United Kingdom: 67% are against mixed embryos Cardinal Keith O’Brien, archbishop of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh, and President of Scotland’s Bishops Conference, welcomed the data of a recent survey claiming that two thirds of the population of the United Kingdom are against the production of 50% animal – 50% human embryos . According to the survey carried out by “Opinion Research Business”, under the request of the Catholic Church, 67% are against hybrid animal-human embryos while 64% believe that In Vitro Fertilization should not be granted when the genetic father cannot be identified. The Scottish and English Churches have been opposing the law authorizing the use of hybrid embryos which will undergo Westminster’s Parliamentary debate in May. This opposition has led Prime Minister Gordon Brown to decide that MPs from the Labour Party, which he represents, vote in all conscience. “Gordon Brown declared that ‘lives will be saved’ and that ‘cures will be made available’ – the Cardinal said – these statements are not only scientific fantasies, they are also false. They deceive thousands of families concerned for the care of their dear ones who are sick, and are misled into believing that stem cell research could be a cure. The Prime Minister is unaware of the recent declarations of biologist David King who explained that even if stem cells were obtained from hybrid embryos these would be abnormal and therefore, useless”.Austria: a European kindergarten for SarajevoOn April 6 the “Europe” kindergarten was inaugurated in Sarajevo. This is one of the effects of the twinning between the diocese of Gurk (Austria) and the archdiocese of Sarajevo, begun in 2004 at the end of the Day of Middle-European Catholics. After three years, the kindergarten in the outskirts of Sarajevo, which belongs to the parish of Stup, was inaugurated by cardinal Vinko Puljic. The diocese of Gurk gave a consistent contribution to the creation of the kindergarten with a personal and financial support within the framework of the twinning of the two dioceses. Also half of the sum collected during the Masses celebrated by the Pope in Mariazell and Wien past December (approximately 26.000 euro) was devoted to this initiative. The inauguration in Sarajevo was attended by Kurt Haber, director of the Episcopal high-school of St. Ursula in Klagenfurt, represented by the bishop of the diocese of Kärnten Msgr. Alois Schwarz. Kurt Haber, who chairs the diocese of Gurk for the twinning, defined the kindergarten “a particularly significant investment for the Country’s future”. Haber pointed out that “the citizens of Sarajevo continue suffering the consequences of the 1990s war and therefore will be needy of help also in the future”. The new kindergarten can host 100 children in approximately 2.500 square km. The area includes a social centre with a refectory and several offices which will be providing marriage counseling and educational support for the parents of Roma children. The twinning between Gurk and Sarajevo gave rise to more projects and twinnings between parishes and schools. At the end of April, Gurk representatives will be meeting a delegation from Sarajevo to implement the next steps of the twinning process.Slovenia: the second edition of the “Don Bosko fest”In the past days the second edition of the “Don Bosko Fest” was held in Ljubljana. This formation initiative was promoted by the Salesians in Slovenia for the animators who will be coordinating the forthcoming summer activities. With this initiative, the Salesians, in cooperation with the ‘Figlie di Maria Ausiliatrice’ order and Slovenia’s intradiocesan Office for the Youth, intended to promote the figure of the animator offering a first formative contribution in view of the involvement in the summer program “Oratorij” which has been taking place for the past 20 years in most of Slovenia’s parishes and youth centres. It involves some 2500 animators and 15.000 young people. The “Don Bosko Fest” has two goals: an opportunity of mutual knowledge and exchange of experiences among participants, and a first presentation of the contents, methodologies and guidelines regarding the summer initiative of “Oratorij”. The event was attended by over 400 young animators. After the initial presentation, the youth prepared and participated in the Mass officiated by Father Tone Ciglar, professor of pedagogy and inspectoral delegate for missionary animation. It was followed by the presentation of the contents of the 2008 summer proposal which this year is marked by the theme “Open your eyes!” which draws inspiration from the figure of Saint Paul, Apostle of the nations. In the afternoon, some thirty workshops were set up enabling animators to experience the dynamics, techniques and games they will be putting into practice in their summer activities with children. A moment of music and sports concluded the day.
