European Churches, thoughts and voices ” “

Convinced and repeated support of the Pope’s appeals in defence of peace has come from the European episcopates in recent months. The new evangelization, ecumenism and interreligious dialogue also remain at the forefront of the Churches’ activities in the continent. Other central issues are the common commitment to the process of the reunification of Europe, and actions aimed at the defence of life and the protection of the environment. Below we present some passages from a wide-ranging review of the most significant events in the life of the various Churches, prepared by the CCEE (Council of the European Episcopal Conferences). Austria. The last plenary assembly of the Episcopal Conference was held at the end of last year. It approved inter alia a declaration on the “Mitteleuropäisch Katholikentag” (Meeting of the Catholics of Central Europe, due to open on 31 May). To prepare for it, a delegation of the Churches of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic and Hungary, led by the archbishop of Vienna, Cardinal Cristoph Schönborn, recently met the President of the European Commission Romano Prodi in Brussels. The objectives of the “Mitteleuropäisch Katholikentag” include: giving signs of reconciliation; rediscovering the Christian roots of the continent; and being ready as Christians to assume political and social responsibilities. Belarus. Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council Christian Unity, visited Belarus in December 2002. After meeting Metropolitan Philaret of Minsk and Sluk, Cardinal Kasper intervened at the first international conference held by the Institute for dialogue among religions and international relations, jointly founded by the Belarussian Exarchate and by the Russian Orthodox Church. The pastoral letter published by the bishops of Belarus on the Year of the Rosary instituted by the Pope was read out in all the churches on 26 January; the daily recitation of the rosary is spreading in many parishes. Czech Republic. An ecumenical Liturgy of the Word was celebrated in the church of St. Adalbert in Prague on 20 January. The celebration was officiated by the primate of Bohemia, Cardinal Miloslav Vlk, and by the new president of the Czech Ecumenical Council, the Lutheran bishop Vladislav Volny. The homily was given by the Orthodox bishop of Prague Christoforos. During the 48th plenary assembly of the Episcopal Conference (21-22 January), Cardinal Vlk informed the delegates of the decision of the Constitutional Court to abrogate some paragraphs of the controversial law on the Churches. The bishops approved the joint declaration of the Austrian and Czech episcopates “Close Vicinity at the Heart of Europe” which will be published in Prague on 21 March. Croatia. The Episcopal Conference published its document, “Family pastoral directory for the Catholic Church in Croatia”. Presented on 27 November 2002 and focused on the value of the family and of marriage, the aid is aimed at pastoral workers, priests and laity. The Week of pastoral theology on pluralism in the Church was held in Zagreb from 21 to 23 January; it was attended by Croatian bishops and theologians from the local university. Lithuania. In November 2002 the Episcopal Conference and the Centre for the Family of the archdiocese of Vilnius promoted an international conference on Aids, as a “Catholic” response to state measures, hitherto limited to the recommended use of condoms, sex education in schools and the distribution of sterilized syringes. In the months that followed, the bishops devoted great efforts to supporting the Catholic position on new legislation on education, cultural properties, the relations between religion and the State and “reproductive rights”. Malta. In preparation for the referendum to be held on 8 March on the island’s membership of the European Union, the bishops published a pastoral letter in which they emphasize the importance of each citizen adequately informing himself of what EU entry means for Malta, in accordance with the negotiated conditions. The bishops also impressed on the faithful their duty to vote according to conscience and for the common good, “making their choice on the basis of the facts and the truth”. Poland. The last plenary assembly of the Polish Episcopal Conference was held on 28 and 29 November 2002. The approval of the pastoral letter “Dialogue as a condition for peace” was one of the main points on the agenda. The bishops also discussed relations between Church and State, with particular attention to the new law on volunteer service and benefits for the disabled. Other issues on the agenda: the need for a regulation of the status of the Catholic media, social problems and unemployment, and a new approach to pastoral ministry in universities and in the world of health-care. Scandinavia. This year marks the 7th centenary of the birth of St. Brigid, co-patron of Europe. Various ecumenical celebrations and academic conferences are being planned for the summer, especially in Sweden, the country in which the Saint was born. Other ceremonies are also on the programme: in 1953 the apostolic vicariates of Oslo, Stockholm and Copenhagen were raised into dioceses, which will therefore be celebrating their jubilee this year. A number of meetings , masses and pilgrimages will commemorate the event. Slovenia. In preparation for the “Mitteleuropäisch Katholikentag” (Meeting of the Catholics of Central Europe, due to open on 31 May), the Slovene Episcopal Conference has decided to hold a colloquium on the theme “The transmission of Christian culture in a pluralist society” and is planning a pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Methodius at Velehrad, in the Czech Republic, and another to the Marian sanctuary of Marija Districa, in Croatia. The bishops have also decided to begin the process of beatification of the Slovene martyrs of the 20th century: 28 from the archdiocese of Ljubljana, 11 from Koper and 9 from Maribor. Spain. During the 79th plenary assembly of the Episcopal Conference, it was announced that John Paul II would visit the country on 3 and 4 May, though the dates have still to be confirmed. It is expected that the Pope will meet Spanish youth in Madrid on 3 May, while the canonization of five Spanish Blesseds is scheduled for 4 May, again in the capital. Switzerland. A preliminary analysis of the federal census in 2000 was published on 30 January; the data relating to the religious confessions emerged from this. The presidium of the Swiss Bishops’ Conference stresses that the 3.9% decline in the Catholic population is especially due to the growth of immigrants from non-Christian countries, but affirms the need to boost the pastoral ministry in the cities and in the foreign Catholic missions, and hopes that a new impulse may be given to ecumenical and interreligious dialogue. Turkey. The second stage of the ecclesial Conference (the first was held in November 2001) was held in Istanbul in December 2002. This meeting brought together the Catholic communities (of the Latin, Armenian, Syrian and Chaldean rites) from the various regions of the country to review the progress made by the Church over the last four years. Various projects for the promotion of Catholic communities were formulated during the conference. Latin Ukraine. Archbishop Paul Josef Cordes, president of the Pontifical Council “Cor Unum”, met the Ukrainian Catholic bishops of Byzantine and Latin rite at Lvov in the Ukraine in December 2002. In the same month a colloquium was held in Kiev between the Head of State Leonid Kuczma and the Catholic bishops of Latin rite to discuss questions of major relevance at this time and the pastoral activity of the Latin Ukrainian Church. The Catholic bishops of both rites met with the secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, Bishop Stanislaw Rylko, in the Seminary of Lvov on 23 January, to prepare for the Congress of the laity of Eastern Europe, due to be held in Kyiv from 8 to 12 October. Hungary. The last plenary assembly of the Hungarian bishops was held in December 2002. At the centre of reflection was the question of the sects, whose presence has considerably increased over the last decade. The bishops intend to plan more effective means of evangelization.