An ecumenical compass” “

“Sozialwort”, the official position of the Ecumenical Council of the Austrian Churches (Örkö) on the social services, was presented in Vienna on 27 November. Fourteen Churches have supported the project; they include the Anglican, Apostolic Armenian, Roman Catholic, Coptic Orthodox, Evangelic (of both Augsburg and Helvetic confessions), Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Serbian Orthodox and Syro-Orthodox Churches. The document (136 pages) is the result of four years’ work: the project began with the collection of 522 questionnaires, gathered in a report on social services published early last year. The report and the discussions it gave rise to formed the basis for the new document presented by Christine Gleixner, chairperson of the Örkö, Michael Chalupka, representative of the Evangelic Church of the Augsburg Confession and Father Alois Riedlsperger, representative of the Austrian Catholic Social Academy (KSOE). The document is divided into nine chapters. Welfare state. The Austrian Christian Churches want a “strong welfare state” and express “perplexity” about the tendency to privatise the social security sector. The Churches recognise the need to “adjust” the structures of the welfare state to “social developments”, but stress that the funding of these services is mainly “a question of political will and of a reasonable redistribution of burdens”. In their joint document the Austrian Churches hope for the maintenance of a pension system based on contributions, since it is “more reliable that private insurance schemes, linked to the investment market”. “Access to social services and their quality must be provided to everyone, irrespective of income and origin”. The Churches ask for a minimum social insurance for everyone, in conformity with what is requested in the national anti-poverty programmes adopted by the countries of the EU. In Sozialwort the need is also stressed to cope with the “growing demand for assistance” with “sufficient resources and infrastructures”: this can be achieved by “the adjustment of funding to assistance, and by the development of mobile assistance structures, of ‘day-hospital’ and hospice type”. The contribution of the Catholic Caritas and the Evangelic Diakonie charitable organizations is recognized. Work. The “concept of work needs to be re-thought”, taking into account the “socially indispensable” work performed “without pay and especially by women” within the family. “The service of many women within their own family and in non-paid work in other family groups also represents the main cause of the poverty of women”. The document proposes old-age pensions for women. Peace and development. In its chapter dedicated to “Peace and Justice”, the document urges the governments of Austria, the EU and of the whole world to “drastically reduce” expenditures on armaments. It also hopes that Austria, as a neutral member of the EU, may play an active role in fostering a foreign and security policy based “on clear ethical principles and on the provisions of international law”. The role of the UNO “needs to be reinforced”. The Churches also ask for the introduction of a “compulsory programme for the progressive hiking of funds for cooperation in development, up to the ceiling of 0.7% of GDP”. A compass for thought, life and action. “ Sozialwort is a compass for thought, life and action in the social services”, declared Christine Gleixner, chairperson of Örkö. “Each chapter – she explained – opens with a passage of the Bible”. Fr. Alois Riedlsperger announced a provisional review of the project for the first Sunday of Advent in 2004. Msgr. Maximilian Aichern, a Catholic bishop, underlined “the link between the document and the practice of the Churches in social work, which helps social cohesion”. Michael Staikos, Greek Orthodox metropolitan, declared that “the Churches are demonstrating that their place is not just in the houses of God but also in society, in the assistance they give to people”. He called the agreement reached between the 14 Churches “unique”. In the view of the Lutheran Evangelic bishop Herwig Sturm, “the declarations … are only credible if united with the practice of the Churches”; that’s why the document contains a concrete project for each question addressed.