CHURCHES IN BRIEF" "
CCEE: meetings on “faith and charity” and communication “BWitnessing to the faith through charity” is the theme of the meeting of bishops and delegates from Europe’s Bishops’ Conferences with responsibility for works of charity, scheduled to take place in Trieste (Italy) from November 4-6. The meeting is promoted by CCEE’s Caritas in Veritate Commission, chaired by the archbishop of Trieste Msgr. Giampaolo Crepaldi. Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, CCEE vice-president, president of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, will deliver the opening speech on November 4, titled “Faith grows when it is lived as an experience of received love – the relationship between charity and faith”, followed by the keynote speech of Cardinal Robert Sarah, president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum. The meeting will be attended also by the Secretary of Cor Unum Msgr. Giampiero dal Toso, with moments of reflection and exchanges of experience. Fr Roberto Pasetti, director of Caritas Trieste, and Miranda Mulgeci Kola from Albania will share their personal testimony with participants. The meeting of bishops and cardinals with responsibility for social questions in Europe will close on Wednesday November 6 in Aquileia with a meeting with Caritas Triveneto. On the CCEE agenda figures also a meeting in Barcelona that will bring together the presidents of the Bishops’ Conferences for Social Communications of European Bishops’ Conferences, November 8-10. This year’s theme is “Evangelising the soul of Europe. The contribution of social communications”. Spain/Portugal, a survey on society and work. The diocesan Caritas of Mérida-Badajoz, Coria-Cáceres, Ciudad Rodrigo and Salamanca, for the Spanish part, together with the Portuguese diocesan Caritas of Beja, Évora, Portalegre and Castelo Branco, set up a network of mutual support focusing on a “survey of social-professional life and mobility in the Raya region”, a bordering area between Spain and Portugal. The survey was conducted by a group of researchers from the Estremadura University (Uex), coordinated by Jesús Pérez Mayo. The research involved 30 cities in Spain and 15 cities in Portugal. Caritas volunteers on both sides of the Raya administered 1050 questionnaires on the social-professional situation of the area, emerging actions that could turn into job opportunities and the need for geographic mobility amongst the cities of the Raya. The survey points out that the current economic structure of the surveyed territories does not enable the adoption of economic or occupational activities that may experiment short-term labour growth. The living conditions of the inhabitants of Estremadura, Salamanca (Spain) and Alentejo (Portugal) are worse than the national average. It is not by chance that in 2011 the rate of poverty in Spain amounted to 21.8%, while in Estremadura it amounted to 31.9%. The survey also highlighted severe unemployment rates, in particular, youth unemployment – over 60% among under-25 youths in Estremadura – and the long-term unemployed (40% of the overall population, since 2011). The research also shows that most of the people that availed themselves of Caritas support are women. Spain, faith proposals to youths in Barcelona The pastoral delegation for youth in Barcelona will adopt a tight program of meetings titled “Put Jesus Christ and the center at it will be noise”, in the framework of the World Youth Day in Krakow in 2016. Thus the goal is to organize a lot of “noise”. Paraphrasing the words of Pope Francis on the shore of Copacabana where he encouraged world youths to promote “movement” in the dioceses, the Delegation of Catalan youths has realized a video which explains how we could become if, as the Pontiff says, Christ is at the centre of our lives. To be true Christians, to be the protagonists of this story and follow the words of the Pope, the Delegation offers various activities and news to be increasingly “involved”. The various proposals include a “Network station”, i.e., an area for youths and adolescents who want to learn more about faith. The “School of prayer” will be a workshop where the Cardinal of Barcelona and expert “trainers” will teach young people to pray. “Youcat Coffee” is an initiative with informal discussions and sharing of religious experience. Among the proposals, “A light in the night” is an experience of evangelization on the streets of Barcelona, or the days “Become an animator” for people who want to accompany youths in the experience of faith.
