CHURCHES IN BRIEF
Germany: an invitation to vote from Msgr. Zollitsch (DBK) The president of the German Bishops’ Conference (DBK) Msgr. Robert Zollitsch, called upon the faithful to go to the polls in the Bundestag elections scheduled for September 22. On September 2, during the traditional annual St. Michael-Jahresempfang ceremony, organized by the Katholisches Büro in Berlin, the representative office of the German Catholic Office at the federal institutions, Msgr Zollitsch said: “The responsibility of the Church is to remind the faithful of their responsibility as an active part in the formation process of political decision-making, making use of their own democratic rights. Our appeal is for everyone: go to the polls! Make use of your responsibility!” The archbishop of Freiburg highlighted that “in times of public political debate also the Church faces the choice of responding to questions on which role she intends to assume in the building of society”. For the president of the German Bishops’ Conference the Church must remember her major responsibility: “the proclamation of faith in Jesus Christ, the testimony of life of Gospel Proclamation. To be Christians is a commitment for life and for coexistence on the basis of the faith in God”. For this reason, for Msgr. Zollitsch “despite the respective different objectives and functions of politics and the Church, from this angle I believe they share common challenges”. Zollitsch underlined the public role of families: “the primary role of the family and their needs are disregarded, and so are their needs to grant them social recognition and the support they need”. He then thanked Pope Francis for the appeal to fast and pray for Syria. France: Schuman, “a Christian in politics” Three days to remember one of the “founding fathers” of united Europe, a coherent Christian, a Catholic committed in the service of his Country and of peace between peoples. A set of initiatives titled “Sanctity and politics” dedicated to Robert Schuman, marking the anniversary of his death (1886-1963), will take place from September 6 to 8 in Metz (France), on the initiative of the Institut Saint-Benoît – Patron de l’Europe, engaged in supporting the beatification cause of the French statesman. The Mass celebrated September 4-5 in the chapel of the Soeurs Servantes du Coeur de Jesus in Scy-Chazelles, a small church that Schuman used to attend regularly, as it was near his own home, a visit is scheduled for September 6 in the house where Schuman lived, followed by a lecture by Fr Bernard Ardura, postulator of the beatification cause (titled, “Schuman, a politician to the service of the common good”). On the 7th the Eucharistic service will be celebrated in the parish church of Scy-Chazelles by Card. Philippe Barbarin, archbishop of Lyon, who will take part in a panel lecture held in the afternoon of the same day with the theme “Robert Schuman, a Christian in politics”, held in the town council of Metz. The program for the evening envisages a theatrical performance on the life of the author of the Declaration of May 9 1950, considered a cornerstone of community integration. Finally, the morning of September 8 card. Peter Erdö, archbishop of Budapest-Esztergom, president of CCEE (Council of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe) will officiate Mass in Metz’ Cathedral. In the afternoon Erdö will deliver a speech in the cathedral of Metz titled “the Europe of Robert Schuman: a community of peoples united by their Christian roots”. England and Wales: more faithful attend Mass A Sunday devoted to evangelisation, the so-called “Home mission Sunday”, celebrated in English parishes on September 15, is approaching, and the Church of England and Wales has all reasons to celebrate. Thanks to the visit of Benedict XVI of September 2010 and to the ministry of Pope Francis, increasing numbers of Catholics have returned to confession and mass attendance. The findings of a survey conducted in 22 cathedrals of England and Wales presented a few days ago by the bishop responsible for evangelisation, Msgr. Kieran Conry, show that confessions have increased by 65%. The answers, submitted to 91% of the cathedrals involved, also highlight a renewed interest for the Catholic Church and an increase in the number of attendants. Similar trends are registered for Mass attendants during the week and on Sundays. Remarkably, there is also an increase in confessions by those who had drawn away from the Church and by young people, many of whom “ask for help because they cannot remember the prayers they wish to recite”.
