The approach of Lent” “

As Lent approaches – it opens on 5 March, Ash Wednesday – many initiatives of prayer and solidarity are being taken in various European countries. The international crisis and a possible war against Iraq, in particular, characterize some of them. The Pope himself took the lead on Sunday 23 February, by inviting all the faithful to pray and fast for peace: “I invite all Catholics to dedicate with particular intensity March 5th to prayer and to fasting for the cause of peace, especially in the Middle East”. Germany “To whom does the world belong?”: is the slogan of the campaign for Lent 2003 of the German Catholic aid organization, ‘Misereor’. The campaign, now a traditional fixture at Lent to “express solidarity with the peoples of the world”, will culminate two weeks before Easter (which falls on 5-6 April this year) with a nationwide fund-raising event to finance the projects being promoted in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The campaign – says the launch communiqué – “is an invitation to look at the world through the eyes of those who don’t have access to the basic necessities of life; it’s an appeal to appraise our own often wasteful lifestyle. Above all, it’s an exhortation to show solidarity towards the poor and the oppressed”. ‘Misereor’ is also promoting a campaign on the website www.jugendaktion.de, dedicated to young people, against what it calls “biopiracy”, i.e. against the genetic patents on plant species that penalize the developing countries. Austria Peace, globalization, Christian values for Europe, social policy: these are the fundamental issues tackled by Austrian Catholic Action at its spring plenary assembly, held at Salzburg in recent days. Endorsing John Paul II’s repeated appeals for peace, Christian Friesl, president of CA, invited all believers to participate in “actions of prayer, fasting and demonstrations in support of peace”, simultaneously asking the Austrian government to “intervene to prevent the war”. During the ‘plenum’, 60 delegates from all over Austria and three bishops discussed the question of the “frontiers of Europe” and EU enlargement. This latter aspect was called by Msgr. Egon Kapellari, delegate of the Episcopal Conference for Europe, “an important occasion for peace and stability”. On the need for Christian values to be recognized in the European Constitution, Kapellari appealed to “Christians” to “gain an awareness of their identity”, and “intervene and act accordingly in the democratic concert of the EU”. England and Wales A new agency of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, called “Caritas – social action” will be presented at the House of Commons on 4 March, on the vigil of Ash Wednesday. Presenting the new agency, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor declared: “In a society riven by the division between rich and poor, the privileged and the excluded, the aim of ‘Caritas-social action’ is to reinforce the Gospel by putting into practice the commandment of love”. Of the same view is also Sarah Lindsell, director of the new agency: “After a long consultation with other Catholic groups and organizations dedicated to social volunteer service and justice, we have felt the need to have a presence at the national level. The development of the agency is a task for us all. The contribution of each Catholic, together with that of organizations and movements, represent a great resource for the development of society. In the UK the Catholic Church employs roughly 2000 people in providing care to the underprivileged, assisted by some 35,000 volunteers.