CHURCHES IN BRIEF
Austria: appeal of the metropolitan of AleppoA few days ago the Syro-Orthodox Metropolitan of Aleppo, Mar Gregorios Yohanna Ibrahim, appealed to the "friends of peace" worldwide that they may pray "for Syria and its citizens". The statement, released by the Austrian organization "Pro Oriente" on March 22, highlighted that the Metropolitan bishop was barely missed by a bombing attack on March 18, at less than 300 meters’ distance from the Syro-Orthodox cathedral of St. Efrem and the archbishopric. "Three people died in the attack", he confirmed, and "some 30 people, mostly inhabitants of the Christian neighbourhood, were severely injured". "It is the second attack against the Christian neighbourhood of Aleppo", remarked Mar Gregorios, while continuing to refuse to "believe that the attacks are willingly directed against Christians". However, he continued, "the events are considered a confirmation of the idea according to which terrorism in Syria is also directed against defenceless Christian communities in the Country". "Also in Damascus", he recalled, "there have been bombing attacks in Christian neighbourhoods" but "it would be premature to draw conclusions on those responsible" and "just like the peaceful majority of Christians, we await the outcome of the inquiry to identify the motivations underlying the bloody episodes". The Metropolitan bishop pointed out that the Christian population in the Middle East is challenged by "two serious problems". These are: "emigration, that downsized once flourishing Christian communities" and "radical Islam, that gives the floor to all voices of fundamentalist and extremist groups, especially those from Saudi Arabia". "Together with all the peaceful citizens in Syria, Muslims and Christians alike, we hope and we pray that the dark clouds of the Arab spring will dissolve and we hope we will be spared by its consequences", the Metropolitan concluded, inviting to remain "in these dark days in Syria, in the "Eastern Oasis" in which we have lived for a long time, experiencing extraordinary tolerance, peace, and security".Germany: religious freedom in Saudi ArabiaMsgr. Robert Zollitsch, President of the German Bishops’ Conference (DBK) expressed "concern and disconcert" over the latest declaration of the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah, who said that the construction of new churches in the Arab peninsula is forbidden and that all churches should be destroyed. In a statement released on March 23 by the DBK Msgr. Zollitsch said it is "unbearable" that "with these statements by a prominent religious representative the already precarious situation of the Arab world is further disrupted". The Grand Mufti, continued the Archbishop, "is completely lacking respect for religious freedom and for the peaceful coexistence of religions". Msgr. Zollitsch invited religious and political leaders of the Islamic world to clearly reject the fatwa of the Grand Mufti. He concluded by saying that as regards the Catholic Church in Germany "we are determinedly engaged in ensuring the freedom of worship of all people in our Country" and "with equal force we demand the same rights for Christians in those Countries where Christians are a majority".Romania: Christians’ pro-life march"United for life and the Christian family": it is one of the slogans of all the Romanian citizens who gathered in the streets on March 24 for the "Pro-life march", held across 20 cities in Romania, with the support of local Churches and bodies. Thousands of Orthodox, Catholics and Protestants marched together to call for the defense of life. Participants also presented a Manifesto addressed to civil society and to policymakers, in which they call for pro-life provisions, support to women in difficulty, adoptions and financial support to childbirth. Participants also demanded the suspension of public funding to In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), with the adoption of alternative practices. Romania is the country with the highest number of abortions in Europe (approximately 8 million in the past 20 years). Recently, Catholic and Orthodox pro-life associations, as well as the Romanian Bishops’ Conference, conveyed their opposition to a draft bill providing for human assisted fertilization and the resort to surrogate mothers. For Msgr. Cornel Damian, auxiliary bishop of Bucharest, president of the Commission for the Family of the Romanian Bishops’ Conference, such draft bill would be "an attack on the dignity of the human person, family integrity, and implicitly also a threat to the stability of society".
