CHURCHES IN BRIEF" "
Germany: the “Feast of Faith” in Cologne Five days of “intense prayer and festive celebrations” characterised the “Feast of Faith”.Cardinal Joachim Meisner spoke of the Eucharistic Congress that closed June 9 in Cologne, with 48thousand people attending over 800 scheduled events. Before the journalists gathered for the press conference at the end of the Congress, the cardinal underlined the need “to continue helping those who need our solidarity and those who wish to listen to the Gospel”.During the meeting with journalists, participants drew a very positive balance of the Congress. Monsignor Robert Zollitsch, president of the German Bishops’ Conference (DBK), expressed his gratitude for the “remarkably spiritual and religious feature of our dialogue process”, and thanked the city of Cologne for hosting the event and the volunteers for their precious help. The secretary of the Congress, monsignor Robert Kleine, said he is “relieved that it all took place peacefully”.He added: “the media gave a thorough and positive coverage of the event”.This fact is not to be taken for granted considering it is a theme which “owing to its profoundness can be understood only in the light of our faith”. Malta: 100th anniversary of the Eucharistic Congress A few days ago a solemn celebration for the centenary of the international Eucharistic Congress held in Malta in 1913 took place in La Vallette. Archbishop Paul Cremona presided at the event. Other participants included, inter alia, the apostolic nuncio Monsignor Aldo Cavalli and the auxiliary bishop Monsignor Charles J. Scicluna. Among those present, over 3500 people, figured also 300 children who made their First Communion a few days earlier. The closing liturgy of a week-long program of meetings and reflections on the theme of the Eucharist was followed by a procession from the church of St. George to the co-cathedral of St. John where blessings were imparted. In his reflection Msgr. Cremona recalled that through the Eucharist “God seeks man, with the aim of establishing a relationship with him. This gives every human being great dignity. The Eucharist is the extension of incarnation, a personal gift of God to all men and women”.Russia: Moscow’s Patriarch Kirill visits Greece On the invitation of the Archbishop of Athens Jerome, the Patriarch of Moscow Kirill visited Greece June 1-7. Kirill stayed three days in Athens where he co-celebrated the divine liturgy, attended the works of the Holy Synod and met with high-ranking authorities of the State. Speaking at the Synod he said: “Our Churches have a lot in common” in terms of their history, and because they are majority churches which “shape the national identities of our peoples. Even today, when mingled culture dissolve the fundamental moral values in the life of peoples, in Europe and beyond, our Church continues bringing her apostolic ministry, preaching those who are near and far from the crucified and resurrected Christ”.Before the changes of the contemporary world “close cooperation between our Churches deserves special care. Through our joint efforts we must seek the answers to the challenges Churches are called to face in the secular and non-religious realms”.For the Patriarch these are not theological answers but rather “a strong pastoral word capable of supporting millions of Orthodox Christians”.From Athens Kirill went to Salonicco and visited several Monasteries on Mount Athos. Switzerland: concern for political asylum The majority of Swiss citizens on Sunday June 9 cast their votes in the national referendum on the revision of political asylum legislation opting for stricter migrant reception measures in the Swiss Confederation. German language cantons were the most determined in their “yes” vote. According to Kipa-Apic news agency, Swiss churches and organization condemned the results of the referendum. From now requests of political asylum to Swiss embassies will no longer be possible. The reasons motivating political asylum requests will now exclude also conscientious objection. The charitable organization of the Evangelical Church in Switzerland (Heks) wrote in a release that “excluding the possibility of filing requests to Swiss embassies is a painful loss”.Before the referendum Swiss Churches openly conveyed their opposition to the proposed amendments: “They provisions fail to consider the future of all those forced to leave their home Country to ask for political asylum in Switzerland”.The abbot of Einsiedeln, Martin Werlen, commenting on the outcomes of the referendum said they represent “a challenge for the Church, to remember in words and action that people asking for political asylum are not a problem. Rather, these people are facing a problem. It is necessary to insist that solutions to such situations are found also via national and foreign policies”.
