Ireland: 2012 Eucharist Congress in Dublin “The Eucharist: Communion with Christ and with one another.” This will be the subject of the next international Eucharist Congress, the 50th, which will be held in Dublin (Ireland) from June 10 to 17, 2012. According to the Pontifical Committee for international Eucharist Congresses, Benedict XVI has approved the date and subject, which arose from the coinciding of the celebration of the Congress with the 50th anniversary of the inauguration of the Second Vatican Council. “Vatican II”, says Msgr. Diarmuid Martin, the Archbishop of Dublin, “was a moment of renewal and reflection on the teaching of the Church and its self-understanding as the Body of Christ and People of God.” The Local Committee is already working in the capitol on the draft of a basic theological text and in preparations for the event. Msgr. Martin himself heads the Committee, helped by an acting Secretary, Rev. Kevin Doran, Consultant of the Congregation for Catholic Education and former Secretary General of the European Service for Vocations. An internet site of the Local Committee is under construction (www.iec2012.ie).Germany: visit to Jerusalem Several days ago, a delegation composed of members of the Commission for Ecumenism of the Episcopal Conference, completed a visit to Jerusalem. The Bishops, led by Msgr. Gerhard Ludwig Müller (Regensburg) met with the patriarch of the Oriental Churches, including the head of the Greek Orthodox Church, Patriarch Theophilos III. The importance of dialogue with the Orthodox Church was stressed by Msgr. Gerhard Feige (Magdeburg), who recalled, in Jerusalem, the necessity of developing the dialogue with Orthodox Christians “in a creative way”, following Pope Benedict XVI’s directives. Msgr. Müller pointed out that the visit represented more than a simple “historical reminiscence.” “Jerusalem is the city in which many Churches cohabit in a small area. The Holy Land can therefore be a symbol of Unity for Ecumenism. Durino the meetings much attention was paid to the situation of the Christian minorities in Israel and in the autonomous Palestinian territories. The Apostolic Nuncio, Msgr. Antonio Franco, described an everyday reality in which the “euphoria” produced by the successful visit of the Pope “vanished some time ago” and that a “politically difficult situation” prevails. Benedikt Lindemann, Abbot of the Dormition Abbey, illustrated the partially dramatic situation of Christian families “separated from other family members by barbed wire.” Msgr. Heinrich Mussinghoff (Aachen) stressed the importance of ecumenical prayer “at the source of Christian faith. Our life is a sign of confirmation of the strengthening of the unity of Christians all over the world. In Jerusalem, these meetings are always an expression of solidarity with the difficult situation of Christians in the Holy Land.” The Greek Catholic Archbishop, Josef Zery, added that “prayer unites us beyond frontiers.” Recognition of support for German Catholics, with both prayer and material means, was expressed by the Maronite Archbishop, Paul Sayagh. Msgr. Müller spoke of the variegated situation of Christianity in Germany. “The confessional horizon is expanding. For example, we have over a million Orthodox Christians living in our midst. Therefore we must develop dialogue with Orthodoxy in Germany too”, he concluded. Scotland: parishes create “networks”All 500 Scottish parishes will be networking on Internet in an initiative starting this week. The project, initiated in a collaboration between the Scottish Episcopal Conference and the computer Society, “Isys Computer Services”, plans a common management that will permit any parish to establish and update its presence in the internet network. The idea was born of the Pope’s message regarding “digital technology” on occasion of the 43rd Day of Social Communications last May. In a pastoral letter, the bishop Msgr. Philip Tartaglia, President of the Commission for Social Communications of the Scottish Bishops, invited all parishes to develop a site. The Commission supplied all necessary information to help the parishes in this project. According to the Press Representative of the bishops, Peter Kearney, “this is a creative and very interesting project that will permit any parish to have a professional site easily and quickly. I hope this will encourage the greatest possible number of parishes to use the network. “We are very much aware of the value of any organization’s presence on the internet and the advantages it can bring about. We are happy to collaborate with the Catholic Church in offering sites and mail to any parish in Scotland”, explained Kevin O’Neill, Director of the “Isys Computer Services”, “even if every parish already has a site, there could be interest in adopting a common website format or in using our services to guarantee a personalized e-mail for every member of the clergy to facilitate his pastoral mission.”
