The Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Bertone, said this week that "the main objective of the Magisterium and ministry of Pope Benedict is to recover the authentic Christian identity and to explain and confirm the intelligibility of the faith in the context of widespread secularism."
Theological differences between the Catholic and Orthodox churches can be resolved, Cardinal Schönborn told a Russian newspaper, if the two faiths can overcome "the burden of history." One remaining point of contention, he acknowledged, is the role of the papacy. But the Austrian cardinal expressed confidence that that argument, too, could be resolved.
The latest visit of President Putin to Italy may be of historic significance and pave the way for the start of reconciliation between the Russian Orthodox Church and Roman Catholic Church.
While the US remains home to the largest number of billionaires, with 418, Germany comes in at 2nd with 55. The combined wealth of Germany's billionaires is approximately US$235 billion or €180 billion. Many German billionaires are missing from the Forbes list, however, because the list only counts wealth directly owned by individuals and not indirectly through their families. As before, most of Germany's rich became so through inheritance. They are the descendants of the founders of the BASFs, BMWs and Allianz insurances of this world.
Munich hasn't always been quick to face up to its dark past. But on Thursday, the city celebrated the opening of a brand new Jewish Museum in the city center. A Nazi documentation center is soon to follow.
Germany's chancellor shines more brightly abroad than at home. Unlike her SPD predecessor, Ms Merkel can at least count on support in the Bundesrat, the upper house, where the states are represented. More than half of new laws need the approval of the Bundesrat; 11 of the 16 state premiers who sit there are in Ms Merkel's camp. Yet even within the CDU, state premiers tend to act as regional barons, not as voting fodder for the federal government. Several are potential rivals to Ms Merkel.
On March 16, the foreign minister in the previous German Social Democratic-Green Party government, Joschka Fischer, gave a speech at a conference of the European Greens held at Humboldt University in Berlin. It becomes clear that his speech was essentially an appeal to the German government to show more leadership and readiness to reorganize Europe. It is "shocking," Fischer declared, that the "increasing loss of significance of Europe in the world" is not even noticed in European capitals. This applies in particular, he said, to Germany, which, because of its size and economic strength, must assume a leading role in the European Union.
Angela Merkel has personally picked out her country's best wine for consumption at this weekend's EU summit in Berlin in an attempt to stifle the renowned gastronomic grumbles of Jacques Chirac.
Chancellor Merkel has won surprising praise for her skillful diplomacy during the first half of the German presidency of the EU, which will reach its climax Sunday on the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome that established the bloc.
On March 25, 1957, representatives of the 6 founding countries met in the Italian capital to sign the Treaties of Rome, the cornerstone documents of what would become the EU.
Have you ever wondered why the EU flag only has 12 gold stars when there are 27 member states? Read on to learn more about the EU's symbols.
As it celebrates its 50th anniversary, European Commission President Barroso talked about what the EU has achieved and why it should be confident about accomplishing more in the future.
They're French or Finish, Estonian or Portuguese, but do Europeans also feel European? DW-WORLD.DE spoke with a handful of people with international backgrounds about their own European identity.
The EU remains abstract for many of its citizens, who see it as a bureaucratic monster that does away with national identities. But they should really be grateful for the union's invention, writes DW's Bernd Riegert.
Europe, and the UN, are facing what could turn out to be a defining moment. Europe's trains — Kosovo independence vs. Serbia's territorial integrity, legitimacy vs. law — are hurtling toward each other.
After almost 8 years of sustained efforts and billions of dollars, Washington and Brussels are determined to create an independent state of Kosovo. What they are ushering into existence, however, looks set to become a heavily criminalized state in the heart of Europe, with far-reaching implications.
Russian-US relations are heading for a potential crisis unless Washington drops its unilateral approach to foreign policy, a senior Russian lawmaker has warned. "If the US continues to act unilaterally this ... could push us towards a crisis."
European officials have been claiming to Syrian leaders the past few weeks Israel is preparing for a military confrontation with Damascus, in some cases providing Syria with inaccurate information, WND has learned. A top source in Syrian President Assad's Baath party told WND European leaders visiting Damascus in recent weeks delivered messages stating Israel was taking measures in advance of a large-scale conflict with Syria, including updating battle plans, training reservist soldiers and preparing the home front for missile attacks.
Ankara is deeply unhappy about an effort in the US Congress to pass a bill declaring the 1917 massacre of Armenians by the Turks to be a case of genocide. Turkey has warned it could sever military ties if the law goes through.
[WAR: Why/how is this even relevant to today's issues? What business is it of Congress to what happened in a foreign country 90 years ago?! Maybe the Turkish parliament should pass a bill declaring the US massacre of Indians to be a case of genocide.]
The US is scrambling to head off a "disastrous" Turkish military intervention in Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq that threatens to derail the Baghdad security surge and open up a third front in the battle to save Iraq from disintegration.
A dormant 5-year-old Arab initiative for peace with Israel is a serious offer and will be the cornerstone of discussions at next week's Arab summit, Jordan's foreign minister said.
President Ahmadinejad said that the approach of certain world powers disrupts the performance of the UN Security Council. "In the first place, such an approach is against the interests of these powers, given that it is contradictory to the laws drawn up by themselves. If these laws are not complied with they would lose their credit."
Iran's navy started more than a week of war games in the Gulf on Thursday using small vessels carrying missile launchers and tactical submarines.
By demonizing Iran and stirring up sectarian hatred against it in the region, Bush is pouring gas on the fire he started in Iraq - and empowering al-Qaida. By now, nothing that the Bush administration does in the Middle East should come as a surprise. But its Iran gambit is so delusional that it raises the question of whether Bush is in fact playing an inept game of power politics, as I have suggested, or whether he is half-hoping to provoke open conflict with Iran. In a last desperate bid to save his disastrous presidency, does he actually want to provoke a war with a country three times larger than Iraq? It's hard to believe, but then his whole reign is becoming increasingly phantasmagorical.
In the US attorney scandal, Alberto Gonzales gave orders, but he also took them - from Karl Rove, who plotted to turn the federal criminal justice system into the Republican Holy Office of the Inquisition.
The future of the Union returned to the forefront of the campaigning for the Holyrood elections yesterday as politicians clashed over whether voters should be offered a referendum on independence. Pro-separation parties said that the electorate had never been given a vote solely on the issue. Unionist politicians said that May 3 would give voters the chance to show how they felt about any move leading to the breaking up of the United Kingdom.
A 16th century maritime map in a Los Angeles library vault proves that Portuguese adventurers, not British or Dutch, were the first Europeans to discover Australia, says a new book which details the secret discovery of Australia.
=========================
