France, Austria, Germany

France: a note of the Bishops’ Conference on bioethicsFrom the reactions that will be given to the draft law on bioethics “depends the kind of society that we are preparing for our children and towards which we are proceeding”. The statement was released by the French Bishops’ Conference, personally drawn up by its president Cardinal André Vingt-Trois, who on May 23 held a press conference in Paris on the eve of the resumption of the debate and voting session – May 25-26 – by the Assemblée nationale, on the draft law on bioethics. “What will be the place of the weak and vulnerable brackets? – the cardinal asks -. Unconditional support to human beings is worth far more that non-pondered and uncourageous abdication that leads our civilization to back track in the direction of extremist decisions”. “Unfortunately – claims the archbishop of Paris – if the changes introduced by the Senate in the draft law had been adopted by the national Assembly a certain understanding of the human person would be seriously threatened”. What worries the French episcopate is primarily the removal of the ban on embryo research as it “paves the way to the instrumental use of the human being, at a time when the European Commission is engaged in the protection of animal embryos. It is a tragic paradox”. Another paradox that must be considered, continues card. Vingt-Trois, is that significant scientific progress should rather “prompt to investigate other areas of research”. Another concern conveyed by the archbishop regards the juridical approval of prenatal diagnosis, as it would “inevitably lead us to State eugenism. What message would we be giving to handicapped people, whom in principle are identified as deserving respect and social inclusion? What sign would be given to their families? Will we have the courage to tell them that deciding not to give birth to their children would have been the ideal solution?”.Austria: a feast for foreign Christians in ViennaThe presence of Christian immigrants in Vienna and in other major cities is “a gift for Europe”, underlined Cardinal Christoph Schönborn on the evening of May 22 during the feast “I am a Christian in Vienna” organized for Christian foreigners living in the Austrian capital. “Europe risks losing the Gospel, forgetting its roots”, Schönborn said, adding that “Christians arriving from other continents help ensure that Christianity will not die and will have new life”. His Eminence recalled “the pacifying trait of shared faith”. “People from all cultures are called to gather in the Church” which thus becomes “a sign of unity. In those areas where the faith in Jesus Christ is lived, people from different cultures meet as brothers and sisters” and “differences are not a reason for conflict but for enrichment”. Among the organizers, the director of the Office for Foreign Language Communities of the Archdiocese of Vienna Johannes Gönner, pointed out that immigrants account for over 20% of Catholics in Vienna. During the celebration that culminated in a multi-language Mass officiated by the Auxiliary Bishop of Vienna Msgr. Franz Scharl, were presented 31 foreign-language communities of Vienna, with musical contributions and multi-national food specialities.Germany: Renovabis charity works “Egoism and nationalism aren’t the bricks of the European home”, said Cardinal Reinhard Marx during the inaugural Mass of the Renovabis conference, celebrated on May 22 in Munich. His Eminence called upon Europeans to step up solidarity and underlined that “Europe’s moral criteria are inspired by the Christian understanding of the human person. Politics, the economy and financial markets must benefit everyone’s wholesome development”. For this purpose, he added, “a guiding idea must always be present, a European vision, which today is lacking far too often. The lack of a guiding idea is evident especially in the ongoing debate on economic policies”. “Topical issues such as energy and climate change show that everyone has a responsibility towards the Creation – he continued – notably political and economic leaders. Along with the respect for the great gifts that God bestowed upon us, there is also the question of justice and solidarity. Earth produce mustn’t be enjoyed only by the present generations, even the next generations enjoy its fruits”. Renovabis charity work was founded in 1993 by the German Bishops’ Conference and by the Central Committee of German Catholics. It performs its activity primarily in Eastern Europe. Its 2011 campaign was dedicated to the environment. A large event scheduled to take place in Görlitz on the occasion of the Pentecost is the highlight of the meeting.