Voices from the East” “

Churches that have only recently emerged from the “silence” of the communist regime and that are now grappling with the problems of reconstruction, ecumenical commitment, defence of life and the crisis of vocations: this is the image of the Churches of Eastern Europe in our time. It emerges from the addresses given by some of the bishops of these countries to the general Assembly of the Italian Episcopal Conference, held in Rome from 17 to 21 May. We cite some excerpts below. Bulgaria: a church engaged in implementing the Council’s directives. “The situation in Bulgaria has changed over the last few years – reports Bishop PETKO JORDANOV CHRISTOV of Nicopolis –, thanks to the political stability that has led us to becoming members of NATO and that should permit the Bulgarian Republic to enter the European Union in 2007. It’s a process of integration that, we hope, will open up better prospects for us. The Catholic Church is concentrating all its energies on implementing the directives of Vatican Council II. The pastoral activities being developed in the three dioceses are dependent, however, on the number of priests available on the territory; they often have to care for two or even three parishes at the same time. Thanks to the contribution of European benefactors, we have been able to rebuild or restore churches and adjacent buildings in some parishes”. Albania: an appeal to civic responsibility. The appeal was made by the bishops and apostolic administrators of the Catholic Church in Albania, who met for their annual Conference in May. “In some parts of our country – they write – poverty has become intolerable, indeed a violation of basic human rights: there is no work”. “Many people are homeless and those that have a home lack electricity, water, roads, medical treatment, schools for their children”. But – add the bishops – this situation must not discourage us. “The destinies of our life and country are in our hands; we must respond to them from north to south”. “Of thing we can be sure – continues the message – our world will not be changed by the strong”. Slovakia: accords with the State. “In 2000 – recalls Msgr. VLADIMIR FILO, coadjutor bishop of Roznava – the Slovak Republic signed an international pact under the name “ Basic Accord between the Holy See and the Slovak Republic“, in which the signatories pledged to complete four other particular accords. Of these two have already been ratified. The first is the Accord on pastoral care for members of the armed forces and police forces. The second is the Accord on the teaching of Catholic religion and on Catholic education in schools…The third Accord is now at an advanced stage and is likely to be the first ever of its kind in the life of the Catholic Church, i.e. the Accord on the application of conscientious objection. Its aim is to give believing citizens the option to refuse any action that is not in conformity with the moral and doctrinal principles of the Catholic Church. The fourth agreement, the Accord on the financial question of the Catholic Church, still remains outstanding. It will be the most difficult to complete, because fairly powerful voices are making themselves heard in Slovakia, calling for the total separation between Church and State and demanding that the Church be entirely self-financed. Russia: “grave” problems for the life of the Church. “27% of parishes – reports Archbishop TADEUSZ KONDRUSIEWICZ of Moscow – have no church, not even a chapel, of their own. It’s very difficult to re-obtain the ecclesiastical properties confiscated during the communist era. It’s also difficult to receive authorization to build new churches. Another serious problem is the legal status of foreign priests and nuns. In some regions of Russia, the local authorities issue residence permits only for three months…But the gravest problem is that of relations with the Russian Orthodox Church, which accuses the Catholic Church of proselytism…Some three months ago, Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity, visited Moscow. For the first time in four years the delegations of the Patriarchate and the Vatican met, and the decision to set up a commission to resolve the problems between the two churches was taken during the visit. The Commission had its first meeting on 5-6 May, and even though it was unable immediately to sort out all the problems, it was important to start this process”. Lithuania: the difficulties of Catholics. “After the country regained its freedom – says Msgr. JONAS IVANAUSKAS, auxiliary bishop of Kaunas – Lithuanian Catholics had to cope with many difficulties and are still having to do so today…Nihilism about life and the human person is rife, and people are no longer willing to accept social responsibilities. Important changes to the economic system have determined phenomena of social injustice, usury, corruption…The birth rate is declining, divorces growing, conformism spreading. Economic difficulties have caused large-scale emigration to the richer states of Western Europe and to the USA”. Ukraine: emigration to Italy on the increase. “According to the government statistics – says Msgr. HLIB LONCHYNA, titular bishop of Bareta and apostolic visitator for Ukrainian Greek-Catholics in Italy – Some 120,000 Ukrainian emigrants are officially registered in Italy; adding irregular immigrants, the figure could rise to 200,000. The reasons that prompt people to seek work in other countries are purely economic: families can’t earn enough in the Ukraine to support themselves, never mind send their children to university or build a home”. Croatia: new guidelines for education in seminaries. “At the recent session of the Croatian Episcopal Conference in Zagreb – says Msgr. IVAN MILOVAN, bishop of Porec i Pula – the bishops devoted particular attention to the problems of education in seminaries. The phenomenon present in seminarians in other countries is also being experienced in Croatia: indecision, lack of motivation, lack of responsibility, deficiency of spiritual formation. One of the proposals put to the bishops is that of not automatically consecrating seminarians after their fifth year of theological studies, but only on the basis of the achievement of maturity”. Bosnia-Herzegovina: the appeal of Cardinal Puljic. “I would like – said Cardinal VINKO PULJIC, archbishop of Sarajevo – to make an appeal: don’t forget the Catholics of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who have an urgent need for brotherly support to overcome the daunting problems facing them at the present time, …resume ordinary activities, …live in serenity and security, and earn enough to support their families in a decent way…Political, social and economic opportunities are guaranteed to everyone on paper only, not in practice… European democratic standards need to be introduced into the social and political structures of Bosnia and the country needs to be incorporated as soon as possible within the borders of the European Union…I know that it’s not up to you to decide on these questions. But speak of it to your politicians and to MEPs, because the dignity of man demands it. The populations of Bosnia and Herzegovina cannot be abandoned just because they are economically deprived”. Hungary: “For a culture of life”. In December 2003 – said Msgr. ANDRAS VERES, general secretary of the Episcopal Conference of Hungary – the Episcopal Conference published a pastoral letter on issues of bioethics, with the title “For a culture of life”. It was the third pastoral letter published by the Conference since the political change, but it’s the first to tackle the question of bioethics. The teaching of the Church has been strongly criticised in the non-Christian media”. Austria: an “ecumenical” document on social service. “A very important project that has been some three years in the making – says Bishop MAXIMILIAN AICHERN of Linz – is the presentation of the “ökumenisches sozialwort”, an ecumenical document on social engagement. It’s the first time that the Catholic Church has joined with the Reformed church, the orthodox and oriental churches in drawing up a document. It finds its foundations in the spirit of the Gospel and in Christian social doctrine, and takes into consideration the difficulties of man and society in our time. The document seeks to give guidelines for the church and also for a wider public”.