For the European Home

The Polish episcopate, gathered in plenary meeting over the past few days, conveyed spiritual support to national authorities in view of the forthcoming EU Presidency due to be assumed by Poland next July 1st confiding that “it will bear important fruits for the Country and for the EU as a whole”.A special mission. The final statement of the plenary underlines that “Poland, cradle of the social movement that inspired transformations in Europe and in the rest of the world, is tasked with the special mission of promoting solidarity and related institutional solutions”. This is “a major challenge for the EU as a whole”. The statement underlines, “considering the risk of a demographic crisis”, the urgent need of actions “in defense of the right to life of all conceived children” along with “efficient family policies”. The secretary of the Polish Bishops’ Conference (KEP) Msgr. Stanislaw Budzik conveyed the hope that the Polish presidency may further develop the family policies promoted by the outgoing Hungarian six-month presidency. During a liturgical celebration for the prelates in Zakopane Msgr. Kazimierz Gorny said he hopes that “the forthcoming beatification of John Paul II will leaven a movement for the defense of unborn children”, encouraging “all men of good will” to realize the civilization of life.A valid witness. “In the name of historical truth we are called to highlight the contribution of Christianity in the establishment of European civilization and culture”, the Polish bishops affirmed in their statement, while KEP president Msgr. Jozef Michalik, recalling criticisms of “insufficient modernity” addressed by the media to the Church of Poland, replied: “If these accusations refer to the principle of the defense of life, to the marriage between men and women or to the ban on assisted procreation, then they confirm the validity of our witness”. Msgr. Michalik equally underlined that “the life of the Church and the service of the bishops cannot be understood in the light of single cases of success, or of failures. Instead, it must be viewed in the light of the Gospel”.For persecuted Christians. The Polish bishops gathered in plenary sitting underlined the importance – in EU countries and across its borders – of the defense and promotion of the right to religious freedom. Taking a stand on “the ever-developing wave of persecutions of Christians in the world”, the prelates called for “an obligation of solidarity with the martyrs for faith” and conveyed their support to the initiative aimed at the Polish Parliament’s approval of the appeal for the respect of religious freedom and of the rights of Christian faithful worldwide. Reiterating the importance of the issue in the period of the Polish presidency of the EU Council, the bishops underlined that “also Polish diplomatic services should take a univocal stand to this regard”. In welcoming the KEP appeal, the Polish parliament past March 18 adopted (with no contrary votes and only three abstentions) a motion-appeal for stepping up action in defense of persecuted Christians in the world recalling that Poland, “owing to her century-long tradition of religious tolerance, has the special moral obligation to support all victims of persecution on religious grounds, of discrimination and to combat violence against Christians”.Aid to Japan. KEP discussed the situation in Japan after the devastating earthquake and reminded faithful of the importance of prayer. “In the name of human solidarity” for the victims of the cataclysm, the Polish bishops promoted a fund-raising initiative for Caritas Japan. On March 12, the day after the earthquake, Caritas Poland replied to the appeal of Caritas Internationalis by organizing a fund-raising initiative and sent to Japan the first 50 thousand euro already collected. In that framework KEP members recalled that 2011 in Poland is dedicated to volunteer work and expressed their gratitude to 45 thousand Poland Caritas parish groups, notably to 49 thousand young volunteers, who “bear witness to Christian charity with their daily commitments for the poor and for people in need”.