CHURCHES IN BRIEF
Belgium: the “humble silence” of Mgr. LèonardNo denunciation, no “dramatization” but the choice to remain in “humble silence”: that’s how the spokesperson of the Belgian Bishops’ Conference, Maryse Harvengt, explains to SIR why Mgr. Andrè-Joseph Leonard, Archbishop of Malines-Bruxelles and President of the Belgian Bishops’ Conference, has decided “not to respond” to the aggression of which he was the victim in recent days. The archbishop was subjected to a concerted attack at Louvain-la-Neuve where the primate of the Belgian Church has gone to take part in a debate. It was mounted by an anarchist group, following the controversies aroused by the archbishop’s remarks on homosexuality and abortion. “It’s not the first time – says Harvengt – that such an attack has happened. For the time being the archbishop prefers to be discreet, to bring no charge, still less to turn the matter into a State affair. In this choice the archbishop remains humble and has no wish to dramatize the event”. The spokesperson points out that “the archbishop understands the position of persons who hold different views and he respects them” but fears that “if he should respond to such attacks today he would risk being misinterpreted”. The spokesperson of the bishops further explains that the Belgian Church is in a particularly delicate situation at the present time. “There was a parliamentary commission that recently published a report in which it asks the Church to accept a court of arbitration to compensate the victims of abuse. The Church, in a press release issued a few days ago, said it was seriously examining the report but for the time being could not yet give an answer, which must be the outcome of a joint reflection of all the bishops to find the best response”.Poland: a year after the disaster at SmolenskIn view of the approaching first anniversary of the air accident at Smolensk (10 April 2010) in which the Polish President Lech Kaczynski together with his wife and 94 other high-ranking state authorities lost their lives, Archbishop Jozef Michalik, President of the Polish Bishops’ Conference, says he is convinced that John Paul II, to counter the current divisions within civil society, would appeal to “the sense of common responsibility for the country”. The plane crash has caused divisions in Polish society. Mgr. Michalik suggests that John Paul II, in these circumstances, “would have spoken of the necessary compassion, but also of the obligation to place the future of the country above everything else, even above our own grief”. The Polish Pope, he said, would have pointed out that “in the Christian perspective the cross and suffering also signify a chance to be reborn and to do good”. The Archbishop of Przemysl expresses his sadness for the exploitation for political ends both of the tragedy of Katyn in 1940 (President Kaczynski was going to Smolensk to commemorate the victims of the Stalinist purges) and of the plane crash on 10 April 2010. Mgr. Michalik, to mark the many celebrations being planned for 10 April, emphasizes that “each has the right to honour the memory of those who lost their life because of the crash” but says he does not believe that “separatism on that occasion is a good thing”.Czech and Moravian bishops: preparations for WYD in MadridThe bishops of the Czech Republic and Moravia plan to meet young people, including those due to participate in World Youth Day (WYD) in Madrid, already this weekend – on 9 April – or traditionally before Palm Sunday on 16 April. The programme will include masses, adorations, moments of prayer, concerts, theatre performances, discussions and workshops on topics regarding the Bible, baptism, missionary work in developing countries, various aspects of Christianity, and so on. The bishops also invite young people to attend the main celebration of WYD in Spain. “In Madrid, under the protection of the Virgin Mary, we can thank both popes – John Paul II and Benedict XVI – for their interest in the future life of young generations”, writes Mgr. Dominik Duka, President of the Czech Bishops’ Conference.Slovakia: preservation of sacred monumentsThe renewal and conservation of the cultural heritage represents one of the priorities of the Ministry of Culture in Slovakia for the next three years. The government has managed to allocate an unprecedented amount of investment resources that can be used for the preservation and restoration of monuments and buildings of historical value in the country. Financial injection of over 144 million euro in total should be obtained from the state budget and structural funds of the European Union. The Ministry, in cooperation with the Government Office, plans to give priority to several specific areas of the cultural heritage, mainly those that would otherwise have difficulty in gaining access to funding. According to a press release of the Ministry dated 4 April, a significant percentage of the funds will be invested in the preservation of sacred monuments, since the Church itself has almost no chance to gain financial support for this purpose.
