Greater visibility to women

Four days of intense work characterized the plenary spring meeting in Treviri that opened on February 18, summarized by Monsignor Robert Zollitsch, archbishop of Freiburg, president of the German Bishops’ Conference (DBK) in a press conference on February 21. The text of the Archbishops’ statement to the press, along with the documents of the Assembly, can be viewed by logging on www.dbk.de.Men and women’s cooperation inside the Church. A three-page document that draws inspiration from a report by Cardinal Walter Kasper was released by DBK after a full-day of works and reflections carried out by the participants in 6 workshops. The document provides concrete guidelines to ensure that "women’s commitment inside the Church may gain greater visibility, with the purpose of extending their presence in executive roles that don’t demand priestly responsibilities". It states: "The work inside the Church will greatly benefit from the contribution of women theologians, executives, Caritas directors and ecclesial administrators, women judges in ecclesial tribunals, in the clergy, school headmistresses, as well as coordinators of spiritual guidance in associations and presidents of pastoral councils". The percentage of women involved in the ordinariates "amounts to 19%, which is insufficient". "We will try to increase the number of women in positions of responsibility. In five years we will verify the developments". At the same time, the document goes on, "theological reflections on the relationship between priestly guidance and the various forms of lay guidance" will continue. Solutions to cases sexual abuse of minors in church environments. The German bishops addressed the measures adopted three years ago, "which have given positive results". "Sexual abuse is a serious crime. This is why we deem it important to reiterate that the Catholic Church will continue dealing with the cases of abuse inside the Church, and that she will not back out of her commitment". Monsignor Zollitsch underlined that "it’s a problem that involves society as a whole. It cannot be confined to the fact that the Catholic Church is the sole that provides help and solutions". The morning-after pill. The plenary assembly made known that "in Catholic hospitals women victims of rape continue receiving help at human, medical, psychological and spiritual level. From this perspective also the administration of a ‘morning-after pill’ should be envisaged as a tool for the prevention of conception and not as a means to cause an abortion", whilst reaffirming its opposition to "whatever may cause the death of an embryo". However, it will be important that after the first stands on the "morning-after pill" the implications of this issue, whereby each case is examined per se, may be the object of further reflections with the dignitaries in Rome. The DBK statement was triggered by the case of a woman victim of acts of violence who filed a complaint against Catholic hospitals in Cologne which had refused to admit her on the grounds that she had already been prescribed the morning-after pill. Accordingly, the doctors of the clinics refused to assist her for ethical reasons. Eucharistic congress in Cologne. "Lord who shall we go to", on the "fountainhead and the central point of our Christian life" is the theme of the days planned by the German Church for June 5-9. The initiative, that lies within the framework of the Year of Faith, is a new stage of the ‘dialogue process’ undertaken by the bishops, and "a precious occasion, at a time of disquietude inside the Church, providing an opportunity for reflection". Far from being an attempt "to forget our problems" or "distance ourselves from reality" it is a way "to recover inner strength". The German bishops’ message to Benedict XVI. Archbishop Zollitsch will represent DBK in Rome in Pope Benedict XVI’s last Wednesday audience, followed by the celebration of Mass. A national celebration will take place in Berlin from February 18 through 28 so as to be "once more united in prayer with the Pope at the time when the Pontificate ends and pronounce the words of our Eucharistic prayer ‘for our Pope Benedict XVI’". Monsignor Zollitsch wrote on behalf of the DBK members: "From Treviri we wish to repeat from the deep of our hearts: thank you! Thank you for you’re your guidance and theology. Thank you for the dedication to the human person and for choosing the poor. Thank you for your political commitment across the world: from Cuba to Israel. Thank you for your encouragement to always put God at the centre of our actions".