CHURCHES IN BRIEF
Justice and peace: annual European assembly The European Commissions for Justice and Peace will convene September 25-28 in Copenhagen and Malmö for their general annual assembly. The theme of the meeting is: “European models of coexistence – experiences in Copenhagen and Malmö”. Jean-Claude Hollerich, archbishop of Luxembourg, president of Justice and Peace Europe will moderate the assembly. 20 to 31 European Commissions will take part in the meeting. The opening ceremony will be held at the Town Council of Copenhagen. The Councillor for Childhood and Youth, Pia Allerslev, will welcome the delegates. The program also envisages visits and initiatives for the integration of refugees and migrants and meetings at the Danish Institute for Human Rights, along with meetings with media representatives and political leaders. At the end of the event the delegates of the Peace and Justice Commissions in Europe will release a joint statement on the new 2030 Sustainable Development Goals up for adoption by the next general assembly of the United Nations. Portugal: Days of Pastoral Care The National Department of Youth Pastoral Care (DNPJ) has organised the fourth “Formation Days” in Fatima, scheduled to take place September 25-26. The theme of the event is “The young person (has) is on the move?” During the press conference for the presentation of the initiative, national coordinators explained that the underlying theme of the meeting is “mercy in youth ministry, based on the happiness to which it can give new thrust through the ways of the new evangelization”. The chosen theme is meant to “prompt participants’ participation and involvement in dialogue” with a set of questions: “Is youth a priority for the Church? How does the Church view young people? What does it mean to be a Christian in the world? Who are young people, and what are their problems? How does the young person feel in the Mission? How does prayer prompt to go out of oneself and towards the stranger?” On the basis of the answers, Portugal’s youth ministry will seek to “understand the identity of young people today, entering the specific areas of their daily life, to be better able to announce Jesus and give topical relevance to the Word of God with new languages”. Among the panel speakers figure, inter alia, theologian and philosopher Pedro Valinho Gomes, who will speak of the family; the mother provincial superior of the Congregation of the Slaves of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Sister Maria Vaz Pinto, who will reflect on the theme of consecrated life; the expert in market research and opinion, Carlos Liz, who will address the theme: “Young people, places of Mercy”. Iceland: David Tencer new bishop in Reykjavìk Swiss bishop Peter Bürcher will soon leave Reykjavík, Slovakian bishop Dávid Tencer will lead the diocese of Iceland. Already past January Msgr. Bürcher wrote in a letter to the faithful that he could no longer remain in the country because the very cold climate and the volcanic air was bad for his lungs. Now Pope Francis has appointed a new bishop on the island, the Capuchin priest of Slovakian origin Dávid Tencer. In Iceland since 2004, since 2007 Fr Tencer has been serving as parish priest in one of the six parishes of the island, Saint Thorlac in Reyðarfjörður. He learnt Icelandic and as of October 31 he will guide 13 thousand Catholics present on the island (3.5% of the overall population). “Bishop Bürcher is sad to leave such a beautiful country and such a young diocese that is rapidly growing”, states a release announcing the replacement of the post. The Swiss bishop will spend his time in the Dominican convent of Schwyz, in Switzerland, and “as soon as the local situation allows, he will withdraw in prayer to the Holy Land, organizing spiritual retreats and pilgrimages” to “support Christians in the Holy Land, as he did since the beginning of his priestly ministry”, states a release published in Reykjavík.
