CHURCHES IN BRIEF" "
Spain/1: Manifesto of Catholic intellectuals A few days ago the archbishopric of Seville held a new meeting of Catholic intellectuals organized by the lay apostolate delegation, chaired by the archbishop of Seville Juan José Asenjo Pelegrina. At the end of the meeting participants released a manifesto whereby intellectuals underlined the role of culture in the dialogue with society and the permanent relevance of the Christian message and of shared values offered to the public realm. “The Church feels the need to go out, following the invitation of Pope Francis, to establish relations with society whilst preserving her identity”, states the manifesto. In doing so “it can establish fraternal relations in the common quest for shared values”. A “true journey” towards others consists of “dialogue”. For this reason, “learning to listen is the key to a society that wishes to live in peace”. In order to deepen “a culture of dialogue it is necessary to identify the common areas” for “the sharing of ideas and points of encounter, hopes and a public ethical code”. Moreover, “it is necessary to identify existing difficulties, since at times obsolete behaviors, prejudice and even old-dated resentment, prevents ongoing dialogue from being promoted through the appropriate channels”. With the manifesto Catholic intellectuals send a message to society: “The contribution of Christian ethics furthers a harmonized social ethics in favour of contemporary men and women, leading to shared commitments and hopes, for the establishment of a public code of values”. Spain/2: Solidarity project for a dam in Kenya The territorial delegation of Marbella, in the diocese of Malaga, is organizing a charity sale of second-hand books that will be ongoing until August 2 for Manos Unidas, the NGO of the Spanish Catholic Church. Proceeds will be used in a project to build a dam in Kenya, in the Kavingonia village, south of Machacos. Direct beneficiaries are 6.487 people who belong to the Kamba tribe, most of whom live mainly on their cattle (goats, sheep and donkeys) and on a small amount of subsistence farming, (corn, manioc and beans). The main problem for them is the lack of water for domestic use and for their animals. The lack of rainfall resulted in a lack of water in the area where the dam is planned. The water problem is a main cause of poverty for the inhabitants of the village who spend most of their time reaching the site of a water source, rather then dedicating themselves fully to productive activities for the community. The project will be developed by the local NGO “Smile African Child”, which asked the help of Manos Unidas in the building of the dam. Also the African community will take part in the project’s activities that don’t require specialized skills. Lithuania: the Church’s gaze on the family It is necessary “to step up the bond between faith and the sacrament of marriage and between evangelization and preparation to the sacrament”. It is one of the outcomes of the debate promoted by the Lithuanian Bishops’ Conference, that held its assembly July 7 in Kaunas. In a communiqué the Bishops’ Conference made known that the meeting focused on the theme of the family and on preparations for the extraordinary Assembly of the Synod, scheduled to take place October next. The bishops agreed that “today preparing young people for marriage is not enough, they should be accompanied to having a family”. Pastoral communities are thus invited to “place a major accent on the family” and “be sensitive to providing assistance in situations of difficulty experienced by couples”. “Families don’t receive enough attention in the public sphere”, remarked Apostolic nuncio in Lithuania Msgr. Pedro López Quintana, in his welcoming address. For this reason, “the gaze of the Church” towards all those who are experiencing a family crisis, should be full of the mercy of God”. Ukraine: an exhibit on John Paul II An exhibition titled: “The Holy Father John Paul II a life of prayer”, was inaugurated a few days ago in the premises of the Catholic cathedral dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin in Lviv, on the occasion of the recent canonization of Saint John Paul II and for the 13th anniversary of his Apostolic visitation to Ukraine. The exhibition, organized by the Museum on the History of Religion in the archdiocese of Lviv, is based on personal materials and documents provided by Metropolitan Archbishop Mieczyslaw Mokrzycki, who served as personal secretary of John Paul II for many years. The exhibit showcases the liturgical cassock, the blouse with the monogrammed initials, the desk, along with several personal objects that belonged to John Paul II such as pontifical crosses, rings, belts, Vatican coins collections, and a set of unedited photograps.
