July 2005″ “

The main events involving the Catholic Church, the other Christian Churches and the main institutions of Europe in July Great Britain assumes the rotating six-months’ Presidency of the Council of Ministers of the European Union. 4 Conference (4-7) on the theme “Forty years after Gaudium et Spes. Reasons for living and hoping”, at Worth Abbey, in England, promoted by the Heythrop Institute for Religion, Ethics and Public Life of the University of London, in collaboration with the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. 5 Press Conference on World Youth Day in Cologne, in Rome. Presentation of the project “ The monastic orders: defenders of European culture”, devised by the national Committee “Sport and Culture for Peace” and dedicated to St. Benedict, St. Bridget and Saints Cyril and Methodius, three of the five co-patrons of Europe, at the Croatian Pontifical College in Rome. 6 Summit of the G8 (6-8), at Gleneagles (Perthshire/Scotland). 177th session of the International Olympic Committee (6-9), at Singapore. Focal point of the meeting: the choice of the city that will host the Olympic Games and Paralympics in 2012, among the short-list of candidates: London, Madrid, Moscow, New York and Paris. 7 Environmental initiative of the Church of Scotland, on the occasion of the meeting of the G8 in Gleneagles; the “message” will be entrusted to the synchronized pealing of the bells of Scottish churches, beginning at 13.45 local time, alluding to the fact that 13% of the world population produces 45% of greenhouse gas emissions. 8 Audience of the Holy Father to Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern. Pilgrimage on foot of youth bearing the WYD Cross from Dresden to Cologne (8 July-16 August). 9 World Day for the destruction of small-calibre guns. 10 Referendum on the ratification of the European Constitutional Treaty in Luxembourg. 11 Feast of St. Benedict, abbot, Patron of Europe. 10th anniversary of the massacre of Srebrenica, Moslem enclave in Bosnia. World Population Day. 12 Public holiday in Northern Ireland (Orangeman’s Day) 14 Interdiocesan Eucharistic Congress in England (14-17), on the theme “Ecco l’Agnello (Jn 1: 29)”, promoted by the Archdiocese of Birmingham together with the Dioceses of Nottingham and Northampton, at Newman College in Birmingham. 18 Conference of Donors for Iraq (18-19), in Amman 20 International retreat for priests and members of their pastoral groups (20-24), on the theme “Mercy, only hope for the world”, in Krakow. 23 Feast of St. Bridget (Birgitta), founder of the Bridgettine Order, Patron of Europe. Diocesan Eucharistic Congress at Telšiai (23-24), in Lithuania, in the parish church of Švokšna, celebrating the first centenary of its consecration. 25 Celebration of the Solemnity of the Apostle St. James, at Santiago de Compostela, in Spain 26 8th International Meeting on Migration (MIM) (26-31), promoted by the Scalabrinian Fathers, on the theme “Children of foreigners or children of no one? Immigrant minors, protagonists in Europe today and tomorrow”, at Loreto (Italy).