CHURCHES IN BRIEF" "
Election in Luxembourg: the Catholics’ document “Reflections on societal renewal”: it is the title of a lengthy document containing 11 proposals that the diocesan Catholics Council and the “Justitia et Pax” Commission in Luxembourg have drawn up “to contribute to the debate in the framework of the legislative elections of next October 20”. Catholics are asking political parties “to present a global vision” that will respond to ongoing economic, political and societal crises. The approach of the Catholics is “to step up joint efforts, without destroying resources and seeking everyone’s wellbeing”. The 11 themes refer to four pillars pertaining to the social doctrine of the Catholic Church: on each item the document advances specific requests. It starts with the unconditional respect for human dignity, and asks that related issues may not be subordinate to economic interests; it speaks of the right to religious freedom and its free practice (“our society must develop a new culture of tolerance and diversity, expressed with access to religious teaching”.) As relates to the family it calls for “taxation that takes into due account the new situation of single-parent or blended families, and that protects the higher interest of the child”. The document delves into the balancing of work and private life, the access to basic products and housing, energy policies, social and environmental justice, ethical finance, with the request to tax financial transactions. Signatories demand that social cohesion be present in all policies and to “promote and strengthen” the European journey “re-designing a common federative project”. Denmark: a “mission” among the homeless “Over the past years there have been growing numbers of homeless and EU citizens that live on the streets of Copenhagen”, denounced Missionen blandt Hjemløse (Mission for the Homeless) a social religious organization actively working in Copenhagen since 1893. “They are highly vulnerable people” who are often burdened by problems of dependence or mental diseases and in a state of severe poverty. The problem is that “European homeless migrants lacking the possibility of earning a living are not protected by the Danish legislation” – the association explained – “since they don’t possess a health insurance number”. As autumn draws close, there have been 200 more homeless people in Copenhagen from Romania, Bulgaria, Poland and Lithuania. “We believe that it is absolutely necessary to have a strategy and improve our professional and social support to help the more vulnerable migrants in the EU, thus enabling them to obtain basic treatment in Denmark”, pointed out Gitte Frydensbjerg, responsible for Missionen blandt Hjemløse. To this request is added that of Udenfors, a Danish ONG active in the social realm that September 12 met the parliamentary Commission for Migrants. The responsible for the homeless project Bibi Agger, invited to delve into “the knowledge of the homeless, critical to qualified future action in a sector dominated by myths and stereotypes: more targeted approaches prevents the suffering of homeless migrants in the EU, with social, psychological and health consequences”. Switzerland: attention to the over 85-year olds “A time for all” is the title of the Swiss awareness campaign on the importance of “very old” people (85-100 year-old), kicked off during the recent International Day of the Elderly. The initiative is promoted by Swiss Churches and by the association Pro Senectute. “In our societies, most of those who have reached a so-called ‘fragile’ age are invisible, and are often presented in the framework of negative issues: physical decadence, the increase in healthcare costs and ever more complex pension funds”, the bishops point out. Conversely, the campaign intends to present “other aspects related to ‘old age’, giving a voice also to those over 85: how do fourth age citizens lead their daily lives? What are the difficulties they are called to face? What kind of help do they need? What experience can they pass on to the young?” the organizers explain. “The campaign aims at raising public awareness on the fact that senility is part of life, just like childhood, youth and active professional life”, the bishops wrote.
