Germany: Msgr. Zollitsch (DBK) in NigeriaStepping up the commitment of the Universal Church and supporting the local Church: this is the purpose of the trip which Msgr. Robert Zollitsch, President of the German Bishops’ Conference (DBK), will make to Nigeria from August 26 to September 5. In a statement released a few days ago, the German Bishops’ Conference announced meetings with Church representatives, politicians, civil society personalities, and with religious leaders. The challenges the Church is called to face due to a surge in religious fundamentalism, the challenges pertaining to social injustices and the Church’s commitment for peace are among the items on the agenda. Msgr. Zollitsch is due to visit the South-Eastern region of Nigeria, which is traditionally Christian, and where the Church and the entire society are faced with surging fundamentalism on the part of Pentecostal Churches. Christians are but a minority in the dioceses of the North of the Country, marked by Muslim majority, and by frequent clashes between the faithful of the two religions. The journey of the President of the German Bishops’ Conference is also viewed as an occasion to develop positive relations with the local Church in Nigeria. At the same time, the German Catholic Church intends to support ecclesial commitments aimed at the establishment of a violent-free society. The last visit of a DBK President to Africa dates back to 1995, when Cardinal Karl Lehmann visited Burkina Faso. Austria: an international centre for dialogue The upcoming establishment of an “International Centre for Inter-Religious dialogue” is the major outcome of the “World Conference on Dialogue” held in Vienna a few days ago. The meeting represents the continuation of the Dialogue of Religions in Madrid, following the initiative of Saudi King Abdullah, and attended by 40 world religious representatives, notably Rabbi Marc Schneider (Secretary General of the World Jewish Congress), Msgr. Khaled Akasheh (from the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue), Mehmet Görmez (Vice-President of Turkey’s Office for religions), the Metropolitan archbishop of Paris Emmanuel (Adamakis) and Guirgis Ibrahim Saleh (Secretary General of the Council of Churches of the Near East). Religious freedom, human rights, the respect of human dignity in a plural society, responsibilities for the preservation of the creation, the increasingly important role of women and youth in the establishment of peace and in inter-religious and religious dialogue, are some of the themes addressed during the meeting. Martin Rupprecht, head of the Office for Christian-Muslim relations of the Archdiocese of Vienna, representing the archdiocese, also attended the meeting. As reported by Austria’s Catholic News agency Kathpress, Rupprecht declared that the conference brought to the fore “the good will of all participants” but also the existence of “a lack of knowledge of the other”. “The major problem of inter-religious dialogue consists in the fact that we know too little of one another”. Therefore, although the dialogue initiative promoted by King Abdullah is worthy of praise, “in view of the upcoming conferences, a clearer structure and more focused objectives will need to be defined”.France: 2000 students to the Holy Land2000 students and twenty bishops from virtually all the French dioceses will be leaving today for the Holy Land, where they will be on a pilgrimage until July 31st. The second “Aux sources” (at the sources) pilgrimage for young people, promoted by the French Bishops Conference (Cef), will take the group, mostly university students, “to meet peers from the other dioceses, the Christian communities of the Holy Land, and above all God’s Word, announced by places that are experiencing problems but are full of hope”. According to mgr. Benoit Rivière, bishop of Autun and president of the Council for the Youth Pastoral of the Cef, “this pilgrimage will enable the young to live a fundamental experience of faith. We have this initiative very much at heart – the prelate explains -, and we want it to be a meeting with the local ecclesial communities”. That is why the organisation decided to ask the local families and parish churches to accommodate the pilgrims. “We hope the university pastoral may be boosted and revived by this experience. This is not just about leaving with a group you know, but having an experience of the Church, gathered under the Episcopal ministry”. In addition to visiting all the main holy places, the pilgrimage will also include meetings at the universities of Bethlehem and Jerusalem and a joint celebration with Patriarch Twal.
