CHURCHES IN BRIEF" "
Czech republic: agreement about spiritual care in prisonsThe State Penitentiary Service of the Czech republic (SPSCR), the Czech Bishops’ conference and the Ecumenical Council of Churches (ECC) signed an Agreement on spiritual service in penitentiary institutions on 21 November. According to Petr Dohnal, general director of SPSCR, the spiritual service in prisons has proved fully competent during 15 years of its existence. “I can’t imagine penitentiary service without it. The chaplains do a virtuous work, helping the prisoners to realize the crimes they have committed and supporting their will to become better people”, affirms Dohnal, appreciating the results of the spiritual service provided by Churches. The agreement changes the process of approval of the candidates for chaplaincy, as well as conditions of approval and dismissal of the chief chaplain of the State Penitentiary Service. The document also strengthens the Council for Spiritual Service in regard to number of its members – from five to eight. “This cooperation in penitentiary area cultivates the whole society and I am grateful for it”, says cardinal Dominik Duka, president of the Czech Bishops’ conference, supported by Joel Ruml, president of ECC, who believs that the agreement will provide the space for improvement of the spiritual service in this environment with specific needs. Slovakia: reflections project for the Advent Around 250 people signed up for the Advent Reflections during the first day after opening of its official registration. The initiative of the Bishops´Conference of Slovakia offers a possibility to receive each day a reflection written by one of the bishops and sent via e-mail, on a topic regarding the actual chapter of the Gospel. “This way, we want to share our spiritual closeness by underlining the sacredness of Advent and the magnificence of Christmas, to express our common spiritual way with the faithful”, explains Mons. Stanislav Zvolenský, president of the Bishops´conference. “Through these reflection we would like to become closer to God in this special time of waiting for the arrival of Jesus Christ, and – of course – we want to grow in closeness to one another”, adds the prelate. The project will start on the first Sunday of Advent (1 December) and will last until 1 January 2014. According to the organizers it´s aimed for “all the people of good will”. The reflections will also be published on the website http://advent.kbs.sk. Poland: faith and businesses, meetings for entrepreneurs On November 30 the members of Catholic Polish entrepreneurs’ organizations will convene in Krakow to meet and pray together, and to discover “how to become millionaires and preserve faith”. On Sunday December 1st, “Together in Faith, together in business” they will go on a pilgrimage to the shrine of the Divine Mercy in Lagiewniki where after the Eucharistic celebration they will attend a conference by Roman Trzaskalik on “the common good in the life and the activity of managers and entrepreneurs”. During their meetings, such as the one recently organized in Warsaw, associations of Catholic Polish entrepreneurs share their experience of uniting professional success with faith. “God is always present in my life, both in the professional and family realms”, said Tadeusz Radlinski who has sold “two-billion euro ships in the shipyards of Danzig for 33 years”. Radlinski, speaking of the crisis in the shipbuilding industry pointed out: “I lost a lot and I’m not ashamed of admitting that I went through moments of panic: but I was told that panic and desperation are not Christian”. “Those who have faith in God, must also have hope”, he underlined, adding that in life he had to go learn “humbleness”. “Before the crisis it seemed to me that everything went well, since humbleness is not typical of wealthy people. While with success you learn to be arrogant, wisdom and reason are learnt with defeats”.
