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France split over gay marriage (part 2)
07/01/2013 - THE DEBATE

France split over gay marriage (part 2)

Same-sex marriage is already a hot button issue. Add to the mix whether it's OK to discuss homosexuality in Catholic schools, and swords are drawn between France’s ruling Socialists and the Church.
France split over gay marriage
07/01/2013 - THE DEBATE

France split over gay marriage

Same-sex marriage is already a hot button issue. Add to the mix whether it's OK to discuss homosexuality in Catholic schools, and swords are drawn between France’s ruling Socialists and the Church.
Hollande weighs in on gay marriage school row
06/01/2013 - FRANCE

Hollande weighs in on gay marriage school row

French President François Hollande voiced his support of Education Minister Vincent Peillon (photo, right) this weekend, after he wrote a controversial letter warning Catholic schools against discussing plans to legalise gay marriage with students.
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France's 'thugs and hoodlums are happy'
27/12/2012 - MEDIA WATCH FRANCE

France's 'thugs and hoodlums are happy'

Is it a genuine bid for transparency or PR to beef up his reputation as tough on crime - or a bit of both? French Interior Minister Manuel Valls has decided to announce the number of vehicles burned in France during the year. He'll do so on New Year's Eve. His predecessors chose not to do that because, they argued, it minimised the chances of outbreaks of gang violence, especially on New Year's Eve itself.
Pope prays for Syria peace in Christmas message
25/12/2012 - VATICAN CITY

Pope prays for Syria peace in Christmas message

Pope Benedict XVI on Tuesday pleaded for peace in Syria as he delivered his traditional “Urbi et Orbi” Christmas speech to thousands of pilgrims from the balcony at St. Peter’s Basilica, before reading holiday greetings in 65 languages.
Pope Benedict pardons 'Vatileaks' butler
22/12/2012 - VATICAN CITY

Pope Benedict pardons 'Vatileaks' butler

Pope Benedict XVI pardoned on Saturday former butler Paolo Gabriele for stealing papal papers and leaking them to a journalist. Gabriele is currently serving an 18-month prison term for the theft.
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Catholic guys dance Gangnam Style
13/12/2012 - IN THE FRENCH PAPERS

Catholic guys dance Gangnam Style

Le Figaro leads on an exclusive interview with steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal, who says "nationalisation would be a major step back". He's referring to French efforts to prevent layoffs at the Florange steel plant in north-eastern France. We've also got dancing "Catho" guys doing the Gangnam dance to show the Catholic Church can be funky. That's the focus this Thursday 13th December, 2012.
The Grande Dame of Paris: 850 and not a wrinkle in sight!
13/12/2012 - CULTURE

The Grande Dame of Paris: 850 and not a wrinkle in sight!

It has survived the Hundred Years War, the French Revolution and two World Wars - now the planet's most famous cathedral is readying itself for an invasion of camera-wielding birthday visitors. We're celebrating 850 years of Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral.
Paris celebrates Notre Dame's 850th anniversary
13/12/2012 - FRANCE

Paris celebrates Notre Dame's 850th anniversary

Dignitaries, tourists and Parisians gathered in their thousands on Wednesday for a ceremony and Mass that mark the beginning of a year-long commemoration of Paris’s iconic Notre Dame Cathedral, whose construction was completed 850 years ago.
Pope blesses followers in first Twitter message
12/12/2012 - VATICAN

Pope blesses followers in first Twitter message

Pope Benedict XVI posted his first tweet on Wednesday under user name @pontifex, blessing his hundreds of thousands of new followers “from his heart”.
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