Italy: the Englaro case”I did not pose any condition, I only present the Catholic doctrine concerning the impossibility of disposing of life”, declared Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco , Archbishop of Genoa and President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference (CEI), in replying to journalists in recent days on the question of a possible law on the “end of life” in Italy. The cardinal was referring to the tragic case of Eluana Englaro, the woman from Lecco who had been in a deep and unbroken coma for almost 17 years. The final sentence of Italy’s highest court of appeal (Court of Cassation) came on 13 November, authorizing the suspension of all further nutrition and hydration as requested by Eluana’s father. On the very same day the CEI put out a statement saying among other things: “The conviction that nutrition and hydration do not constitute a form of zealous over-treatment has been expressed on various occasions by the Church, also in recent times, and can only be reaffirmed also in this tragic circumstance. In this context, it becomes more urgent than ever to reflect on the need for a law on the end of life, unequivocal in its safeguard of life itself, to be drafted with as wide a consensus as possible by all men of good will”. Cardinal Bagnasco gave an interview to Vatican Radio on 18 November, in which he spoke of the “very grave and manifest risk” of the Englaro case being used to introduce euthanasia in Italy. As regards the principle of self-determination, the cardinal asserted that it is “undoubtedly a valid principle”, but should not be “applied in absolute terms, without limits of reference and without other judgements of a superior order. It is essential – he said – for all of us to revive the true concept of freedom, not in individualistic, but in personalistic terms: it should always take into account the importance of interpersonal relations and the existence of objective values that cannot be subject to our decisions”. Switzerland: “equal opportunities” for all childrenThe Justice and Peace Commission of the Swiss Catholic Church has issued a statement urging that equal opportunities be given to all children. The Commission says that reducing social disparities and inequalities in opportunity between children is “a permanent obligation of social cohesion”. The statement, issued to coincide with the International Day of the Right of the Child on 20 November, though recognizing that “at first sight, Swiss children lack for nothing”, says that, notwithstanding, “not all have the same opportunities to develop their abilities”. According to the Commission, it is especially “in the sector of education that there are sharp differences. Some recent research has confirmed once again that the family of origin plays a key role in the future of children. The figures show in fact that the children of parents with university degrees have greater probabilities of studying than children from blue-collar families. The financial question undoubtedly plays a central role in this, but the opportunities for learning and the culture of study are also important”, says the statement. The Commission affirms that the search for solutions is “an ever more important task”, also in view of the “demographic changes taking place in our society”. “Guaranteeing equal opportunities to all children is the key to our future”.Portugal: continuous prayer for vocationsThe parish of Baguim do Monte, belonging to the Vicariate of Gondomar, has begun a rite of perennial praise, through which the diocese of Porto will join in continuous community prayer for the whole of next year. “At all hours there will be someone in Porto who will pray for vocations – declared Father Jorge Madureira, director of the diocesan secretariat for the ministry of vocations -. The diocese has called this initiative ‘Pray ‘ , precisely to underline the fact that this act forms the preliminary attitude of the vocational ministry and of any evangelizing activity”. “The project will take the form of continuous community prayer that will involve all 477 parishes of the diocese and continue without intermission right down to the next Week of Seminaries in November 2009: the parishes will be responsible for prayer during the daytime, while the congregations, religious communities and seminaries that expose the Holy Sacrament for adoration within their houses will assume responsibility for continuing the adoration from 10.00 pm to 7.00 am”. “The aim of our initiative is to spread and further reinforce the strong community sentiment that already exists in the diocese – emphasized Fr. Madureira – but it is also aimed at responding to the invitation made by the Congregation for the Clergy, whose objectives have been welcomed in full by our bishop, Mgr. Manuel Clemente”. “The diocese of Porto is in fact already involved in the project Mission 2010: it has a need for new evangelizers, and constant prayer goes in that direction, because prayer is the soul of mission and vocation to the priesthood has as its charism the communion of all the Church’s vocations”.
