CHURCHES IN BRIEF
Slovakia: bridge between East and WestAbout twenty experts in history from nine European countries delivered lectures on the international conference entitled "Ss. Cyril and Methodius and their religious and cultural heritage – bridge between the East and the West". The event took place on 9-10 May in Bratislava and was organized by the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow Orthodox Patriarchate and Commenius University in Bratislava. "In the last decades we have witnessed a fruitful cooperation between the Catholic and the Orthodox Church in the area of historical research – dozens of common publications, active joint research rooted in the archives of Vatican, Russia and other countries", says Prof. Emília Hrabovec, member of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences, adding that the conference is expected to bring a progress in mutual understanding on "psychological level", because – also in the area of history – "the basic attitude in our approach to the subject of research is very important". According to Prof. Hrabovec, the figures of Ss. Cyril and Methodius represent an "embodiment of invitation to unity". They are venerated both by the Catholic and the Orthodox Churches and the 1150th anniversary of their arrival to the region of Great Moravia celebrated in 2013 was the main reason to organize the conference in Slovakia. The delegation of the Moscow Orthodox Patriarchate was led by secretary of the Department for foreign relations and member of the Ecumenical Council of Churches, Dmitrij Sizonenko, who spoke about Cyrilo-Methodian spiritual and cultural heritage in relation to the Kyiv Rus. The lecture of Mons. Viliam Judák, bishop of Nitra, focused on Cyrilo-Methodian cult and the idea of unity of Christians in Slovakia, Danilo Ceccarelli Morolli introduced the results of research of the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome in relation to the mission of the Thessalonian brothers. "This conference starts another era of perception of cultural and spiritual treasures associated with various Christian traditions", said P. Bernard Ardura O.Praem, president of the Pontifical Council for Historical Sciences at the opening of the event. As he emphasized, Ss. Cyril and Methodius represent the bridge between the East and the West also today, inviting us to work together and overcome the differences: "Today, in the context of new evagelization, we must support their cultural approach. As pope John XXIII said fifty years ago on the occasion of the opening of II Vatican Council, we must bring the truth about faith in a language of our contemporaries. In this sense, the example and work of both saints are timely more than ever". The conference in Bratislava culminated by visit of historical places in Devín and Nitra, deeply associated with Cyrilo-Methodian tradition, and by the holy mass in the Cathedral of St. Martin in Bratislava celebrated by Mons. Stanislav Zvolenský, president of the Bishops’ conference of Slovakia.Ukraine: 2nd Laity Congress held in KyivOn 9 May, a divine pontifical liturgy, headed by bishop Joseph Milyan in the Church of St. Basil the Great in Kyiv, started the work of the Second Congress of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) Kyiv-Halych Metropolitanate Laity on the topic "New Evangelization: its challenges and objectives". UGCC Head, His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, emphasized that evangelization of the Eastern Ukraine is to be the priority for the whole Church. "During my visits to various countries I noticed that if the community is not a missionary one, it begins to decline. If our Church does not mentally cross ‘the Zbruch River boundary’, then our parishes there, even the most developed ones, will begin to decline". According to the primate, a key role in the process of evangelization is played by the laity. "I always pose a question: how do you envision the strategy of the development of your exarchates, specifically you – the laity? What kind of a Church do you want in this region? You are the ones who should prompt the clergy on how we should continue to exist", says His Beatitude Sviatoslav. Participants of the congress summarized present conditions in the Kyiv Archeparchy, Donetsk-Kharkiv, Odesa-Crimea and Lutsk exarchates. They touched on various aspects of development, in particular, the spiritual role of the monastic congregations in the development of UGCC in the East; issues of married couples; financial aspects regarding creation of an All-Church Fund for the Development of UGCC in the East; canonical aspect – the expansion of administrative structures. Czech republic: map with Church monuments"Church monuments of Czech republic" is the title of a special map published on the occasion of the 1150th anniversary of the arrival of Ss. Cyril and Methodius to the region of Great Moravia. Due to be officially presented during a book fair "The World of Books" on 17 May in Prague, the map offers information about the position of the most interesting sacral buildings like cathedrals, basilicas, churches, monasteries, chapels, as well as the most visited pilgrimage places all over the country. "We are rich not only in industry of natural beauties, but also in Church monuments that represent an inseparable part of our culture and history. Religious architecture and art have formed our lives and souls for 1000 years", says archbishop of Prague, cardinal Dominik Duka, who will speak on the occasion of the official presentation. For more information: www.kartografie.cz.
