Salesians raise 8 million euros for families affected by pandemic

Rome Newsroom, Jan 12, 2021 / 01:00 pm (CNA).- A Rome court has ruled that the search and seizure of money and other valuables from the home of a suspended Vatican official last November was “illegitimate” and ordered the cash to be re… […]

Amsterdam, Netherlands, Aug 2, 2019 / 02:32 pm (CNA).- A law professor at a Dutch university has noted concerns over the effects of a newly implemented law banning women from wearing burqas in some public places in the country, suggesting it will be to the detriment of religion’s role in the public square.

The Netherlands’ ban on wearing “face-covering clothing” in hospitals, schools, government buildings, and on public transit went into effect Aug. 1. The ban does not mention in particular the burqa, a body- and face-covering garmet, or the niqab, a face veil, worn by some Muslim women.

Violators can be assessed a 150euro ($167) fine.

“This undoubtedly has a chilling effect on their ability to take part in public life,” Dr. Tom Zwart, a professor of law, economics and administration at the University of Utrecht, told Sky News.

A federation of Dutch academic hospitals said that it was “not aware of any cases in which wearing face-covering clothing or a possible ban has led to problems” in healthcare, according to Sky News.

Some forms of religious expression in Europe face legal penalties.

Austria and Bavaria implemented similar bans on wearing burqas or niqabs in some public places in 2017. They have been banned in public in France since 2010.

A Belgian ban on food preparation that is in accord with Jewish and Muslim rules took effect at the beginning of this year.

In a 2017 ruling The Court of Justice of the European Union allowed a qualified ban on hijabs in the workplace.

France’s Universal National Service program for teens, which will become mandatory over the next several years, has drawn serious religious freedom concerns, with critics noting that the program prohibits religious symbols, does not allow conscripts to leave for religious services, and fails to accommodate religious dietary restrictions.

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Rome, Italy, May 23, 2017 / 03:18 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- When U.S. President Donald Trump stops in Rome for a meeting with Pope Francis Wednesday, both his wife Melania and daughter Ivanka will have their own schedules, which include stops at a Vatican hospital and a round-table on human trafficking.

Ivanka serves in her father’s administration in an unpaid position as an assistant to the president.

Pope Francis and Donald Trump will meet at the Vatican May 24 at 8:30 a.m., before the Pope’s General Audience. Melania and Ivanka will both be present for the public portion of the visit, but will each follow their own itinerary after.

Once the meeting is finished, the First Lady will a visit the Vatican-owned pediatric hospital Bambino Gesu. During her tour of the facility, Melania is expected to greet patients and visit one of their playrooms as well as the chapel.  

While Melania visits Bambino Gesu, Ivanka, a high-profile adviser to her father, will make her way to the Roman neighborhood of Trastevere to meet with the Community of Sant’Egidio to discuss efforts to oppose human trafficking.

The Sant’Egidio Community is often praised by Pope Francis for their work, in particular for the projects they lead aimed at helping the poor and refugees.

During her meeting with Sant’Egidio, Ivanka is expected to meet with several women who are victims of trafficking, and discuss various ways in which the Church and the U.S. government can collaborate on the problem.

Before leaving with her father on his first international tour, Ivanka hosted an anti-human trafficking round-table at the White House May 17 that hosted a swath of bipartisan lawmakers and representatives of numerous organizations that deal with human trafficking.  

According to reports, during the discussion Ivanka spoke about the Trump administration’s efforts to combat trafficking not only in the U.S., but throughout the world, telling attendees that “combatting human trafficking and modern slavery is both a moral and strategic interest domestically and abroad.”

That particular round-table was a follow-up to a February discussion on the same topic, which was also organized by Ivanka. At the time, according to reports, President Trump said he would use the “full force and weight” of the U.S. government to fight human trafficking.

Both stops highlight key priorities for Pope Francis, who after his election in 2013 personally requested that the Pontifical Academy of Sciences study the issue of human trafficking. As a result, the institution has held at least two symposiums or conferences on the topic each year.

Francis has also mentioned several times that he is bothered by the suffering of children, saying it is one of life’s mysteries that he still fails to comprehend.

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