Austria: the Week for Life “To make a choice in favour of the family brings great fruits”. The Austrian bishops addressed an appeal to the faithful on the occasion of the 1st edition of the “Week for Life” due to be celebrated between the end of May and the beginning of June. The event will be presented to the faithful with a joint pastoral letter that will be read in the churches next April 18. “It isn’t an easy situation for the families. Limitations and renunciations are unavoidable. Marriage entails sacrifice and dedication”, the bishops write. But this choice will bear many fruits, since “the fullness of life becomes concrete in the family” and all the newborn “represent a source of hope”. Austria’s childless society “is a challenge for the future of the social security system. The parents have a major responsibility towards their own family and for social wellbeing”. “Those living in families today don’t experience social marginalization”, the bishops point our, referring to the fact that the media often “present the traditional family as if it were on the threshold of extinction”. In reality, 75% of all children under 18 are raised by their parents”. Events, pilgrimages, celebrations and blessings for children and pregnant women, along with meetings with politicians will take place in the Country’s dioceses. The Eucharistic celebration, the ‘feast for life’ with children and parents are the acme of the initiative. Sweden: a letter on the abuses In a letter to the faithful read Sunday April 11 in the Masses celebrated in Stockholm’s dioceses, the President of the Scandinavian Bishops’ Conference Anders Arborelius conveyed his “regret and indignation” for the sexual abuses of children by priests. “With great pain – the bishop writes – we have received from all over the country information on priests who committed the most atrocious sin against children and therefore against God. News was disclosed this week of abuse by a bishop in a neighbouring village. This brings us pain and disgust. But most of all we feel immeasurable compassion for the children and the youth who were victims of these crimes”. Bishop Anders Arborelius was received in ad limina visit by pope Benedict XVI past March 25. In the Letter the bishop recalled the meeting for the faithful of the dioceses. “The Holy Father is suffering for all of this, as I personally acknowledged during the audience of March 25. His Holiness underlined that the Church ought to undertake a thorough critical revision for these tragic events”. ” We all have the responsibility of ensuring that sanctity, purity, mercy and solidarity are present in all the members of the Church”, he added. According to Bishop Arborelius this Year of the Priest is even more “tragic”. “It’s a difficult moment for the many priests who lead a holy life and perceive others’ suspicion. Also the faithful feel deceived. But as we acknowledge the sin within the Church, we ought to see it as God’s call to a profound conversion. This time of purification is very important and it could lead to spiritual renewal”.Cyprus: Papal visit, “looking towards the East” “An agenda full of significant events. The visit will leave a profound imprint in the entire island”. With these words, Father Umberto Barato, patriarchal vicar of Cyprus commented on the program of the apostolic visit of Benedict XVI to the island next June 4-6. “The Pope looks towards the Middle East, significantly from a country that is in the European Union”, the bishop added, referring to the Pope’s presentation of the Instrumentum Laboris of the next Synod for the Middle East, due to be held in Rome next October, to the Synodal fathers. “It had to take place here, the land that ecclesiastically belongs to the diocese of Jerusalem and to the Latin Patriarchate of the holy city – explained father Barato, who is convinced that “all middle-Eastern bishops will visit Cyprus, and it will be a very significant moment. The ecumenical meeting with His Beatitude Chrysostomos II is expected to further tighten the bond with the Orthodox Church”. The program of the visit envisages the arrival to Paphos on the 4th at 14.00. At 15.30 the Pope will preside over an ecumenical celebration in the archaeological area of the church of Agia Kiriaki Chrysopolitissa in Cyprus. On Saturday 5th of June the Pope will meet with the political authorities in Cyprus, with the Catholic community of Cyprus and will pay visit to His Beatitude Chrysostomos II, archbishop of Cyprus. At 5.30 p.m. the Holy Father will preside over a Mass with the local church in Nicosia. On June 6 the program envisages the Eucharistic celebration followed by the publication of the Instrumentum Laboris.
