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Herald Malaysia
a day ago
- General
- Herald Malaysia
Bridgettine sisters in Sweden: Finding joy among jars of jam
For more than 40 years, Sister Monika has been living in Vadstena, Sweden, with the Bridgettine Sisters, a Catholic congregation with a long history and Nordic roots. Her vocational journey took her on an unusual path to the convent, impacted by a Swedish football goalkeeper who changed her life. Jul 22, 2025 Sr. Monika meets with visitors at the Bridgettine's convent in Vadstena, Sweden By Mario Galgano – Vadstena, Sweden'My name is Sister Monika. And as you will quickly discover, I am German.' That's how the conversation with the 70-year-old sister began. For over four decades, she has lived in Sweden, in the Bridgettine convent in Vadstena, a small city on Lake Vättern. She lives with seven other sisters, from Sweden, Germany, Finland, and the Netherlands. The group at the convent reveals much about how ecclesial vocations have changed. 'One of our novices is older than me,' affirmed Sister Monika. Today, the convent is no longer a place for young students but a place where women often seek out in a second phase of their life. 'Perhaps it is a woman's second career,' she said. Even the community's composition reflects an evolution: for the first time the Swedish sisters make up the majority. At first it was different, she recounted. At one point, the Order – founded by Saint Bridget of Sweden in the 14th century – was not officially authorized in the country. 'Up until 1957 founding a convent was forbidden,' she explained. Only a decision from the Reichstag finally permitted religious life in Sweden. Until then, the house in Vadstena was officially declared a nursing home for the elderly. Theologically, the Bridgettines base their life on three elements: the Rule of St. Augustine, the Constitutions of St. Bridget, and modern adaptations that derive from these. The Order's spirituality is clear. 'Christ's suffering is important to us,' said Sr. Monika. Their daily prayer structure follows a Marian perspective. The sisters see Jesus' life through Mary's eyes, and each day of the week has a different theme, from angels to the Trinity. One of St. Bridget's main objectives was to allow men and women to work together. Although in the past monks and nuns lived in separate places, they worked together spiritually. In the Blauen Church of Vadstena, this was clear from an architectonic perspective: there were separate choirs, but one shared place of worship. Another key aspect is service to others: listening, prayer, conversation. 'We receive many prayer requests, or people come wanting to talk,' she continued. Silent witness works, and sometimes it's about very practical things. 'Today we packed nearly 4,000 jars of jam into cardboard boxes, and I enjoyed doing that.' Joy is the fifth point which characterizes the Bridgettine's spirituality. Sr. Monika talks about it when she talks about her work in the Eden guest house. Once, she started to clean the bathrooms there. 'This became a pleasure,' she noted. It is the community that makes even tough and unpleasant work tolerable and reasonable. But how did a woman from Coesfel, in Westphalia, Germany, end up in Sweden, in a convent? The beginning of her vocational journey was unexpectedly secular: football. During the 1974 World Cup, she noticed the goalkeeper of the national Swedish team, Ronnie Hellström. 'I fell in love with him,' she shared, smiling. From there, her fascination with Sweden grew. 'I pursued history studies with a focus on Nordic history and, thanks to one of my parents' university friends, a Catholic bishop in Sweden at the time, I came to Vadstena to learn the language,' she said. 'I met young Catholics who transmitted their faith to me in a convincing and thoughtful way. This struck me and brought me back to the faith.' 'The fact that in the end I myself entered was an interior development,' recounted Sr. Monika. 'It was envy towards another woman who had asked to be admitted to the convent that made me realize: I want it too . Years later, for my silver jubilee, I received a special surprise. My fellow sisters had invited Ronnie Hellström, the man whose mere presence on television had brought me down this path. He arrived. The priest announced during Mass: 'Sometimes a vocation passes through the penalty box.' He turned and laughed'. Hellström remained in contact with the community. When he became sick with cancer, he decided to be buried in Vadstena. Today, his tomb is in the cemetery near the convent. Sr. Monika noted that the Catholic Church in Sweden today is seen in a much different way than before. There are many Catholics working in the fields of culture and science who are respected for their attitude. Even in the prison, Catholic pastoral care has proven practicable. She is especially struck by a past project: 'The convent in prison' is a form of spiritual accompaniment for inmates seeking to reintegrate into society. Although the relapse rate was low, the project was interrupted. Over the years, life in the convent has become a profound and daily commitment for Sr. Monika. 'Whatever the task, it has become a joy,' she affirmed. This attitude permeates her entire life. Among jars of jam, moments of prayer, and a cemetery visited by football fans, it is clear that God's paths are not always straight but sometimes pass right through the penalty box.--Vatican News
Economist
6 days ago
- Politics
- Economist
Germany's 'memory culture' prevents it from coping with Gaza
TO walk around Berlin is to experience something no other capital city offers: a physical landscape that forces one to dwell on the crimes of its former occupants. The haunting Monument to the Murdered Jews of Europe sits near the seats of German power in the Reichstag and chancellery. Every neighbourhood is littered with Stolpersteine, small brass plates bearing the names and fates of Holocaust victims set in the pavements outside their former homes. These and a thousand other memorials and rituals are expressions of Germany's Erinnerungskultur, a 'memory culture' built up over decades.
Straits Times
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Germany rejects Russian allegations of journalist harassment
FILE PHOTO: German national flag flutters on top of the Reichstag building in Berlin, Germany, March 25, 2025. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner/ File Photo BERLIN - A German foreign ministry official on Friday rejected "unfounded accusations" made by Russia's foreign ministry that Berlin had persecuted Russian journalists working in the country. "In contrast to Russia's increasingly harsh repression of journalists, Germany upholds the principles of the rule of law and freedom of the press," the official said in a statement. Russia summoned the German ambassador earlier on Friday to inform him of retaliatory measures in response to what it sees as the harassment of Russian journalists based in Germany, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. In a statement, the Russian ministry said the German ambassador, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, was informed that "Berlin should not continue the practice of systematic harassment of Russian journalists in Germany." Such "open unfriendly actions by the German authorities will inevitably be met with a response from the Russian side," the ministry said. Lambsdorff was quoted by the Izvestia outlet as saying the meeting, which lasted over two hours, was "interesting." "We discussed the working conditions of our correspondents. We will continue this dialogue." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
German lower house backs plan to halt refugee family reunification
People attend a protest against a bill suspending family reunification for refugees with subsidiary protection status in front of the Reichstag building, in Berlin, Germany, June 26, 2025. Banner reads \"Family life for all! Family reunification now\". REUTERS/Riham Alkousaa People attend a protest against a bill suspending family reunification for refugees with subsidiary protection status in front of the Reichstag building, in Berlin, Germany, June 26, 2025. Banner reads \"Families belong together\". REUTERS/Riham Alkousaa Former German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is applauded after addresseing the parliament on the day Germany's lower house, the Bundestag, votes on a draft bill to suspend family reunification for two years for people granted subsidiary protection status to relieve pressure on Germany's reception and integration systems, in Berlin, Germany, June 27, 2025. REUTERS/Nadja Wohlleben German Chancellor Friedrich Merz speaks with Julia Klockner, President of the German Bundestag, before Germany's lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, votes on a draft bill to suspend family reunification for two years for people granted subsidiary protection status to relieve pressure on Germany's reception and integration systems, in Berlin, Germany, June 27, 2025. REUTERS/Nadja Wohlleben Members of the Bundestag vote during Germany's lower house session in Berlin, Germany, June 27, 2025. REUTERS/Nadja Wohlleben BERLIN - Germany's Bundestag lower house passed a bill on Friday to suspend family reunification for migrants who do not qualify for full refugee status, fulfilling a conservative election pledge to curb migration and ease pressure on integration systems. Migration was a pivotal issue in February's federal election, where the far-right nativist Alternative for Germany secured a historic second place with its anti-migration platform. Germany currently hosts about 388,000 refugees with "subsidiary protection status", a form of international protection granted to people who do not qualify as refugees but who still face a real risk of serious harm if returned to their home country. The majority of those holding this status are Syrians. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the new bill was necessary because Germany's integration capacity, especially in education, childcare and housing, had reached its limit. "Immigration must have limits, and we are reflecting that politically," he told the Bundestag during a heated debate ahead of Friday's vote. Some 444 lawmakers supporting the bill, while 135 voted against it. The upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat, which represents Germany's federal states, is expected to approve the bill in July, paving the way for it to become law. Dobrindt said suspending family reunification would help deter illegal migration by disrupting smuggling networks, which often rely on sending one family member ahead to later bring others. Berlin initially suspended family reunification for this group in 2016, amid a surge of over 1 million arrivals when then-Chancellor Angela Merkel opened the border for those fleeing war and prosecution in the Middle East and beyond. It was partially reinstated in 2018, capped at 1,000 visas per month. 'I CAN'T SLEEP' Tareq Alaows, refugee policy spokesperson for the pro-immigration advocacy group Pro Asyl, said the group was reviewing the bill's constitutionality and will support legal action for affected individuals if rights violations are found. Ahmad Shikh Ali fled to Germany from Aleppo two-and-a-half years ago, and his family, still stuck in Turkey, had only two cases ahead of them in the reunification queue to be processed and granted a visa to Germany before this law was introduced. "Since I learned of this decision, I can't sleep, I can't get on with my life," Shikh Ali said, breaking into tears in front of the German parliament on Thursday where he gathered with dozens of other refugees protesting the law. "My son was crawling when I left him, he is walking now," he said, holding a blurry photo of his 3-year-old son. He said returning to Syria - where an Islamist government has taken power following the fall of veteran leader Bashar al-Assad last December - was not an option as the security situation remained unstable. At the migration office in the city of Hanover where Shikh Ali lives, he was told that changing his status after finding full-time employment was not possible. "I can't go back to Syria, I can't go back to Turkey, I don't have any options, this is what suffocates me," he said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
AsiaOne
27-06-2025
- General
- AsiaOne
UK chooses statues and glass bridge design for Queen Elizabeth memorial, World News
LONDON - A memorial to honour Queen Elizabeth in London's St James's Park will feature a statue of Britain's longest-reigning monarch on horseback, another of her arm-in-arm with her husband Prince Philip and a glass bridge, the project committee said. Elizabeth II died at her Scottish castle on Sept 8, 2022, after more than seven decades on the throne. She was 96. Her death provoked days of mourning and tributes from across the country and the world. St James's Park, which is located opposite Buckingham Palace, was chosen as the best site to pay tribute to her reign, and under the plan announced on Tuesday (June 24) the park will be reshaped, with two new areas of gardens and two new gates. The committee chose the plans drawn up by Foster + Partners, a firm headed by Norman Foster, one of Britain's most influential architects, who is known for the Gherkin building in London's financial district and the Reichstag dome in Berlin. Foster, 90, knew Elizabeth personally after she appointed him to the Order of Merit for services to architecture in 1997, and he said his idea was to use the site to narrate her legacy and the extraordinary story of her life. The new glass bridge is inspired by the tiara she wore at her wedding while the two gates and two gardens reflect the way Elizabeth balanced tradition and modernity, public duty and private faith, and Britain and the Commonwealth, Foster said. "It's really creating something which is timeless, and reaches across all ages and interests and conveys the values of Her Majesty, which were a mixture of the formal informality," he told BBC Radio. The design will be finalised by April 2026 and the memorial could be completed one to two years after that, Foster said. [[nid:718910]]
