In brief

Islam-Christian: the Cambridge ConferenceAn International Conference gathered about forty Muslim and Christian theologians and scholars at the University of Cambridge from 12th to 15th October. The archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, and the Grand Mufti of Egypt, Sheikh Ali Gomaa invited them. There were also the Grand Mufti of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mustafa Ceric, and the Greek Orthodox Melkite Patriarch, His Beatitude Gregorios III. The conference was called one year after the publication of the letter “A Common Word”, written by the 138 Muslim sages to the heads of the Christian Churches. The conference ended yesterday with the proclamation of a final statement in which Muslims and Christians defined the Cambridge meeting an “opportunity to grow within mutual understanding, confidence and friendship”. In this more and more “interdependent” world – it is written in the text -, “the necessity to know and respect each other is more and more urgent, with the aim of finding a solution to our problems”. Moreover, as for the Letter by the 138 sages, in the statement it is said: “the spirit of generosity” permeating this letter “allows us to start exploring areas for potential agreements with care and honesty. But it will also allow us to tackle the most difficult questions which at times become points of reference for misunderstandings and hostility”. In the text, Muslims and Christians have launched an appeal for halting threats to the Christian community in Iraq. “We are perfectly aware of the terrible sufferings endured by the Iraqi population of any religion in the last few years, and we wish to express them our solidarity”. “We invite them to guarantee stability, so that all citizens may prosper. We unmistakably declare that in Iraq, and in the rest of the world, no person or community should be persecuted or threatened owing to its religious faith”. “We pray for Iraq to be able to find peace, and for our two religions to be able to work together to overcome divisions within society, to demonstrate faithfulness to the double commandment of loving God and the neighbour”.Germany: bishop Reinelt at the Lutheran Synod “Churches can distinguish themselves on the basis of love. However, we cannot overlook the fact they may distinguish themselves by opposing one another”, claimed Msgr. Joachim Reinelt, bishop of Dresda-Meißen, on October 13 in Zwickau. The Catholic bishop spoke at the General Synod of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany (Velkd), held October 11-14. This antagonistic attitude, Reinelt declared, risks “undermining present unity”. “This would be a tragic loss especially for the Eastern part of Germany that is rather distant from the Church”, he pointed out. “The wide reception of the message of the Gospel leads the Churches to place loving priority to the common elements of our faith”, said Msgr. Reinelt. Since “We are all testimonies of the fact that there is increased love between the faithful of different confessions”. As relates to the situation of his own diocese, Reinelt referred that “ecumenism not only survived the fall of the Wall, it even developed in many different ways. In the ecumenical history of the Country there have never been so many religious services and assemblies jointly chaired by the evangelical and Catholic bishops”. Mons. Reinelt finally conveyed words of appreciation for the third bilateral theological and scientific encounter of the VELKD and the German Bishops’ Conference. “Tragic misunderstandings keep on coming up as they did in the past”, he remarked. However, “the different understandings of issues pertaining to the Church and the ministry, and to the sacraments and papal service must remain the object of mutual consultations. We have many occasions to draw close to each other”, he concluded.Austria: European alliance for “free Sunday”For the first time, in Germany, Austria and Poland the “Alliances for Free Sunday” undertook a joint initiative to ensure that “free Sunday” is included in the EU Directive regarding working hours. The first petitioners include the bishop of Linz (Austria), Msgr. Ludwig Schwarz and a number of representatives of European trade unions that are: Franz Georg Brantner (GPA DJP – Austrian Union of private employees), Ulrich Dalibor (V.erdi, German union), Alfred Bujara (Solidarnosc, Poland), Alexandr Leiner („OSPO” Czech union), Katharina Kulandova („OZPOCR”, Slovakian union). The “Free Sunday Alliances”, that enjoy the support of Churches, trade unions, and civil society associations, are aimed at countering the political and economic sectors’ disregard for holy Sunday. They operate in close cooperation with COMECE (the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community) and with CEC (the Conference of European Churches) that have equally asked for a modification in the EU directive on working hours.