“Christian proposals for a culture of coexistence”: that’s the theme of the 40th Social Week in Spain. Promoted by the Commission of Social Ministry of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference, it opens today (2-5 November) and is being held for the first time in Toledo. This year’s event marks the centenary of the foundation of these meetings in 1906. As explained by Archbishop Antonio Cañizares of Toledo during a press conference to present this year’s Social Week, “the laity will play an important role and the main aim will be the diffusion of the social doctrine of the Church”. “Let’s not get discouraged if the government fails to listen to us; what’s more important is that society should listen to us”, declared Juan José Tomás Raga, president of the Spanish Social Weeks, explaining that “coexistence means dialogue of cultures”. The Social Week will be inaugurated today by the President of the Pontifical Council of Justice and Peace, Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino, with an address on “Human rights, foundation for the construction of a universal culture”. The Apostolic Nuncio in Spain, Monsignor Manuel Monteiro de Castro, will then read out a message from Benedict XVI. Particular cultures in a global world, truth and tolerance, education and family will be the themes of the four plenary sessions of the meeting. They will be introduced by reports by Ignacio Sanchez Camara, professor of philosophy of law at the University of Coruña; Teófilo González Vila of the Catholic Association of Propaganda; Alejandro Llano Cifuentes, professor of philosophy at the University of Navarre, and Eduardo Ortiz Llueca, dean of the Faculty of Sociology and Human Sciences at the Catholic University of Valencia. Each day the participants in the Social Week will meet in various work groups. After the final intervention (on 5 November) by the auxiliary bishop of Madrid, the Right Rev. Eugenio Romero, the archbishop of Toledo will preside over a solemn eucharistic concelebration in the cathedral. For further information: www.semanassociales.es.
