England and Wales: what of poor migrants?Patrick Lynch, the bishop responsible for migration of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales said that the United Kingdom is currently witnessing the absence of political leadership in the realm of migration and that the Church should meet this gap. In his address, delivered during the 31st conference of the Justice and Peace commissions in Swanwick, bishop Lynch pointed out that the world has gone from industrialization to technology and to globalization. "Markets and societies are global, the labour force is mobile, and thousands of dollars can be delivered from one side of the world to the other with just a click", said bishop Lynch in a statement reported by Catholic weekly "Universe". "Migrants and their families are the most severely hit by the effects of these changes". According to the bishop, the U.K.’s new immigration points-based system is affecting migration flows. "With this new system low skilled migrants will be barred for entering the EU. Our concern is migrants in state of poverty will be left out if unable to prove they have enough money on their banking accounts prior to their arrival". Over three hundred activists have arrived from across the Country to attend the meeting on migration media coverage and on the reception that the Church ought to give to migrants, along with the question of working permits for asylum-seekers’. France: summer bioethics "Bioethics: which future for man and society?" This is the theme of the lecture delivered by the bishop of Amiens Jean-Luc Bouilleret in Saint-Valéry-sur-Somme, a month after the French government concluded the "States General on bioethics". The meeting took place within the framework of the "Saint-Valery Conferences", held once a week during the summer for the past twenty years on the initiative of father Marc Langlois. The course is intended for resident population and tourists. "Man cannot replace God nor can he imagine that he will become immortal", Msgr. Bouilleret, ex-Professor of Moral theology and member of the Working Group "Faith and Ethics" told the 220 participants, that included numerous doctors. After having clarified Church stands as relates to the respect of life and of the human person, to diseases, end of life, palliative treatment and euthanasia, replying to questions from the audience the prelate said, "men’s role in society complies with the attention granted to other people", inasmuch as "the love for others entails the respect of mankind". The purpose of the conference, held within the framework of the French Catholic Church’s commitment in the realm of bioethics, was not to "provide a list of proscriptions. Rather, it is meant to offer contributions for reflection, in order to enlighten conscientious engagement". Moreover, according to Msgr. Pierre d’Ornellas, archbishop of Rennes and President of the working group on bioethics set up by the French Bishops’ Conference in autumn 2007, organizers wish "scholars to exchange ideas in order to develop new paths for progress". The next meeting is scheduled for August 25. Deacon and doctor Sylvain Charbonnel and psychologist Francoise Benazet, will delve into the Leonetti bill, life termination and palliative treatments. Germany: solidarity holidaysA summer package: Germany’s Catholic Youth Federation (BDKJ) set up the youth foundation “Hilfreich, edel & gut” to support associations’ initiatives for the youth and children in the diocese of Essen. This summer’s campaign will send 70 parcels with community activity tools to Germany, The Netherlands, France, England, Austria, Italy, Sweden, Denmark and Hungary, where Catholic youth from the diocese of Essen are spending their holidays. Next year the youth foundation will provide financial grants to projects related to the environment, spiritual retreats, workshops and social action days. Germany’s Catholic Youth Federation (http://www.bdkj.de/), which that is part of the Central Committee of German Catholics (Zdk), brings together 15 organizations representing some 650 thousand youth aged 7-28. Young Catholics also have the possibility of making the experience of “short-term missionary work". The initiative was launched in 1980 on the occasion of the Day of Catholics in Berlin, when young people asked missionary orders if they could work for a given period of time in convents and monasteries located abroad. Since then, with the intermediation of a German missionary order, the youth can choose to spend from 1 to 5 years abroad, in all continents except Australia. Info: http://missionarin-auf-zeit.de/.
