A major study of childhood in the UK reveals, “The number of children living with both their parents by the time they start secondary school has collapsed since the sixties… 61 per cent of 11-year-olds share a home with both parents, compared with 90 per cent in 1969” (The Times, November 28, 2014). The study also reports “Those with both parents under one roof report higher levels of happiness than those whose parents separated.

“French lawmakers voted in favour of recognizing Palestine as a state on Tuesday, a symbolic move that will not immediately affect France’s diplomatic stance but demonstrates growing European impatience with a stalled peace process. The motion... echoes similar votes in Britain, Spain and Ireland…” (Haaretz, December 2, 2014).

Recently in Strasbourg “Pope Francis addressed the European Parliament with a strong message for the European Union (EU) to work together and be aware of its own identity” (Deutsche Welle, November 25, 2014). Building on the EU motto “United in Diversity,” he exhorted EU leaders to appreciate their religious roots, embracing them as the foundation that will make Europe “immune to the many forms of extremism spreading in the world” (ibid.).