England: anti-discrimination campaign Christians in the UK who have been victims of discrimination at school or in the job environment launched a nation-wide “Not Ashamed” campaign. They are urging Christians across the United Kingdom to stand together. The campaign – organized by “Christian Concern for our Nation”, for the defense of Christian freedoms at work and across society – is urging Christians to wear the “Not Ashamed” logo during Advent this year, especially on December 1 – “Not Ashamed Day”. Former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey is currently writing a special leaflet for the campaign, explaining why Jesus Christ is good news for all. The founder of “Christian Concern”, Andrea Minichiello Williams, told “Independent Catholic News”: “”As the Pope’s visit has highlighted, there is widespread recognition of the attempt in our society to remove Jesus Christ from public life, restricting Him to the domain of the ‘private and personal’, with disastrous effect for both individuals and our communities. This campaign is about giving the grassroots the courage to stand up and declare that they are not ashamed of who they are or what they believe in. It is time for the Church to find her voice again”, Williams said.Ireland: preparations for the meeting with the Pope in RomeOn the invitation of the Congregation of bishops, Ireland’s four archbishops will travel to Rome to prepare for the apostolic visitation announced by Benedict XVI in the Letter to Irish Catholics past March. In a statement issued in May, the Holy See said that the apostolic visitation is “to offer assistance to Church officials and lay faithful as they seek to respond adequately to the situation caused by the tragic cases of abuse perpetrated by priests and religious upon minors and to contribute to the spiritual and moral renewal of the Church in Ireland”. Cardinal Archbishop of Armagh Seán Brady, Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop of Cashel and Emly Dermot Clifford, and Archbishop of Tuam Michael Neary will make the trip over to Rome next week. They will meet the four apostolic visitors to prepare the visit whose purpose, states the Irish Bishops’ Conference in a Note, “is to offer assistance and to contribute to the spiritual and moral renewal of the Church in Ireland” and to “facilitate reflection, evaluation and review of Church life”.Slovenia: the upcoming beatification of Fr. MajcenOn September 24, in Ljubljana Rakovnik, the diocesan inquiry for the beatification of Servant of God Andrej Majcen (1904-1999), priest and missionary, “patriarch of the Salesians”, was officially opened to the presence of the archbishop of the diocese, Msgr. Anton Stres. At the event were present Salesian bishops Msgr. Stanislav Hoèevar, archbishop of Belgrade, Msgr. Zef Gashi, archbishop of Bar, Montenegro, Msgr. Peter Nguyen Van De, bishop of Thai Binh, Vietnam, inspector Fr. Alojzij Slavko Snoj, the inspector of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, sr. Marija imenc, and the vice postulator Fr. Anton Ciglar. Two days later, Sunday September 26, a Eucharistic celebration occasioned by the opening of the beatification process, took place at the shrine of Our Lady Help of Christians in Ljubljana Rakovnik. The Mass was presided over by Msgr. Hoèevar, and was co-celebrated by the Salesian bishops present at the official opening along with Msgr. Peter tumpf, Salesian bishop of Murska Sobota, Slovenia. The celebration of Sunday 26 takes on a special meaning due to the simultaneous celebration of the 141st Missionary Expedition. In fact, on the same day, from the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Turin, the 141st Missionary Expedition officially departed. The Rector Major of the Salesians, Fr Pascual Chávez gave the cross to 42 new missionaries, ten of whom are from Vietnam, the Country where in 1952 Fr Andrej Majcen brought and cultivated the seed of Salesian charisma.Spain: a website for the Pope’s visitationThe Spanish Bishops’ Conference opened an official website (www.visitadelpapa2010.org) entirely dedicated to the visit of Benedict XVI to Santiago de Compostela and Barcelona, scheduled for November 6-7 2010. The official program, exhaustive biographic material on the Pope, the details of the other papal visits to Spain and information of the Spanish Church is available on the website -in Spanish, Italian, English and French – along with live-broadcasts of the Papal visit, providing the possibility to follow online transmission of the highlights of the visit, with links to Facebook and Twitter, so as to be constantly updated for the event of November 7.
