chURCHES IN BRIEF
Portugal: CEP reduces its CommissionsThe Portuguese Church has decided to reduce Bishops’ Conference structures by eliminating some of the current nine commissions: Christian Education, Social Pastoral care, Laity and the Family, Vocations and Ministries, Culture, Cultural heritage and Social Communications, Liturgy, Human Mobility, Missions, Doctrine of the Faith and Ecumenism. In the permanent Council, which took place in Fatima, Msgr. Manuel Morujão said that “the bishops want the Episcopal departments to become more efficient and proficient. The Commissions will be reduced to seven, the Biblical perfection number, with the appointment of delegates for the different areas”. The CEP spokesperson added, “the changes will take place in November, during the Bishops’ Plenary meeting. On that occasion we will also elect the bishops in charge of the single Commissions”. Msgr. Morujão confirmed, “next October a survey will be carry out to collect citizens’ view of the Church and their expectations”. The survey commissioned by the Catholic University, will poll the entire population regardless of their religion with a complex questionnaire. “I wonder if passers-by will have the patience to answer so many questions. However, those who will fill out the entire form will have provided an important service, since the Church wishes to identify the best way to serve contemporary society” – said the CEP spokesman. At the end of the Plenary Meeting the bishops will bless the cornerstone of the new seat of the bishops’ conference, due to be completed within 18 months. The new building is expected to cost several million euros. It be erected in an area within the dos Olivais Seminary in the Municipality of Loures, on the outskirts of Lisbon.Hungary: a new bill cuts the number of Churches254 against 43 – with this majority of votes Hungarian parliament approved the new law regarding Churches in the country last week. It reduces number of Churches and religious communities recognized by the state from actual 350 to just 14, with aim to stop expansion of associations that have benefited from public financial support under the mask of religious communities since the fall of the communist regime. The law with date of commencement 1 January 2012, officially recognizes the Catholic church (with 54,5% inhabitants of the country), several Churches and communities of other Christian denominations, Jewish community, Buddhists and Muslims. Religious communities not approved by the new law can apply for registration additionally, with positive result requiring approval of two thirds of the members of parliament. The law also outlines frame for cooperation between the state and the Churches, guarantees right to provide religious education at state schools and to perform religious activities at universities.Germany: a centre for the protection of children and adolescentsAfter the abuse scandal, the Catholic Church of Munich established a “Centre for the protection of children and young people”. It was announced in Munich on July 17 by card. Reinhard Marx. The new scientific centre will be run by the archdiocese of Munich-Freising and Rome’s Pontificia università gregoriana. According to the German Catholic news agency Kna, the new centre, directed by Ulm-born child psychiatrist Hubwert Liebhardt, will start working in the early 2012 at the latest. An e-learning scheme will be available in several languages to train people working in the Church in the prevention of child abuse. “Through this project, the Church takes responsibility”, stated card. Marx, who pointed out that, “as well as elaborating abuse and worrying about the victims, a new culture of supervision must be acquired”, because “the Church must become a place of non-violence and love, or even a protected place, especially for children and for weaker people”.
