England: bishops against xenophobia The Office for Immigration policies of the Bishops Conference of England and Wales issued the document “The Church’s mission for immigrants in England and Wales”. The document condemns the widespread xenophobic and racist rhetoric in Great Britain which Catholics distance themselves from. On the eve of local elections of the beginning of May, an important test for the political parties, tabloids issued during the political campaign have been publishing xenophobic statements. The bishops appealed to Catholic parishes to welcome immigrants and help them integrate with English lessons and information concerning their rights as citizens. The bishops stressed the importance of a “more visible receptive attitude towards immigrants” in parishes while they criticized three aspects of governmental policies on this issue. Encouraging the arrival in Great Britain of qualified workers from Developing Countries and enacting at the same time strict measures against non-specialized manual labor, places many immigrants in the hands of illegal human trafficking criminals. The bishops claimed that half of the immigrants are women, who are more vulnerable to sexual exploitation and to be used as slaves for household work. The new multicultural cities formed by people from different Countries and religions are a positive phenomenon, which the Church and the government ought to give positive reception to. “We wish to point out that the Catholic Church rejects all forms of racism including anti-immigration rhetoric which is so popular in some parts of the Country during electoral campaigns”. The bishops concluded. Germany: courageous testimony The bishop of Magonza, Cardinal Karl Lehmann, urged Christians to testify their faith with courage and openness. “Individual witness of life and faith demonstrated indirectly in actions and words is increasingly important”. In the future, Christians will be called to be witnesses, otherwise they are doomed to disappear”, he said in Magonza, in the framework of the Day of Service Community held the past few days with the title “The future Church, the future Caritas”. His Eminence claimed that Christian faithful are called transmit “a missionary testimony capable of enlightening many aspects of our life where institutions aren’t present. By doing so, we accomplish Christian sense of responsibility and common priesthood”, he added. The Cardinal appealed to Christians that they may have a “patent profile” in a society marked by increasing pluralism: “We must finally wipe out inferiority complexes”. “It isn’t necessary to follow all possible trends in order to prove to be with the times”. Reference was made also to ecumenism defined “a gift of the Spirit”. Cardinal Lehamann expressed his “deep conviction” that an “ecumenical movement” will remain. Finally, he exhorted to “greater passion for God”: “We have lost the radicality and the simplicity of faith and we need to recover it”, he affirmed. France: suggestions for the Pauline Year The Bishops Conference of France recently sent a document to all dioceses, drawn up by the deputy Secretary General Msgr. André Dupleix, with suggestions for the celebrations of the Pauline Year. Proposals are on an individual, community, artistic and cultural basis. They include the dissemination of the historical and theological studies on Saint Paul, thanks to an up-dated bibliography, in order to better identify him at the origins of the Church along with his work and his contribution to Christianity in its early stages. The proposal equally encourages the integral study of his Letters. The document suggests to establish within the dioceses a link between the Pauline Year and the Bishops’ Synod, summoned on this occasion by the Holy Father since it is focused on the Word of God. It proposes also to undertake trips “on the footsteps of Saint Paul” and to follow specific courses set up in the faculties and theology schools of the various diocesan formation centres. The document highlights also the importance of conferences, study sessions, meetings and public lectures. Two initiatives are mentioned in particular, one of which is presently under way: the exhibition “Paul de Tarse, navigateur de l’espérance”, coordinated by sister Chantal Reynier, exegesis scholar and teacher, presenting 38 large panels and 51 photos with captions. The other initiative mentioned in the document, which is still at its planning stage, is a concert to be held in the French Church of Saint Francis Xavier at the end of this year with the exhibition of literary and pictorial works inspired to the Apostle.
