Churches in Europe

An editorial by Thierry Bonaventura, press officer of CCEE (Council of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe) regarding Christians’ persecution and religious freedom, opens the latest issue – September-December – of "Litterae Communionis Episcoporum Europae", the four-monthly published in cooperation with SIR Europe (ample excerpts were published on n. 09 of SIR Europe). This year CCEE will celebrate 40 years dedicated to the service of the Church in Europe, a period that will be covered by "Litterae" starting with the current issue, with written contributions by Msgr. Ivo Fürer, Bishop Emeritus of Sankt Gallen and CCEE Secretary General in the years 1977 to 1995. The news bulletin presents the agenda of the Episcopal body in the last four months of 2010 and announces the first items on the agenda of 2011, notably the CCEE plenary in Tirana, Albania, from September 29 to October 2, the 13th meeting of Catholic Churches of Oriental rite in Europe in Sophia (Bulgaria) November 4-7 ,while the SECAM-CCEE seminar is scheduled to take place from November 10 to 14 2011 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. As customary, "Litterae" articles cover CCEE meetings, along with news items from COMECE, which celebrated its 30th birthday in 2010, and from the Council of Europe. The WIDEANGLE section presents the initiatives of the Bishops’ Conferences in Europe, of which follows an overview. Each issue of SIR Europe dedicates ample space to European Churches’ activities. Albania. The year 2010 was dedicated to Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, marking the centenary of her birth, with a number of initiatives. During the plenary of the Albanian Bishops’ Conference (November 16-17) the bishops examined the translation of the Roman Missal into Albanian, a task which an ad hoc Commission has been working on for some time, along with the project of a newspaper that will express the stand of the Church on topical events. A Commission has been set up to work with a government commission on the question of church property. Belarus. On Sunday 9 october, the Papal Legate Cardinal Jozef Tomko presided over the celebration of the Jubilee marking 300 years since the consecration of the Arch-cathedral of Minsk. on 28 october, the diocese of Pinsk celebrated 85 years since its establishment. on Sunday 21 November, the Solemnity of Christ the King, the Catholic Community in Minsk celebrated the centenary of the re-building of the Church of Saints Simeon and Helena. From 6-9 December, the Prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education, Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, visited Grodno and met with the bishops, seminarians and faithful. Bosnia and Herzegovina. To mark Human Rights Day, the Bishops’ Conference Justitia et Pax Commission organised for 7 December 2010 a round table discussion on the topic: "Penal institutes and the protection of human rights in Bosnia Herzegovina". The BH Bishops’ Conference issued the guidelines for the broadcast of liturgical celebrations on TV, the radio and the Internet. Bulgaria. On the eve of the Solemnity of Saint Teresa of Avila,14 october, the new "Blessed Pope John XXIII" Spirituality Centre was inaugurated in Sofia. The Apostolic Exarch and President of the Bishops’ Conference, Msgr Christo Proykov, blessed the new Centre and the Catholic library in the course of a celebration in which the Apostolic Nuncio to Bulgaria, Archbishop Msgr Janusz Bolonek, read a telegram from the Holy Father Benedict XVI. in this Centre began the three-year course given by the Institute for Theology and Spirituality for the Laity. Cyprus. On 27 November, as part of the monthly meetings for young people and after Mass, the programme for the 2011 World Youth Day in Madrid was announced. Past December youth pastoral organized a weekend in Paphos. Many young people delved into the theme "Rooted and founded on Christ, strong in faith". On October 26 Archbishop Youssef Soueif delivered a panel lecture at the Catholic University in Milan (Italy) on the life of Christians in the Middle East along with His Eminence the Patriarch of the Coptic Catholics Antonios Naguib. Russian Federation. On 1 December, there was a meeting of the Russian Bishops’ Conference Liturgy Commission, examining the issues of the new edition of the Missal and liturgical texts for the administration of the sacraments, and the calendar of local feasts. On December 20 archbishop Paolo Pezzi, on the invitation of Public Chamber took part in a meeting on "The relationship between State and Church in the Russian Federation. The contribution of the different Christian denominations." The XXXII Plenary session of the Russian Bishops’ Conference took place in St Petersburg from 26-27 October. Lithuania. In October and 16 December the Plenary meetings of the Lithuanian Bishops’ Conference took place. A Lithuanian translation of the Code of Canon Law was approved. It was emphasised that in approving laws, freedom of conscience and faith should be consolidated, respected and assured. The bishops of Lithuania have proclaimed 2011 the Year of Divine Mercy and sent out a letter to the families pf Lithuania thanking those who adopt orphans, who live with consciousness and responsibility, the good of children, and the values of their education. Moldavia. The last months of 2010 were marked by the launch of different pastoral activities and above all by the dissemination of local Church programmatic guidelines for 2011, having two fundamental aims: a pastoral programme focussed on the themes of "evangelisation and charity" and the realisation of the "First Social Week" in Moldova, held past October. The Church’s social commitment continues apace across the country. The Home of Divine Providence has increased its own commitment with the extension of aid services, formation and education. The Regina Pacis Foundation celebrated the tenth anniversary of its presence in Moldova with the launch of new aid and charity services. The opening in Moldova of the offices of the Christian Workers Movement was warmly received. The Regina Pacis Foundation celebrated the tenth anniversary of its presence in Moldova by promoting new aid and charity services. Romania. The Romanian bishops of both Rites, Roman and Greek-Catholic, have decided to organize a National Meeting of Catholic Families in 2011 in preparation for the next World Meeting of Families to be held in Milan (Italy) in 2012. In a pastoral letter the prelates invite political authorities to respect the dignity of the human person and social equality. On October 30 2010 the Romanian Church saw raised to the altars the first martyr from the Communist era, the Roman Catholic Bishop Szilaìrd Ignaìc Bogdaìnffy (1911-1953), Auxiliary Bishop of Satu Mare, who died in Aiud prison on 3 october 1953. Another Bishop, Janos Scheffler, will be beatified on 3 July 2011. Scandinavia. On 2 November 2010 new guidelines for the handling of sexual abuse cases came into force in Denmark. The civil authorities have concluded their inquiries into 33 cases of sexual abuse which, within the last 120 years or so, have allegedly seen the involvement of some religious from the diocese of Copenhagen. At the start of the year an extensive study will focus on the following aspects: life in the parish and in the diocese; Adoration and Spiritual Exercises; information, communication and finance. At the end of May, His Lordship Msgr Czeslaw Kozon will receive the complete report from the study. Slovakia. On 7 December 2010, in the Slovakian Embassy to the Holy See in Rome, there was a Conference to mark the 10th anniversary of the Fundamental Agreement between the Holy See and the Slovakian Republic, signed and ratified in 2000. Four other particular understandings were foreseen in this Agreement: an Understanding on the right of conscientious objection (still not concluded); an appropriate Understanding on details concerning pastoral assistance for Catholic faithful in the Armed Forces and Police (signed and ratified in 2002); on Catholic education (signed and ratified in 2004); and a special Understanding on the Catholic Church’s financial guarantees (not yet concluded). Slovenia. Representatives from the neighbouring Bishops’ Conferences were also invited to participate in the 57th Plenary Assembly of the Slovenian Bishops’ Conference (Ljubljana, 29-30 November). The main topic for discussion was the spiritual and theological formation of seminarians and priests, which must aim to strengthen the priestly identity and its realisation in society. The Church in Slovenia is celebrating the Year of Charity. The Year began in September 2010. Ukraine (Byzantine rite). In preparation for the Jubilee of the 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of the Rus’ of Kyiv which will take place in 2013, the Synod of Bishops of the major Archiepiscopate of Kyiv-Halyc held in Lviv 28-29 December, introduced a three-year cycle of preparation which will take place throughout the Church with the following themes: Kerygma – Proclamation of the Word of God (2011); Liturgy – Celebration of the Sacraments (2012) and Diaconia – The Church’s social activity (2013).Ukraine (Latin rite). The theme of "Institutes of Consecrated Life in the life of the Universal Church and in the life of the Local Church" was the focus of the 36th General Assembly of the Ukrainian Bishops’ Conference (Lviv, 23-24 November). The bishops collected proposals for pastoral preparation for the National Eucharistic Congress (in the Ukraine in 2012) with the participation of His Holiness Benedict XVI. Hungary. During the Winter Session of the Hungarian Bishops’ Conference (30 November–2 December) the bishops discussed: a circular letter on the Year of the Family; the Congress of Families on 31 March on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris consortio (Papa John Paul II); the establishment of the Caritas in Veritate Commission; approval of a work on the ethnography of the Romany peoples for use in pastoral work and schools. On 1 December the homepage of the oldest Catholic news agency in central Europe, the hundred-year old Magyar Kuriìr (The Hungarian Courier), was renewed. As well as the already existing written reports, there is a variety of video and audio material now available at: www.magyarkurir.hu.