CHURCHES IN BRIEF
CCEE: European Congress on the Pastoral Care of Universities “To be and become responsible in life”: it is the theme of the congress on Pastoral Care in Europe, scheduled to take place in Lodz, Poland, April 16 to 19, on the initiative of the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE). Some fifty delegates of Episcopal Conferences – chief coordinators of national departments for pastoral care and university chaplains from 18 Countries – will convene with groups of Polish students on the invitation of the local archbishop Monsignor Marek Jedraszewski, President of the CCEE Commission for Catechesis, Schools, and Universities. “We believe it is a fundamental commitment for all those actively engaged in the pastoral care of universities to help students discover and assume lifelong responsibilities. This means to help them love themselves, others, and God”, said Fr Michel Remery, CCEE deputy Secretary General and co-organizer of the meeting. Among panel speakers figure Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, former prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education; Stanislaw Bielecki, dean of the Polytechnics in Lodz. Belarus: formation meetings for family life The Cathedral of the Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Misk will hold “a set of meetings and debates addressed to loving couples”. Nine meetings marked by a rich program of conferences, testimonies and debates on love, relationships, marriage, and responsible parenthood will be dedicated to young couples that intend to share their lives with each other. The meetings, organized by the archdiocese of Minsk and Mogilev, will take place once a week starting April 15. Organizers hope that the project may contribute to the creation of strong families, based on a responsible approach to love and marriage, mutual respect of their partners, understanding and forgiveness. Although most of the meetings will be centered on Catholic faith and on the role of God in family relations and life, the evenings are open “to all those who are in a serious relationship and intend to deepen it, share their experiences, define expectations, learn the art of dialogue in couples and find the answers to take one of the most important decisions in life”. Poland: Week of Mercy, hands extended to families This year’s “Week of Mercy on ‘Caritas for the Family’ will offer Polish families a support of prayer, charity and help of the merciful heart”, said Father Wieslaw Przygoda, consultant for the Charity Commission of the Polish Bishop’s Conference. The initiative, ongoing until April 19, is organized with the contribution of parish communities and diocesan Caritas, with specific “formative purposes”, underlined the prelate who also highlighted the need “to raise sensitivity towards others, the sick, those who are unemployed, the homeless or persecuted persons”. Fr Przygoda – recalling the role of the Bishops’ Conference Council for the Family and that of the national Centre for the Pastoral Care of the Family, whose support efforts are carried out in conjunction with civil authorities – equally underlined the irreplaceable role of support provided to families in need by parishes and local specialized centers. Spain: inter-religious dialogue and consecrated life The Spanish Conference of the Religious (CONFER) organized for April 17-19 the fourth Days on Inter-Religious Dialogue and Consecrated Life titled: “The challenges of Nostra Aetate”. “We are aware that it is a privileged place for reflection aimed at the encounter with out sisters and brothers from different cultures, both in the framework of the ‘missio ad gentes’ and inside our Country, that gives hospitality to large numbers of immigrants”. Upon the 50th anniversary of the Nostra Aetate declaration, Confer underlined the major relevance of the document in the field of inter-religious dialogue along with the scarce relevance given to the document in ecclesial practice and religious life. “For us – Confer underlines – this anniversary is a major opportunity to recognize its contribution, and its topical relevance for our present times”. The Days will be attended by Jesuit Father Javier Melloni, expert in this field, Jose Ramón Matito, who will speak of the genesis of the “Nostra Aetate” declaration, Juan Pablo García Maestro, who will address the question of the reflections prompted by the document in consecrated life. Speakers will share experiences regarding Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Christianity, “highlighting the openness we are called to show in civil society, consecrated life and inside the Church as a whole”. The event will also be marked by moments of prayer from an inter-religious perspective along with formal and informal occasions for sharing among participants.
