CHURCHES IN BRIEF
Portugal: symposium on “Identity and mission of the priests” Past Monday, August 31st, the 8th symposium of the Portuguese clergy opened in Fatima, attended by almost 400 priests from dioceses nationwide. The theme addressed during the four-day meeting is: “The mission and identity of the priests” .The bishops’ Commission for Vocation and Ministry (CEVM) informed that panel speakers include, inter alia, Professor Adriano Moreira, the writer Lídia Jorge, and the winner of the Pessoa Award 2014, Henrique Leitão. The focus of this year’s symposium is to highlight the importance of 50 years since the decree “Presbyterorum Ordinis” released by the Second Vatican Council, celebrate the Year of Consecrated Life, and recall the exemplary figure, works and life of Blessed Dominican father D. Bartolomeu dos Mártires, to whom has been dedicated the entire day of September 1st. The following day, the priests participating were invited to reflect on the “beauty of consecration” with two conferences by the monk of Bose Luciano Manicardi, and the screening of a film. Finally, this year’s meeting will end with a speech focused on the missionary theme: “The priest and the enthusiasm of evangelizing”, delivered by Jesuit Fr José Correia Frazão, current Provincial of the Company of Jesus in Portugal. Spain: personal and communitarian discernment The 44th meeting of major seminaries will take place in Madrid September 2-4. This year’s topic is “Anthropological and spiritual keys for personal and communitarian discernment. Vocation to celibacy. Criteria of discernment”, organized by the Episcopal Conference of seminaries and universities of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference (CEE). The purpose of the meeting is to delve into themes such as “Christian life and vocation as part of a process”, “Maturity of the human person”, and “Vocation to celibacy. Discernment criteria”. Slovakia: memories of faithful persecuted by communism The Confederation of political prisoners in Slovakia and the body of penitentiary and judicial police commemorated all those unjustly and illegally detained under the communist regime. The event took place in Leopoldov on the occasion of the anniversary (at the end of August) of the invasion of Czechoslovakia by the Soviet Army. A memorial plaque dedicated to all the bishops, priests, religious and faithful unjustly persecuted or imprisoned in Leopoldov because of their faith was affixed on the façade of the local Church. The monument includes the names of the Blessed bishops Peter Pavol Gojdic Osbm and Blessed Vasil Hopko, beatified by Pope John Paul II. During the period 1948-1989, over 205 thousand people were sentenced to prison, about 4,500 of them died in prison, many of them having committed a single crime: to be faithful to God. Belarus: message for the new formation year “During periods of persecution the activities of the Catholic Church in Belarus, that included religious education, were restricted. The Church saw the spiritual needs of the faithful but she was not permitted to respond in full. Today the situation is different, and this is a great gift as well as a major challenge for us”, states the pastoral letter by Mons. Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, archbishop of Minsk-Mogilev, addressed to students and catechists on the occasion of the new academic year that opens this week in schools and educational institutions in Belarus. Mons. Kondrusiewicz invited Catechists to cultivate learning along with personal spiritual education and formation, in order to be able to meet the challenges of contemporary society and its developments, and stand as authentic witnesses of faith for the learners. The prelate spoke about the past 25 years of freedom and opportunities, underlining that quality religious education delivers its fruits only when the recipients – children and youths – devote attention to this theme. Archbishop Kondrusiewicz wrote that Christian religious education in schools is but a part of the general formation to faith that cannot replace active life in the parish, as it should go hand in hand with it. “Catechesis taught will all means available is a pillar for the formation of younger generations, so everyone may become good and faithful citizens of our Country”, the letter concludes.
