A letter from Bishops of the GalileeWith a “Letter from Galilee”, issued in Jerusalem on November 9, Austrian bishops gathered in Plenary meeting in the Holy Land summarized the main points addressed during the Fall Plenary, held near Tiberias. The minutes of the meeting included reflections on the Pope’s recent visit in Austria and solidarity towards Christians in the Holy Land. At the end of the Plenary, the bishops visited significant Christian sites, as Jerusalem and Bethlehem. “Three months after the visit of Benedict XVI in Austria and his pilgrimage to Mariazell all of us bishops undertook a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Here, at the origin of Christianity, we prayed. We reflected upon the message of the visit of the Holy Father and of further developments to be sought for the Church in Austria. During various meetings, we also had the opportunity to express our solidarity with Christians in the Holy Land for their difficult situation”, the document states. Bishops expressed hope mingled with their concerns about social and Church development in Austria. These worries are related to the “collapse of founding values such as the family, marriage, solidarity towards the non-born, towards the sick and the elderly. What is missing, the bishops affirm, “is the courage to have more children”. “In the Church there are vibrant parishes and communities but many baptized faithful lack knowledge of their own faith. Also priests and religious are likely to be overcome by resignation”, they remarked. The bishops declared that the decrease in the number of faithful attending Sunday mass should not be ascribed only to a lack of priests. In the “Letter to Galilee” it is clearly stated that the Bishops’ Conference “does not intend to ignore nor to remain silent” before the conflicts. The need for ” a deeper analysis and thought” is equally reiterated. For this purpose it’s useful to examine the situation of the Church in other Countries which have fewer means and structures. “This might encourage Austrian Christians to exploit opportunities in their own Countries”. Within this framework the bishops mentioned the meeting with young Christians in Galilee: “In the Holy Land we met also many Christians from other Countries who gave testimony of their living faith”.
