The ‘message’ of Mariazell” “

The lack of children, the problem of artificial insemination, the hope born at Mariazell, during the Pilgrimage of Peoples (22-23 May 2004), and a heartfelt appeal for peace in the Holy Land: these were some of the issues discussed by the Austrian Episcopal Conference, meeting at Salzburg from 8 to 10 November. Here is a summary of the final document. MaRRIAge and the family. In their document, the bishops stress that “the particular defence and pre-eminent promotion of the family based on marriage between man and woman is of supreme importance for the development of society”. The family, says the document, is the place in which “solidarity, responsibility, and the capacity to love and resolve conflicts grow”. “Large families deserve particular protection and support”, they add, calling “the low number of children in our country” “one of the biggest problems of Europe”. With regard to homosexual unions, the bishops confirm their rejection of any attempt to give it parity “with marriage between man and woman”, since, they explain, “what is substantially different must be denominated and treated as different”, while at the same time declaring that “it is not permitted to place in question the right [of homosexuals] to have their person respected”. The Episcopal Conference is also forthright in its opposition to the proposal that homosexual couples be allowed to adopt children”. LAW ON PROCREATION. Commenting on the new Austrian law on reproductive medicine, the Austrian bishops deplore the fact that “it contains no explicit prohibition of pre-implant diagnosis, cloning and research on embryonal stem cells”. The raising of the period of conservation from 1 to 10 years “does not represent a solution to the problem of surplus embryos”; on the contrary “it increases the risk that sooner or later these surplus embryos may in fact be profaned for purposes of research”. In declaring that “the new law failed to respond to the legitimate hopes”, the bishops refer to the current Italian legislation “that protects human life in its first stage from selection and experiments”. NEW AUSTRIAN CONSTITUTION. As regards the draft reform of the Austrian Constitution, the bishops praise the work of the ecumenical groups nominated by the Christian Churches to monitor the work of the Convention for the Constitution and “express the hope that the new Federal Constitution would take due account of the position of the Churches and religious communities recognized in Austria, particularly in consideration of the services they render to the State and to the civil community […] The bishops appeal to the Convention to insert in the Constitution the proposed deliberation on the maintenance of Sunday as a day of rest”. WYD 2005. Many Austrian bishops will be Cologne for World Youth Day in 2005 and will give catechesis to the young. “In collaboration with Catholic Youth (Katholische Jugend) and the Renewal movements, the preliminary work for Cologne 2005 has already begun in Austria. In the parishes, in schools, in prayer groups and in youth clubs, the young are preparing for the event, by deepening their spiritual life, praying together, providing volunteer service to the community, and publicizing the WYD to their own age group. With John Paul II, the Austrian bishops are inviting the young “to bring the Gospel to others and be sentinels of a new dawn”. CONGRESS OF THE CATHOLICS OF CENTRAL EUROPE. The bishops report data on the developments of the Katholikentag for the Catholics of Central Europe (MEKT) and declare that the “Message of Mariazell” is being gradually applied by the countries that participated in the event, in the form of the establishment of a “dense network of bilateral and multilateral partnerships at the level of episcopal conferences, dioceses, parish communities, religious orders, lay organizations and movements, especially at the youth level. During the last meeting of the presidents of the Episcopal Conferences of the participating countries, held in the Slovak capital, Bratislava, encouraging news emerged on these developments. In the countries that participated in the MEKT, 2005 will be celebrated with the first point listed in the Message of Mariazell as its motto (showing Christ to people). So the meeting for Austrian pastoral ministry, due to be held in January, will focus on Christ in and against the spirit of the times. At Brno an international symposium will be held on the family, dedicated to the transmission of faith in the family. The theme of showing Christ to people will be given particular expression on the occasion of the processions for Corpus Christi in 2005”. PeaCE IN THE HOLY LAND. “Responding to the appeal of the Catholic episcopate of the Arab countries, the Austrian bishops invite the faithful to participate in a day of prayer and fasting for peace in the Holy Land on 22 December. The bishops also invite the other Christian Churches to join in the day of prayer. On 24 December, Christians will recall the birth of the Child Jesus, Prince of Peace, in Bethlehem. Two thousand years after that turning point in history, the Holy Land – like other area of crisis – is very far from peace. May Christians do all they can to ensure that the Holy Land with all its inhabitants – Jews, Christians, Muslims – receive the gift of peace”.