chURCHES IN BRIEF
Portugal: Card. Policarpo, criticism of abortionAt the end of the works of the Permanent Council of the Portuguese Bishops’ Conference (CEP), held a few days ago in Fatima, the Cardinal-Patriarch of Lisbon Msgr. José Policarpo declared: “The current legislation on abortion is not being respected, notably as regards early counselling and the ban on repeated pregnancy interruptions”. “Legislative restrictions are disregarded, abortion is made easier, and regulations are adopted incorrectly. The bill is not being questioned. Rather, it is necessary to demand its full implementation with due respect for the human person and for life” – said the CEP president. As relates to the electoral statement of Portugal’s recently installed Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho regarding the possibility of a new referendum requested by citizens, Msgr. Policarpo added: “today we are lacking the political conditions to review legislation on the subject”. However, he underlined, “the bishops will attentively follow positive developments. In this moment we do not envisage initiatives to this regard”. On the Occasion of the Day of the Diocesan Church, on June 19, the Cardinal-Patriarch told the faithful he received a reply to the letter of resignations from the post of bishop of Lisbon for having reached the age limit for bishops. “I am pleased to inform you that Benedict XVI has asked me to extend my Episcopal ministry for two more years”. “However, you must not be concerned that I may feel more transitory now than I did 50 years ago. I promise you that I will remain the bishop chosen by God to lead His Church in the beautiful journey of communion until the end”, concluded Msgr. Policarpo.Slovenia: “prayer and fasting for the country”Yesterday, Ljubljana hosted the solemn signing of the Joint Statement of the Leaders of the four main religious communities of Slovenia on the occasion of the “Prayer and Fasting for the Country” campaign. The signing ceremony was attended by the Metropolitan Archbishop of Ljubljana and president of the Slovenian Bishops Conference (Ces), mgr. Anton Stres, the bishop leader of the Lutheran-Protestant Church, Geza Ernia, the archpriest of the Serbian-Orthodox Church of Ljubljana, rev. Peran Bokovic, and the Mufti of the Islamic community, Nedad Grabus. The signing of the Statement is one of the highlights of the “Prayer and Fasting for the Country” campaign launched by lay movements on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Slovenia’s independence. The initiative will end tomorrow, June 22nd, with a 24-hour praying marathon in the main religious communities. The organisers of the event, preceded by a novena of prayers taking place in all parishes, see this form of spirituality as a major contribution to boosting Slovenian society. The Statement insists on such values as human dignity, the role of the family, and the importance of religious freedom, as the “foundations of any society and nation”.Spain: concerts for the WYDOn June 23rd, music by Mozart, Bach and Haendel will be played for the last concert of the WYD-Fundación Excelentia cycle. This initiative was launched last September to make the WYD known and cooperate in raising funds for the Solidarity Fund to let young people from poorer countries attend the World Youth Day. The concert, which will take place in the National Auditorium in Madrid, will offer a repertoire of church music, with great pieces by these classic composers, played by the European Royal Ensemble chamber orchestra. Stephen Layton, conductor at City of London Sinfonia, will be the conductor of the concert, which will be accompanied by the Excelentia Choral Academy – a permanent choir of 50 people established by Fundación Excelentia -, and the Jorcam choir (a youth orchestra and choir of the community of Madrid). “The public must attend this last concert, not just to enjoy great music by Bach, Haendel and Mozart, but because, a few weeks before the celebration of the WYD in Madrid, it will act as an introduction to such a big feast”, said Javier Martí, president of Fundación Excelentia, who also praised the results of this charitable project: “The experience of the cycle has been extraordinary. Fundación Excelentia has made the WYD known through music, which is considered to be a universal language”.
