Ireland: Ryan Report “shame and humiliation”To “establish the truth” and ensure that “justice is done for all”, stated Pope Benedict XVI in a meeting with Cardinal Sean Brady, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of Ireland and with Msgr. Diarmund Martin, Archbishop of Dublin, regarding the publication of the “Ryan Report” on thousands of cases of abuse on minors in State institutions run by religious orders. The words of the Holy Father are contained in the statement issued by Irish Bishops on June 10, at the end of the “Summer General Meeting”. “The Holy Father once again urged the Bishops and all in the Church to continue to establish the truth of what happened and why; to ensure that justice is done for all; to see that measures put in place to prevent abuse from happening again are fully applied, and, to help to bring healing to the survivors of abuse”, the Bishops stated. The note was issued the same day in which thousands of people undertook a silent march in the streets of Dublin as a sign of solidarity with the victims of abuse. The bishops conveyed their “heavy sadness”. “We are ashamed humbled and repentant that our people strayed so far from their Christian ideals”, the bishops declared. “The Ryan Report represents the most recent disturbing indictment of a culture that was prevalent in the Catholic Church in Ireland for far too long”. “This abuse represents a serious betrayal of the trust which was placed in the Church. For this we ask forgiveness”. The bishops said they devoted a lot of time discussing the Report. They declared that while they need time to reflect on the detail of the report, they “offer the following as an initial response: We wish to invite survivors to engage with us to see how we can assist those who have been abused. We wish to respond as pastors despite the inadequacies at times of our previous pastoral responses”. Finally the Bishops “urge the whole Church community to join with us in praying for the well being and peace of mind for all who suffered”.Switzerland: appeal for the refugeesThe Swiss Bishops’ Conference, the Federation of Protestant Churches and the Federation of Jewish Communities, issued a joint appeal on the occasion of Refugee Sunday and Jewish Sabbath (celebrated in Switzerland June 20-21). They ask the Country’s religious communities to abate anti-refugee prejudice and lend a hand to “those in need of protection”. “Refugees have no other option than to leave their countries of origin -the Churches and the Jewish Communities wrote -. They flee from persecution and exclusion. And they often escape from oppression, violence and torture. They expose themselves to an uncertain future in a foreign country with the hope of a better life”. “All asylum-seeking refugees in our country – they declared – must face legal procedures. Asylum is granted on the basis of the rules envisaged by the law. But often refugees are the victims of further prejudice since “they are often suspected of being involved in criminal activity” or of “taking advantage of the hosting country”. These are “discriminating” views, which go against “the humanitarian tradition that characterizes our Country marked by protection to those in need”. The joint statement is signed by Msgr. Kurt Koch, President of the Conference of Swiss Bishops, by pastor Thomas Wipf, President of the Swiss Federation of Protestant Churches, by Herbert Winter, President of the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities and by Harald Rein, Episcopal vicar of the Swiss Catholic-Christian Church in Switzerland. France-Belarus: the journey of cardinal BarbarinJune 7-10 a delegation led by Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, Archbishop of Lyon, visited Belarus on the invitation of the bishop Filaret, Metropolitan of Minsk. During the visit His Eminence held meetings with the Catholic community, with archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, and with the Orthodox and Jewish communities. The Cardinal gathered in prayer at Kurupati, a Stalinist killing-ground. Cardinal Barbarin donated a collection of works from “Sources Chretiennes” (the works of the Church Fathers) to the Orthodox and Catholic Churches. On June 8 His Eminence was awarded the title of Doctor Honoris Causa by the Orthodox theological faculty of Minsk where he delivered a speech focused on Jewish-Christian dialogue. “Of all religions – he said – the Jews occupy a privileged place for us. Christian churches and communities view them as stemming from our same roots: our elder brothers in the great adventure of the Covenant”.
