Russian Catholic weekly honored as example of press freedom

Published: 2004-06-25

WARSAW, Poland (CNS) -- Staffers at Russia's only national Catholic newspaper have received an international award for publicizing the Catholic faith in the predominantly Orthodox country. Olga Karpova, an editor at the Svet Evangelii weekly, said the award from the International Catholic Union of the Press "is an important inspiration for us." "We've tried to counter negative images of the church here by presenting its doctrines and describing its work. Although we don't know how many Orthodox read it, we hope it's had a positive effect on them," she said. The newspaper received the 2004 Titus Brandsma Award, presented by the union and the Dutch bishops' conference to Catholic journalists who defend justice, liberty and press freedom. The newspaper will receive the award -- dedicated to Blessed Titus Brandsma, a Dutch Carmelite priest martyred in the Nazi concentration camp Dachau -- during the union's international conference in Bangkok, Thailand, Oct. 9-17.

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