First published: December 23, 2024 11:11 AM
Catalan Mossos d'Esquadra police found a dead newborn baby in a trash container in Cubelles, a town south of Barcelona in the county of Garraf, on Sunday night, as the Catalan News Agency (ACN) has confirmed.
Sources confirm that the police received a call at 11 pm on Sunday and several agents were sent to the scene. Among the experts deployed there were civil security and investigation agents from Vilanova i la Geltrú, a nearby town, as well as health emergency services who confirmed the death of the baby.
The investigation is being conducted under judicial secrecy and has been taken over by the police of the Southern Metropolitan region.
Police usually contact nearby hospitals and health centers to see if a woman has recently entered labor.
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The Catholic Church encompasses a rich
It also uses various types of sacred spaces
which play distinct roles within its tradition
A cathedral is the principal church of a diocese – which is a division of the Church led by a bishop
Cathedrals are usually grand in scale and architectural design
reflecting the importance of the bishop’s seat and serving as the focal point for major liturgical events
The Bishop heads the local Christian community in its journey
Publius was then the acting governor of the Roman Melita
Chapter 28 of the Acts of the Apostles narrates how Paul healed the governor’s father during his three-month stay on the Island
we found out that the island was called Malta
They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and
When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand
“This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea
the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live.” But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects
The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead; but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him
they changed their minds and said he was a god
There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius
He welcomed us to his home and showed us generous hospitality for three days
the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured
They honored us in many ways; and when we were ready to sail
they furnished us with the supplies we needed
Tradition holds that the present cathedral in Mdina was built in the same area where Publius’ residence was
a 2000-year-old uninterrupted Christian presence has shaped the spiritual
and artistic landscape of the Maltese islands
a bishop who hundreds of years later left a great impact on the local ecclesiastical history (and
on Maltese Christianity) was Bishop Domenico Cubelles
Bishop Cubelles is better known for instituting one of Malta’s pilgrimage walks, the noted Universal Peace Walk, the Pro Pace Universali Cammino
This pilgrimage walk probably started as a votive pilgrimage at the turn of the 16th century before the arrival of the Knights of St
It was then adopted by Bishop Cubelles as an ecumenical peace pilgrimage in 1543
Why was this walk of socio-political importance in medieval Europe
The Middle Ages saw the creation of a new world order: the collapse of the Roman Empire in the 5th century AD
the establishment of the Holy Roman Empire in the 9th century
the schism with the Eastern Churches at the turn of the 1st millennium
the Roman Christian retreat from the Holy Lands following the Crusades in the 13th century and
the concentrated effort of the Spanish Reconquista from the 8th the 15th century
followed by wars on Europe’s eastern and Mediterranean fronts to stem the Ottoman westward expansion
The Protestant reformation during the 15th and 16th century pitted one nation against the other
threatening to fragment the fragile peace that existed across a once united Europe
The indirect result of such reforms was war between nations (especially in Bohemia
France and England) from the mid-15th to the mid-17th century
Pope Paul III sought to spare Europe from the ravages of war and called a general council in Mantua in 1536
to try to reconcile the forces of tradition and reform
and wars across Europe lasted about 150 years
lost almost a third of its inhabitants because of the 30 Years’ War
But a rose grew from the thorns of war as Europeans
realizing the ruin they had brought upon themselves
recognized all Christian traditions as their common heritage and the Holy Roman Empire embraced all as official religions within the union
heralding again a period of relative peace in central Europe
it is fair to say that the Universal Peace Walk was more of a socio-political peace walk than an ecumenical pilgrimage – at least at its inception
the walk was instituted with the intention of universal peace in Europe
after the failure of the Council of Mantua
and in preparation of a new council in Trent in 1545
pilgrims walk this Camino with the very same intentions: those of finding peace within themselves
and with those they pray for while walking this inspiring pilgrimage path
going from the outstanding cathedral of the old city
Mdina (the notabile “Silent City”) all the way to the Southernmost parish in the archipelago
But this original 1543 route changed over the years
as more parishes were established throughout the archipelago
today's pilgrims can walk the original route
while also incorporating all the original parishes from the 1436 Rollo de Mello that remained after Dusina’s visit
by the mid-17th century it was more of a ‘palm and fronds’ design with pilgrimages meeting in Paola (Casal Nuovo) to walk through one of the then newer parishes (Tarxien
Because the walk ended at the old church of St
the pilgrimage became known colloquially as il-pellegrinagg ta’ San Girgor – Saint Gregor’s Pilgrimage
The pilgrimage ended there because the church and its lands were the property of the Cathedral of Mdina
XirCammini, a voluntary organization registered in Malta, has recreated the original 1543 walk from Mdina to Zejtun within present-day urbanization realities. The walk is supported by a free downloadable app, guidebooks, Credencial and Testimonium. The Malta Tourism Authority has funded this private
The walk goes through various towns and parishes that existed in 1543
Bir Miftuh (Gudja) and Zejtun are listed as parishes in the 1436 census of Bishop Senatore de Mello – again
such as Qrendi and Ghaxaq were then part of older parishes
churches and sanctuaries en-route include:
A guidebook providing an explanation of each of the 26 highlighted waypoints along the route helps pilgrims learn about the history and Christian heritage and devotions behind this walk
A Credencial incorporated into the guidebook provides an opportunity to collect stamps while on this Camino
At the end of the walk, a testimonium (certificate of completion) is provided to pilgrims. The Malta Tourism Authority, through its tourist offices is helping XirCammini with the distribution of guidebooks
XirCammini helps individuals or groups walk the Caminos. Contact us on [email protected] or via WhatsApp on +35679046942
We are a not-for-profit organization dedicated to historical and faith-related walks in Malta and Europe – registered as a Voluntary Organization (VO1646) with the Office of the Commissioner for Voluntary Organizations
This content has been brought to you in partnership with the Malta Tourism Authority.
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The Catalan government has imposed a penalty of €900,000 on Spanish public rail operator Renfe for violating consumers' rights during the failure of the R2Sud line in Gavà last May
the Catalan News Agency (ACN) has learned.
The sanction was approved by the executive at its weekly cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
The government has increased the penalty proposed by the Catalan Consumer Agency in November by €200,000 after a series of inspections.
Renfe engaged in "unfair commercial practices
by action or omission," because it misinformed customers when they were deciding whether to buy tickets for the R2Sud line
an infringement considered "very serious" considering the "distrust" generated and Renfe's dominance in the market.
The Catalan government deployed a team of inspectors on May 8
Reus and L'Aldea-Amposta-Tortosa stations to check whether the operator complied with its obligations to consumers and acted to reduce disruptions to the service.
it found alterations to timetables and to alternative transport
closed customer service points and trains advertised as direct which then stopped at all stations.
For this reason, the consumer agency considered that there were "deficiencies" in the information provided by the railway company in relation to the R2Sud service, which at that time was affected by severe disruptions as a result of a fire in a signal box at Gavà, south of Barcelona.
The fault occurred on May 1, and there was controversy over what caused it. It was initially wrongly attributed to lightning before it was concluded that the overhead line had broken which, due to vandalism of the system that was supposed to protect the facilities, was not detected automatically.
Renfe said on Thursday that it had not yet been notified of the penalty.
trekkers want to follow – with a virtual ‘pilgrim passport’ in hand
has been resurrected by a hiking group that wants to develop an app to help trekkers navigate the 28-kilometre trail
The Universal Peace Walk has been almost two years in the making by XirCammini
a voluntary organisation that focuses on hiking and the spiritual and historical aspect of ancient pilgrimage routes
Although it has been organising walks since it was set up in 2018
this is the first long-distance pilgrimage XirCammini has created
according to committee member John Chircop
“We are witnessing a surge of people exploring the countryside,” he said
“But we lack long distance trails in Malta
Chircop and XirCammini founder James Portelli
who has a strong interest in history and has been researching the long-distance walks
recreated the trail that harks back to 1543 when it was started by Bishop Domenico Cubelles
To consolidate the power of the Catholic Church in Malta
the pilgrimage linked the parishes together
ending up at the old church of St Catherine
Now it even includes a runway that has had to be worked around
The route of the Universal Peace Walk that a group of hikers wants to revive for modern-day pilgrims
The pilgrimage joining the parishes was held once a year
But COVID got in the way of launching the revived version
It was due to begin as an organised walking group activity and temporary signs were put up
But while hiking has picked up significantly over the last year
opening up the Peace Walk to hundreds of walkers gathering at the same time was out
been working on installing permanent stone markers along the route
Chircop highlighted the complexity of setting up the pilgrim path
which involves reaching out to local councils for their support in signposting
Other challenges along the way have included the organisation of police presence in some busy areas
“We tried to avoid busy roads while linking up the parishes but it is impossible,” he said
The pilgrimage’s main focus is on highlighting important landmarks and overlooked historical elements in the hope that walkers can discover countryside niches and old chapels on the town fringes
The trail also incorporates open stretches
Chircop has repeatedly visited areas to try to keep the route both safe and interesting for hikers
John Chircop (left) and James Portelli plan to resurrect the pilgrimage more than 470 years after it was first created
a navigational app has been designed but it has yet to be developed due to lack of funding and a feasibility assessment
“We need to be sure of sufficient interest to justify the recurring costs which can run into thousands of euros,” Chircop pointed out
XirCammini has met with the Malta Tourism Authority and with local established NGOs to collaborate and pool resources and is considering charging for the app to help cover costs
meaning the long pilgrimage could be undertaken alone and would not need to be done in one go
“Spiritual tourism is a sector of special interest tourism that is gaining a lot of attention abroad,” Chircop said
“The French route of the Camino de Santiago is incredibly popular
with some 180,000 pilgrims covering the route in 2019
There is potential for such routes.”
Just like the famous Camino de Santiago pilgrimage
hikers on the Maltese pilgrimage would be able to claim a certificate of completion once the destination is reached
the twice daily stamps on the ‘pilgrim passport’ would be collected virtually and auto-matically as certain milestones are passed
The app is designed to provide information about each landmark
Some historical chapels and monuments are often closed and not as interesting from the outside as from within
images and 3D renderings of the interiors of these landmarks
As for when the reborn pilgrimage will finally get off the ground
Chircop is confident XirCammini will be able to create a scaled-down first version of the Universal Peace Walk app
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So that your dogs don't suffer so much from the heat
and you don't suffer going to the beach without them
we leave you the best beaches to swim together
The perfect beach for dogs because it is better for dogs than for people
A small beach lacking in services with an orientation that does not help sunbathing
but it is perfect for taking dogs for a swim
You can visit in Sitges, half an hour from Barcelona, near the cement plant
and can be reached by following the old Castelldefels road
so you can also crown the day with a walk through the park
The dog beach in Barcelona has been a resounding success since it opened a few years ago
A kennel of 1,250 m² with a maximum capacity of 100 dogs where in August even queues form
dogs can access any beach without time limitation with the exception of Easter
This Zone for dogs of 1.000m2 is located between the streets Vandellòs and Tamarit
this is one of the most comfortable beaches to go with our animals
it has a capacity for 100 people and 75 dogs
so you can enjoy a large space without being too cramped
During the summer months, close to the thermal power plant of Cubelles, a Zone for dogs is enabled on the beach of Les Salines
It is a stretch of more than 450 meters long of sand and gravel
ideal for playing and bathing with your dog without having to worry about space
The beach is composed of fine golden sand and is open from June 15 to September 16
the beaches of Arenys de Mar accept dogs from 8 pm until 8 am
Includes all basic services and marine rescue
the beach of Pineda de Mar has a small fenced section for dogs during the summer months. It is located in front of the two campsites and
dogs do not need to be registered in the municipality
The enclosure has litter garbage cans and bags for excrement in case you forget them at home
if you are looking for a place a little more remote and quiet this is your place
you can enjoy between 1.600m2 and 5.000m2 of sand
certainly more than enough space to play and bathe with your furry friend
This dog beach is located near the boat launching area
so you can not only enjoy a fun day with your dog
but also a traditional Mediterráneo landscape
The waters of this beach are characterized by their transparency and the sand is fine and pleasant
The Zone is delimited with wooden fences and has a maximum capacity of 150 people
From June 1 to September 30, this beach of Mataró is enabled for dogs and people to enjoy a refreshing day at sea
It is located next to the pier and dogs must be registered and microchipped to register them at the ticket
The beach has lifeguard service and access hours are from 10-19h
with a capacity of only 60 people and 40 dogs
is located behind the Badalona municipal swimming pool and all animals attending must be microchipped
In the midst of the Cap de Creus we found this canine beach next to the parking lot of the Platja Gran
It is a sandy Zone from where we can enjoyspectacular views of the village of white and picturesque houses.
Southern Catalonia is currently experiencing the largest-ever disruption to the Rodalies commuter train network
with a five-month suspension of services due to expansion work on the Roda de Berà tunnel
more vehicles have been registered on the AP-7 highway traveling from Sant Vicenç de Calders to Tarragona
Data shared by the Catalan traffic agency and analyzed by the Catalan News Agency (ACN) show a 7% increase in the number of vehicles during morning peak hours
For passengers traveling from Barcelona, the train service now requires them to disembark at Sant Vicenç de Calders and transfer to buses
as there is no service between that station and Tarragona
Nearly 90 buses offer over 600 daily trips
On Wednesday, October 2, traffic rose by 7.9% during the first 13 hours of the day, especially between 8 am and 11 am.
In contrast, the number of vehicles heading north from Tarragona to Barcelona remained largely unchanged. Authorities recorded a slight 0.4% increase during the morning, followed by a 0.4% decrease in the overall daily average.
The construction work on the Roda de Berà tunnel is part of the Mediterranean Corridor, the rail link along the east coast of Spain.
In order for it to be available, the Iberian gauge railways must be adapted to the standard gauge railways.
The Spanish transport minister expects the corridor to be operational by 2027, connecting Andalusia and Barcelona to Europe.
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Malta can boast of only one shining Protestant martyr, a man who paid with his life, a rare steadfastness in upholding his religious principles, an almost solitary voice who knew the risks of defying the Roman Catholic majority in Malta in the fanatical fractures of the 16th century, soldiering on and never flinching nonetheless.
Cover of a book by Alexander Bonnici on the Inquisition showing the alleged burning of Gesualdo.
Don Francesco Gesualdo died burnt at the stake in 1546, refusing to the very last breath of his life to recant his beliefs, the first and only martyr to ennoble the Reformation in the annals of Malta. Mark Montebello, in his perceptive and far-ranging history of philosophy in Malta, singles out Gesualdo as a leading icon of freethinking.
Burning of a heretic in Malta. Tableau in the Mdina Dungeons Museum.
For many years, scholars had taken the Salelles version of Gesualdo’s martyrdom at face value – and who can blame them? – they relied on a serious, usually dependable source. An important recent book on the Inquisition in Malta actually has for its cover a macabre image of Gesualdo being burnt at the stake, taken from the dungeons of Mdina.
I believe it was only Vincent Borg in his utterly monumental history of the Church in Malta who first started having doubts on the accuracy of the Salelles narrative. Virtually everything that could be cross-checked proved to be wrong. I want to add some archival findings that really pull inside out Gesualdo’s story as recounted by Salelles.
Grand Master Juan d’Homedes, during whose rule the execution of Gesualdo is said to have occurred.
Mgr Borg, through a re-examination of original documents, had already identified a number of major fault lines in the Salelles narrative. Gesualdo was not French at all, but a native of Calabria. The date of Gesualdo’s execution could not possibly have been 1546, as he was reliably reported alive many years later. Mgr Borg however accepts that Gesualdo suffered death at the stake at some unspecified time and place.
I had a look at the archives of the Order of St John, on the off chance of coming across some unknown morsel, and a wholly different picture emerges from them. Ready for a few surprises?
Gesualdo was still alive in Rome in 1562 – 16 years after being burnt at the stake in Malta!
A painting by Francisco Goya of the sanbenito or abitello, the penitential garment Gesualdo’s co-heretics had to wear in public. Photo: Wikipedia
This absence comes as no surprise. Del Pozzo airbrushed out of his human inventory the names of Italian knights who had been expelled from the Order or had brought it into grave disrepute. Gesualdo may have belonged to the purely religious, not necessarily noble, branch of the Order, the priests aggregated to the Order – but these are usually referred to as Fra Cappellano, not simply as Fra.
After hearing the report of the Commissioners and mature deliberation, the Council, as was customary, resolved to convene the public assembly of the knights to proceed to expel Gesualdo from the Order.
The 1651 book by Sebastiano Salelles on the Inquisition, the source of the story of the burning of Gesualdo. COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL LIBRARY
This happened, for example, when Mattew Falson fled from the Inquisition and from Malta in 1574, and the Inquisitor ordered that his effigy be publicly set on fire. It could be that Salelles misread the 100-year-old manuscript order of the Inquisition tribunal for the burning of Gesualdo in effigy, taking its meaning literally as a physical burning of the heretic. This, let me make it clear, is purely speculation. The rest is not.
AcknowledgementsThanks to Maroma Camilleri, and to Joseph Anthony Debono, whose translation of the Salelles text I used.
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First published: December 20, 2024 11:16 AM
Public transport subsidies in Spain will remain unchanged during the first half of 2025, the Spanish government confirmed on Thursday.
The announcement follows speculation over whether the subsidies, introduced in 2022 to alleviate economic challenges from the post-Covid-19 crisis, would continue.
While the government initially planned to end them, an agreement with the left-wing party Podemos has extended the subsidies for another six months.
The measure offers a 50% discount on integrated transport cards for frequent metro and bus users, including the T-Jove for those under 30 and the T-Usual for other regular commuters.
Additionally, Rodalies train users in Catalonia can travel for free after paying a refundable €10 deposit upon completing 16 trips.
Holy week processions are among the most religious activities seen during Easter week in Barcelona and Catalonia
But these are not the only activities to see during the Christian festivities
Many other plans include visiting museums with children, with many options opening daily during the week
or also enjoying nature either in the Pyrenees or the Ebre River Delta
One of the most famous is the Dance of the Death
which is held on Maundy Thursday in the northern town of Verges
as it features skeletons dancing to the sound of a drum
Roman soldiers -known as the 'Manages'- and a representation of Christ's crucifixion
most religious processions in Catalan towns take place on Good Friday
usually featuring images of the Virgin Mary and the crucified Christ
Processions can be seen in cities such as Montblanc
Despite the decline in church attendance and religious observance
Christian customs remain a major feature of Easter celebrations
Yet, perhaps the star of the Easter period in Catalonia is the ‘Mona de Pasqua,’ an Easter cake traditionally gifted to children by their godparents
The Mona de Pasqua is a decorated sponge cake usually topped with chocolate and figures -often cartoon characters or football stars- that is traditionally eaten on Easter Monday
Second-hand markets are also popular across Catalonia nowadays, with many options during the week. However, one of the most interesting ones is the Pleamar Vintage Market in the southern town of Altafulla on April 8 and 9
and stands selling second-hand clothing and vinyls
all surrounded by the beauty of the Costa Daurada coastline
Traveling is also one of the most popular plans during Easter week
either visiting Barcelona or going to other cities in Catalonia
prefer to travel back in time and visit the Middle Ages
Public transport fares in Spain are set to rise in 2025 after the government confirmed that subsidies introduced in 2022 will end.
This change will affect all of Catalonia, but especially Barcelona, where fares for the metro, buses and Rodalies commuter trains will return to their original prices.
For the past two years, frequent users of the Rodalies trains in Catalonia have benefited from free travel by paying a €10 deposit, which was refunded after 16 trips.
However, with the end of the subsidy program, this benefit will likely be removed and travelers will have to pay the standard fare again.
The end of subsidies will also affect the integrated transport cards used by frequent metro and bus users, who currently enjoy a 50% discount.
The two travel cards, the T-Jove, for those under 30, and T-Usual, for other frequent users, are expected to return to their pre-subsidy prices.
The T-Jove, which now costs €42.70 every three months, is projected to rise to €85.40, while the T-Usual may increase from €21.35 per month to €42.70.
The existing 50% discount is funded jointly, with 30% covered by the Spanish government and 20% by regional authorities.
While the central government has confirmed it will withdraw its portion of the subsidy, it remains uncertain whether the Catalan government will follow suit, though it is widely anticipated that it will.
There may also be additional fare increases, as is customary at the beginning of each year.
Controversial 8-M Poster in Lérida | Ajuntament de Lleida POLITICS Controversy Over an 8-M Poster in Lérida Featuring a Woman With an Islamic VeilOther posters in Premià
Sant Andreu or Altafulla also include women with the headscarf03/03/2025 09:57:00h by Redacción
Controversy erupts on March 8's eve over the official Women's Day poster released by the Lleida city council
featuring representations of various women's faces of all ages
the illustration also includes a woman covered with the Islamic veil
an Iranian-origin Islamic veil that covers the head and part of the face
It is an intermediate step between the hijab
where women are persecuted and even killed for not wearing it
it is conceived as religious resistance against Westernization
a type of Islamic veil | dreamsnmotion.comThis is why the inclusion of a woman with a chador in a poster supposedly meant to advocate feminism has caused outrage
mayor of Ripoll and leader of Aliança Catalana
She asks the Lleida city council "if it believes that the humiliation of women is less so if practiced by the Muslim community." She labels the poster a "shame."
the Junts deputy who reported harassment in her own parliamentary group
She said that feminism "must reject any representation that imposes patriarchal norms on women under the pretext of their culture."
Casol accuses the Lleida city council of "promoting a false diversity" with the "excuse" of "respect for foreign cultures." In her same publication
they share an interesting reflection by writer Najat El Hachmi
"You can pass the scarf through all the filters you want
But that won't stop it from being what it has always been: the symbol of an entire system of discrimination and oppression that is the tip of the iceberg."
Najat El Hachmi has been the subject of a campaign by the left
accusing her of being racist and Islamophobic
warns that "they have normalized the chador" and that "the next step is to cover the entire face." They also warn that March 8 "has been taken over by organizations that have usurped true feminism with symbols of oppression and woke ideology."
The Lleida poster once again portrays the contradiction of a certain left toward feminism and cultural relativism
The Lleida poster is joined by others from various localities where the Islamic veil is also represented
Posters in Premià de Sant Andreu and Cubelles | percepcions.catThe Altafulla poster for this year's March 8 includes not one
In 2024 the Ripoll city council censored a major festival poster featuring a girl covered with the Islamic veil
and Orriols was labeled "racist." The controversy is once again served