be disbanded if they show evidence of a “religious pathology” that could lead to violence. The warning — which has been decried by religious freedom experts — came from Interior Minister Manuel Valls at a conference on the official state policy of secularism. Valls said foreign-born Read more
Lack of faith among Catholics noted in France, US and Ireland
Tuesday, December 4th, 2012
A warning from Pope Benedict XVI about lack of faith among Catholics in France has coincided with new research revealing a decline in fervour among Catholics in the United States and a weakening of belief among Catholics in Ireland. Speaking to visiting French bishops, the Pope described ignorance of religion, even “among the Catholic faithful”, Read more
Lourdes shrines reopen after floods
Tuesday, October 23rd, 2012
Shrines in the French mountain town of Lourdes began to reopen on Monday after flash floods that caused hundreds of thousands of euros in damage. Hundreds of pilgrims who had come to visit the famous grotto where the Virgin Mary reportedly appeared to a peasant girl in 1858 had to be evacuated after heavy flooding Read more