In Europe, there is a broad consensus that the elderly have suffered the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic—some have called it a “silent massacre.”
Melissa Vida
Melissa Vida is America’s Brussels correspondent.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
As coronavirus pandemic develops, tensions rise and conditions worsen for migrants in Europe
Around Europe, asylum seekers typically live in crowded shelters or detention centers, makeshift refugee camps or on the streets.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
The Jesuit school that serves a predominantly Muslim community in Brussels
Jesuits in Belgium wanted to launch a new school that would reach less-affluent communities, but they were also keenly interested in connecting with “people from different cultural and religious backgrounds.”
Posted inDispatches, Faith
One year after his canonization, is St. Óscar Romero still ‘the people’s saint’ in El Salvador?
On Oct. 14, 2018, he was canonized by Pope Francis. Today, Salvadorans ask themselves what the transition from “Msgr. Romero”—what he has been called in El Salvador for decades—to “St. Romero” means for his legacy.
Posted inDispatches, Faith
Notre-Dame Cathedral restoration begins amid disagreements
Msgr. Patrick Chauvet, the rector and archpriest of Notre-Dame, would like to restore the cathedral exactly as it had been before the fire. That would mean recreating the great wooden attic, nicknamed “the forest,” that was consumed in the blaze.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
After another record-breaking heatwave, will Europe take the lead in the fight against climate change?
People fainted on public transport in England. In Paris schools postponed exams, and the heat wave aggravated wildfires in Spain and Portugal. In Scandinavia it hastened Arctic melt.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
Can El Salvador face its future without confronting its past?
Salvadorans have high hopes for the new president’s leadership. El Salvador suffers one of the world’s highest murder rates, and a third of its population lives below the poverty line.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
How a Brussels church became a home for Latin American refugees
In a country where the Hispanic community is dispersed and Latin American restaurants and organizations are few, Notre Dame aux Riches Claires is the go-to gathering place for migrants and refugees who want to be reminded of home.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
Catholic leaders fear right-wing surge in upcoming European Parliament elections
The far right has been splintered among several parties in the European Parliament. But if the movement wins more seats and unites behind a pan-European party, it could become decisive in continental politics.
Posted inDispatches, Faith
As Easter Sunday approaches, Parisians ponder the meaning of the Notre-Dame fire
The air was still thick with smoke and the ash burnt the eyes of the onlookers, who were relieved to see the cathedral still standing. For many Catholics, the coincidence of the blaze occurring at the start of Holy Week speaks of the greater mysteries of Easter.