CHURCHES IN BRIEF
Austria: the European congress on vocations “Vocation is the very heart of the new evangelisation (IVT 12a). Jesus said to him in reply: ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ (Mk 10,51)”. This is the title of the European Conference organized by the European Vocations Service (EVS) that will take place in Horn, Austria, from 30 June to 3 July. All national delegates of vocational centres in Europe will take part in the event. The Conference, during which several experiences and reflections on vocations in Europe will be presented, will open with a speech by Mgr. Rino Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelisation, on the theme: “Vocation is the very heart of the new evangelisation”. Other speakers will include Paul M. Zulehner, who will discuss the “current challenges for the preaching of the Gospel”, and Mgr. Jean-Louis Bruguès, Bishop Emeritus of Angers and Secretary of Congregation for Catholic Education, on “How to combine the ethics of vocation and the ethics of self-construction”. More information at: www.vocations.eu.Czech Republic: settlement about propertyA few days ago, the Czech Republic hosted a joint meeting of the Governmental Committee in preparation to an agreement in the relations between the State and the Churches and religious associations, during which the parties discussed a settlement about property. The new offer is based on the Law on the correction of injustice regarding property of the Churches and religious associations, which was passed by the Government in 2008 and which set the value of the property of the Churches and religious associations at 134 billion crowns. The Committee suggests that two major corrections should be made to the 2008 proposal. Firstly, increase the portion of land and woodland to be returned, from 39 % to 56 % (75 billion crowns). Secondly, correct the financial indemnity, which would be reduced to 59 billion crowns, and apply the inflation rate instead of a fixed yearly interest rate. The Government is aware of the need to solve this problem; one of the reasons is the ruling issued by the Constitutional Court on 1st July, 2010, according to which the current non-existence of a legislation about the settlement of the historical property of the Churches and religious associations is unconstitutional. The new offer tries to solve the problem both legally and economically, minimises its impact on the State budget, and is regarded as satisfactory enough by the Churches and religious associations. The effort to find a solution is welcomed by both parties.Ukraine: catechism of the Greek Catholic ChurchThe Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church (UGCC) is ready to become a partner of Catholic-Orthodox dialogue and organize a meeting between the Pope and Patriarch Kirill, said the Primate of the UGCC and Archbishop Major of Kyiv-Halyc, Sviatoslav Shevchuk, during a press conference for the presentation of the new Catechism “Christ is our Pasch” in Lviv on 24 June. News of the Archbishop’s remarks is carried by the Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU), which also reports that the Catechism is the result of a ten-year preparatory process coordinated by the Patriarchal Commission for Catechesis and is composed of three parts: “Faith in the Church”, “Prayer of the Church” and “Life of the Church”. According to Archbishop Sviatoslav, the Catechism “is a testimony of the intellectual maturity of the Church” and is at the same time “old” and “new”. “Old, because the faith is eternal, and new because we present its content in such a way that our faithful can fully understand this tradition” thus ensuring that the Catechism “can speak to the men and women of our time”. “Until a short time ago – pointed out the UGCC Primate – it was believed that to practice theology in Ukrainian was something ‘inculturated’; we were used to translating theological works”. Commenting on the mission of the Church, Mgr. Shevchuk said at the press conference: “We are a national Church, and are therefore ready to be not only a bridge of understanding between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches and to organize a meeting between the Pope and Patriarch Kirill, but also to become full partners in dialogue between Orthodox and Catholic believers”.
