Spain, Portugal, Austria

Spain: the beatification of Tarragona draws near The beatification of approximately 500 20th century Spanish martyrs will take place in Tarragona on Sunday October 13 at 12.00, during a Eucharistic celebration held in the educational compound of the city, presided over by cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints and representative of the Pope for the beatification ceremony. The beatification is one of the major events of the Year of Faith, scheduled within the framework of the current pastoral plan of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference (CEE). The CEE General Secretariat coordinates the organization of the event on which it has been working for the past months with the support of the diocese of Tarragona. A CEE press release made known that the Holy See has approved the Decree on the martyrdom of 480 martyrs, belonging to 29 beatification causes. It is hoped that the Decrees regarding 4 more causes involving some dozens more martyrs will be adopted soon. The national Spanish television TVE 2 will provide live broadcasting of the beatification ceremony. The ceremony will also be streamed by 13 TV, by the dedicated beatification website (www.beatificacion2013.com) and can be viewed on the home page of the archdiocese of Terragona (www.arquebisbattarragona.cat). 13 TV and the aforementioned websites will transmit the live broadcast of the Solemn Vespers from the cathedral of Tarragona on Saturday October 12. Journalists can register for accreditation as of July 1st.Portugal: Day of the pastoral care of culture Past June 21st in Fatima the Portuguese Church promoted the 9th national Day for the Pastoral care of culture, with the purpose of "giving a voice to the young", seeking "to meet the first generation whose culture does not repose on religious grounds". In the opening session the director of the national Secretariat, father José Tolentino Mendonça, said that "the Church is interested in learning more about the realm of young people, on what is the meaning of life they are seeking, how they approach the question of transcendence, and which are the values they hold dear". Commenting on the theme chosen for the national initiative, "Emerging youth cultures", the prelate underlined the need for "a translation effort" to provide young people with "an area for their free expression and recognition". "The official language of the Catholic Church is an enigma for most of them", he said. Moreover, the economic and anthropological crisis experienced by present society has tragic repercussions on the young: "Contemporary youth is marked by uncertainty and loneliness, whereby future is viewed with anxiety and fear". Thus the youth realm can become an "area for mission", pointed out father Mendonça: "Often the period of youth is viewed as a subculture, deserving minor importance. Instead, it should be considered as a new, extraordinary universe, an unknown, hidden realm which the Church must approach and meet".Austria: the bishops’ Forum for the Future The purpose of the "Forum for the future", launched by Austrian bishops during the plenary meeting that closed on June 21, is to provide a constructive contribution to society, said cardinal Christoph Schönborn, president of the Austrian Bishops’ Conference. During the traditional meeting with the press at the end of the plenary, the cardinal illustrated the decisions of the Conference, highlighting the importance of the Forum scheduled to take place in the fall of 2014 to "give renewed thrust to the main objective of Pope Francis" aimed at combating a "self-referential, narcissistic and secularised Church". The Forum will involve experts, faithful, religious as well as critics and agnostics on the future of the Church. "We will invite people to take part in the debate inside and outside the Church", Schönborn said, pointing out that also "hot issues such as celibacy and the question of divorce and remarriage will not excluded in principle but rather they will be integrated within a broader framework". "The Church and civil society can both benefit from this dialogue process", His Eminence remarked, who added that at the Forum for the future of the Austrian Church "are invited also critics such as the "Wir sind Kirche" movement and the members of the initiative of disobedient priests, protagonists of a set of protests demanding reforms inside the Church. Cardinal Schönborn and Monsignor Alois Schwarz are the coordinators of the contents of the Forum on behalf of the Bishops’ Conference, while the process will be coordinated and moderated by Austrian Catholic Action (Kaö), whose president, Gerda Schaffelhofer, said she hopes in a "numerous attendance".