CHURCHES IN BRIEF
Switzerland: the bishops on the expulsions In view of the forthcoming referendum for expelling immigrants who commit crimes and the parliament’s draft-law, the Swiss Bishops’ Conference (CES) released a statement reaffirming that the current legislation is sufficient and that the draft-laws that have been drawn up imply “a juridical need which does not exist”. “Existing legislation – the prelates write – already provide for the deportation of foreigners that committed crimes. Thus, the initiative of the referendum and the draft bill have no juridical meaning. Indeed, they are the sign of a policy which eludes critical juridical and national questions”. According to the bishops the questions are: “How can we improve the coexistence of the Swiss with foreign citizens? What are the duties that appertain to the State and to society, and which are those of immigrants, aimed at their full integration? What is meant by integration and what is our Swiss identity?” The bishops add: “Avoiding to face important issues through juridical ploy ends up not solving them, creating a climate which harms all foreigners living in Switzerland, thus fomenting deleterious prejudice by focusing solely on the problem of the criminal record of immigrants”. Before expressing their view, the Swiss Bishops consulted a group of legal experts, for whom “accepting the referendum initiative could create further problems at the level of ethics and international legislation. Since in principle with the new regulations the expulsion provision can be decreed even disregarding the situation in the migrants’ Country of origin or the living conditions in Switzerland, thus leading to unethical decisions which go against fundamental human rights. For these reasons, the referendum initiative must be firmly rejected”. The draft-law “is unnecessary, since it brings no substantial change to the current juridical framework”. In fact, in Switzerland, “efficient measures providing for the situation of sentenced migrants” are already in force. England: a symposium on Cardinal NewmanAn international symposium on the figure of Cardinal Newman will take place at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome next November 22-23. The news was released by the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. The symposium is titled: “The Primacy of God in the Life and Writings of Blessed John Henry Newman”. With the contributions of eminent scholars, the symposium will delve into four key sectors of the life and spiritual of cardinal Newman, declared Blessed by Pope Benedict XVI in his recent visit to England: his search for God and the challenges faced by those seeking God in a secular culture; his spirituality and a call to mission. The four sessions will be introduced by archbishop Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, cardinal Zenon Grocholewksi, prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education, cardinal Ivan Dias, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of the Peoples and Msgr. Vincent Nichols, archbishop, president of the bishops’ conference of England and Wales. Lectures will be delivered by worldwide speakers like Ian Ker, from Oxford University, Michael Paul Gallagher, from the Pontifical Gregorian University, Terrence Merrigan, from the Catholic University of Lovanio and Roderick Strano, Pontifical College Beda.Hungary: in memory of cardinal MindszentyCardinal József Mindszenty was remembered on October 31st, in Hungary, on the anniversary of the first day of his brief return to freedom during the tragic events of the Hungarian revolt on October 31st 1956, after having spent seven years in prison following a life sentence inflicted by the Communist regime in 1949. The bishop of Vác, Monsignor Miklós Beer, celebrated Mass in Felsopetény – the village where Mindszenty spent the last year of his calvary locked in the prison-castle of Almássy -, while Lajos Fodor, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Defense, delivered the opening speech. Celebrations continued in the Rétság barracks, the first destination of the return trip to Budapest – amidst hailing crowds – of the primate cardinal released and escorted by the soldiers of the Magyar army that rebelled against the regime. Mindszenty relished the joy of recovered freedom for only a few days. After his dramatic appeal to the Magyar population and to the West, delivered in parliament and radiobroadcast the evening of November 3 1956, the morning of November 4 Soviet tanks entered Budapest. The revolt was repressed in blood, while Mindszenty escaped arrest by sheltering in the U.S. Embassy, where he remained for fifteen years, until September 28 1971, when he exited thanks to an agreement between the Holy See and the Hungarian government.
