CHURCHES IN BRIEF
Ukraine: the 5th Social Days of the UGCCThe 5th Social Days of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) were held in Odessa last week. According to the chairman of the Commission for Promoting Christian Unity, Ihor Shaban, the main topic discussed was the question of various aspects of human dignity. Apart from the main programme consisting of lectures and discussions the event included interdenominational prayer and briefing of the representatives of the Reconciliation Association of Christian Churches of Odesa. St. Paul´s Cathedral became the centre of the NGO fair and delegates could see the photo exhibition entitled “The dignity of a person as we see it”, consisting of the portrait gallery of people of all ages caught in real life situations. “The main purpose of the exhibition was to use photography to promote the revitalization of communities and try to understand and reproduce one of the most important Christian traits of human existence – dignity”, explained the organizers. UGCC Social Days are an open platform to discuss topical issues of Ukrainian society. According to the UGCC Justice and Peace Commission and the Commission for Promoting Christian Unity – “the Social Days are intended to draw attention to social problems, needs of the disabled, orphans and prisoners, to support those who daily resolve social issues and to learn from their experiences”. Series of events began in the parishes of UGCC on 1 November and the celebrations will move from Odesa to Kirovograd (2-3 December), and Stryi (13-14 December).Portugal: the deficit worsens inequalitiesThe National Commission for Justice and Peace (CNJP) has released a document titled “Overcoming the crisis” that criticises “the government’s excessive preoccupation over the national budget to the detriment of surging social inequalities”. “The worrying economic situation is affecting the general well-being of Portuguese citizens, with severe, devastating consequences on the weaker brackets”, claims the Catholic Association chaired by Alfredo Bruto da Costa in a release. “Government intervention has overlooked other priorities such as growth, employment, equality, along with the very quality of human life. The core of the matter is the weakness of the current production and wealth distribution models, based on injustice and on the lack of solidarity, preventing true social innovation”. Referring in particular to the realm of production, CNJP claims that “human work is being affected by ongoing depreciation across Portuguese society, increasingly viewed as a mere factor of production”. The document voices concerns over “an increasingly individualistic culture based on consumerism, population ageing, as well as the fragmentation of family units”, delving into the problems experienced by children and senior citizens. “Families are facing situations marked by loneliness and fragility, since the social, political, and economic structures prefer to prioritise individuals”. In its final remarks, the CNJP document (www.ecclesia.pt/cnjp) calls for “a serious, concrete reorganization of assistance services, in order to promote the self-determination of social bodies, along with the self-determination of all individuals and families”.Czech Republic: the opening of the Confirmation Year Catholic Church in Czech republic starts another year of preparation for the celebration of the 1150th anniversary of St. Cyril and Methodius’s arrival to Great Moravia. On 27 November, along with the beginning of Advent, the Bishops’ conference declared the opening of the Year of Confirmation in all the parishes of the country. They encourage the priests to enrich their pastoral service by putting stress on the sacrament of confirmation, not only for those who prepare to receive it in the future but also for adults who have already been confirmed in their Catholic faith, in the sense of spiritual renewal. “Sacrament of confirmation unites Christians in a more impeccable way with the Church and endows them with the special power of the Holy Spirit”, say the bishops, adding that “this gift obliges them to spread and defend faith with words and deeds, as real Christ’s witnesses”. The Year of Confirmation will culminate with Novena of holy masses and prayers before the feast of Pentecost 2012.
