chURCHES IN BRIEF
Scotland: card. O’Brien, no to nuclear weaponsAddressing protesters in a rally outside the Faslane naval base on Gare Loch on April 16 Cardinal Keith O’Brien called upon the British government to “give up” Great Britain’s “shameful” nuclear weapons programme. Quoting the words of Pope Benedict XVI, His Eminence said: “In a nuclear war there would be no victors, only victims”. “Weapons production, from the smallest handgun to rocket launchers, and fighter aircraft, is big business, a massive industry, and to our shame, Britain has a leading role”. Continuing his quote from Pope Benedict His Eminence said: “How can there ever be a future of peace when investments are still made in the production of arms and in research aimed at developing new ones?” Cardinal O’Brien added: “The poorest in the world pay the highest price for an arms trade that brings misery to them, and fortunes to the companies that develop and produce the weapons”. Referring to the many “peace demands” of Pope Benedict, and Pope John Paul before him, Cardinal O’Brien reiterated that it is “shameful” for Great Britain “to have these terrible weapons of mass destruction”. “If our government wished to truly be courageous it would unilaterally give up its nuclear deterrent, giving the witness and impetus for other nations to do the same. Trident is fast becoming obsolete, and we have the chance now to do the right thing and give it up. We have the chance to be peacemakers, echoing the Easter desire of Jesus Christ for a lasting peace”.Switzerland: sustaining “Action de Carême”With the slogan “Lent as God wills”, the Swiss bishops called upon the faithful to sustain the commitment of “Action de Carême”, the international charity organization of Swiss bishops established 50 years ago. “Lent, the time of preparation for Easter – invites Christians to examine their lifestyles, their relationship with God and with others”, state the Swiss bishops in a release. For almost fifty years, the Lenten offering of the faithful is the living symbol of sharing and reflection in many households”. According to the prelates “whoever wishes to live the Lenten period in full cannot escape the urgent question of sustainable development”, hence the importance of “the Christian value of solidarity”, and of questioning our “lifestyles”. “If all men on earth had our same lifestyles, we would be needing five planets, this goes against our duty of protecting and preserving the Creation”, the bishops stated. This year’s campaign, “Mines and the right to nourishment: indigestible business!” focuses on the Democratic Republic of Congo, one of the richest countries in terms of natural resources, the prelates said, “whose majority population lives in conditions of extreme poverty and insecurity”. In the African Country, Action de Carême “actively works with the local church, that is engaged in support to the poor, exerting pressure on the government to implement legislation ensuring the recovery of justice”. The Swiss bishops, concludes the note signed by the President, Msgr. Norbert Brunner, “are grateful to all those that will their ‘Lenten commitment’ support this engagement”.Ireland: Msgr. Martin against abuses on minorsA few days ago, on the occasion of the launch of the Child Safeguarding Policy for the Dublin Diocese, a policy document for the protection of the victims of child abuse by priests, representing the policies of the Standards and Guidelines documents of the National Office for the Safeguarding of Children within the Catholic Church in Ireland, Msgr. Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland, cautioned not to relax awareness of child abuse. The prelate underlined that parishes must become “safer places” for children. “This process is about building on what we are already doing and continuing to do it well and indeed to do it better”. The same pledge was taken by Irish bishops past March with their letter “Towards Healing and Renewal”, issued on the occasion of the first anniversary of the pastoral Letter of Benedict XVI to the Catholics of Ireland. According to the archbishop of Dublin child safeguarding is not just about the management of abuse cases, it is necessary to provide a “counselling service network”. The director of the Diocesan Child Safeguarding and Protection Center Andrew Fagan said, “We want children to come to Mass, to serve on altars, to sing in choirs, to go on retreats and to be happy and safe as they do so. Many children in our Diocese participate in such activities. Our team works with staff and volunteers in parishes and Diocesan agencies to help them implement practices that create safe environments for children”. A “child safeguarding representative” is present in all 199 dioceses. To date, 2,500 volunteers in parishes have taken part in Safeguarding Children training programmes, along with over 17,000 people, including priests, Diocesan staff agency staff, parish workers and volunteers.
