The Local Switzerland

How a nighttime bell has caused uproar in a Swiss village

Thu, 10 Dec 2020 17:12:22 +0100

There is uproar in a Swiss village and it's all to do with the incessant ringing of a nearby bell at nighttime.

Pope’s visit poses financial headache for Swiss bishopric

Fri, 15 Jun 2018 14:53:16 +0200

Switzerland is getting ready to welcome Pope Francis in a week’s time, but the country’s Catholic church is coming under financial strain over the associated costs.

New group campaigns to end Catholic church child abuse

Fri, 08 Jun 2018 11:09:11 +0200

Child abuse victims and human rights activists from 15 countries, including Switzerland, have launched a new pressure group to campaign against abuse by Catholic clerics.

Catholic church in Valais rocked by new sex abuse claims

Thu, 04 Jan 2018 11:02:26 +0100

Accusations of historic sexual abuse have been made against around ten Catholic priests in the bishopric of Sion in the canton of Valais.

Swiss bishops to pay reparations to sex abuse victims

Tue, 06 Dec 2016 09:57:34 +0100

Catholic bishops in Switzerland have created a fund to help people sexually abused by clergy members in cases where the statute of limitations has passed, they said on Monday.

Tourists put out fire in historic Swiss church with holy water

Wed, 22 Jun 2016 12:21:42 +0200

A couple of quick-thinking tourists earned the praise of police on Tuesday when they used holy water to put out a fire in the historic cathedral of St Gallen.

Uri village seeks heirs to forgotten 1842 will

Sun, 10 Feb 2013 23:59:00 +0100

A village in the canton of Uri is trying to track down heirs of the will of a man who died in 1842.

Sex ed harms 'natural sense of shame': bishop

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:44:00 +0100

Two Swiss Catholic bishops have traded verbal blows after the bishop of Chur, Vitus Huonder, argued that parents should have the right to exempt their children from sex education classes at school.

Teenager owns up to Swiss church arson attack

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 11:35:00 +0100

Swiss police said on Monday a teenager had turned himself in after an arson attack at a church in western Switzerland.

Attackers torch prayer books in Swiss church

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:30:00 +0100

Arsonists entered a church in western Switzerland, piled prayer books on an altar and set them on fire, local police said on Sunday.