WYD, Europe, Katholikentag for the Catholics of Central Europe (MEKT) and World Refugee Day were the main issues discussed by the Austrian bishops at their summer plenary assembly held in Mariazell from 13 to 15 June. The Austrian Bishops’ Conference has appealed to Austrian youth to participate in large numbers in World Youth Day in Cologne in August 2005, and expressed satisfaction for the fact that over 3,000 enrolments have so far been received from Austria by the offices organizing WYD. “In view of the close linguistic and cultural relations between Catholicism in Austria and in the Rhineland”, the bishops hope “that many other Austrian youth will decide to go to Cologne”, says the final statement of the session. The Bishops’ Conference recalls “with gratitude” the “pilgrimage of peoples” to Mariazell on 22 May 2004 and invites Catholics “to make an ever bigger contribution to Europe. The Christian contribution is decisive if Europe is increasingly to become a place of peace, liberty and respect for human dignity”. And, in ideal continuation with the spirit of MEKT, a large pilgrimage of families will take place in each Austrian diocese on 11 June 2006, day of the Holy Trinity. Similar projects are being planned in other countries that participated in MEKT. The theme of the pilgrimages will be the transmission of faith in the family. During their assembly, the bishops also recalled with particular emphasis World Refugee Day, celebrated on 20 June, emphasizing the fact that since 1945 Austria has welcomed some 2 million refugees, of whom 700,000 have chosen to remain in the country. “In the sector of asylum policy, the legacy of the last 60 years represents a commitment for today”, write the bishops, referring also to the need for measures of prevention, in conformity with the recent document of the Pontifical Council for the pastoral care of migrants: “Austria too can help ensure that living conditions be improved in as large a number of countries as possible, so that ever less people feel forced to abandon their own country”.
