CHURCHES IN BRIEF
Spain: march for life in numerous cities On Sunday November 17 the fourth March for Life will take place in Spain to “replace abortion with hope, abortion with life”. The initiative is promoted by the platforms “Derecho a vivir” (DAV – Right to life) and “HazteOir.org”, in conjunction with a large number of Spanish and international associations which include the pro-life Group in Madrid, “Asociación Enraizados, a “Catholic voice in public life”, Priests for Life, Doctors for Life, Christian lawyers’ association, Spanish Christian pharmacists, Catholic Action in Seville, Federation for a Christian Europe (Belgium), CrossRoads Walk (USA), “Luci sull’est” (Lights on the Est) association (Italy). The purpose of the March (the main one is in Madrid, the capital of Spain, but similar marches are planned at national level), is to “ask the government to keep the promise of adopting legislation for the protection of the right to life, assured in its electoral program”, by “changing the present law on abortion”. As states the theme of the march, the aim is “Zero abortion. For a life without cuts”.Caritas Poland: aids to the Philippines and the homeless “We call upon all men and women of good will to cooperate with Caritas to show our solidarity”, said a few days ago the director of Caritas Poland Fr Marian Subocz in a public statement on the wake of the news of the hurricane tragedy in the Philippines. In the meantime, until November 20 Caritas continues a fund-collection for the homeless who experience difficulties especially in winter months. The initiative will bring support to people by providing hospitality in dormitories and soup kitchens. Caritas Poland currents gives shelter to 3 thousand homeless. One million 800 thousand meals were served in 2012, while 7 thousand people were helped across the centres located throughout the Country.Austria: symposium on the martyrdom of Eastern Churches An international symposium titled: “What does it mean to be Christians today? The experience of martyrdom of Christian Churches” was held November 9 in Vienna, on the occasion of the 390th anniversary of the martyrdom of St. Giosafat Kuncevyc, venerated as martyr of the Union of Brest. Card. Christoph Schönborn from the archdiocese of Vienna, that hosted the event, underlined that the 20th century has beeb “the century of martyrs”, begun with the genocide of the Armenians n the Ottoman Empire in 1915 and the Bolscevic revolution in Russia in 1917. Card. Leonardo Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Church, spoke of the ecclesiological dimension and of the importance of martyrdom, supported also by the letter of His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Greek-Catholic Church of Ukraine, which recalled that martyrs show that “love is stronger than death”. He continued by saying that the martyrs shouldn’t only be a reason to be proud of their witness. They should also be taken as an example of the force of faith and the devotion to God. Msgr. Milan Lach, auxiliary bishop of the Greek-Catholic Eparchy of Preov, Slovakia, spoke of the suffering of the Greek-Catholic Church in the period 1950-1989. Simona Stefana Zetea, from the university of Kluz, Romania, introduced various ways in which Romanian martyrs and confessors “faced imprisonment and persecution in search of inner freedom”. Rudolf Prokschi, from the Catholic theology faculty in Vienna, has provided details on the persecution of the Russian Orthodox Church.Ecumenism: a woman at the lead of WCC A Kenyan woman has been unanimously elected moderator by 150 members of the new Central Committee of the Ecumenical Council of Churches (WCC). It is the very first time in the history of WCC introduced by its delegates in Busan, South Korea, where the Assembly convened from October 31 to November 8. Agnes Abuom from Nairobi, member of the Anglican Church in Kenya for years has been committed in the sphere of ecumenism throughout the African continent. She is considered a central figure in the negotiations of the conflict in the Corn of Africa, owing to her efforts aimed at promoting the encounter of Muslim and Christian religious leaders in favour of justice, peace, and the role of women. The decision is in line with the theme of the works of over three thousand official delegates representing 345 Churches and ecclesial communities members of WCC: “God of life guide us towards justice and peace”. Along with Aboum vice-moderators were the bishop Mary Ann Swenson (Methodist, USA) and Metropolitan bishop Gennadios of Sassima (Ecumenical patriarchate of Constantinople). The Catholic Church, that is not member of the WCC, attended the meeting with a delegation led by the Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity Brian Farrell.
