Italy: new general secretary of the Italian bishopsOn 25 September Benedict XVI nominated Monsignor Mariano Crociata as the new General Secretary of the Italian Bishops’ Conference (CEI). In giving news of the new appointment to the personnel of the CEI, also in the presence of the bishops of the Permanent Episcopal Council (CEP), Cardinal Bagnasco declared that “the intellectual and spiritual profile of Mgr. Crociata, confirmed by the pastoral experience he gained in his government of the diocese of Noto and even earlier as Vicar General of the diocese of Mazara del Vallo, represents the best guarantee for the important post entrusted to him for the service to the Church in Italy. The recognition of his merits is strengthened by the consciousness of the witness of obedience he showed by his willingness to leave the pastoral care of his own diocese that had in him a loved and esteemed pastor”. Mgr. Crociata was born at Castelvetrano (Trapani) on 16 March 1953. Ordained bishop on 6 October 2007, he is a member of the Scientific Committee and organizer of the Social Weeks of Italian Catholics. The new general secretary of the CEI takes the place of Monsignor Giuseppe Betori, appointed metropolitan archbishop of Florence. Mgr. Crociata will assume his new post on 20 October. England: vocations on the increaseVocations to priesthood are on the rise in England and Wales: a trend that has appeared over the last few years and has been confirmed by the latest figures, showing that Allen Hall, the seminary of the diocese of Westminster, and the seminary of St. John’s in Wonersh, Surrey, have had 12 new students each. Now Allen Hall has 43 seminarians, versus 32 in 2005. According to statistics from the National Catholic Office for Vocations, the office in charge of vocations for the Bishops Conference of England and Wales, in 1982 seminarians were 144 and just 39 in 2001. In 2006 and 2007, 44 students were enrolled in seminaries. “We can confirm that vocations are on the rise again”, states to SIR Judith Eydmann, spokesperson for the National Catholic Office for Vocations. “There is new interest in Catholic life, which has been helped by the death of John Paul II and the appointment of Benedict XVI. Such youth movements as Youth 2000 are producing a new generation of young people who are fond of a more authentic spirituality. Even the so-called ‘discernment groups’, groups of prayer and support for people who are interested in religious life but are too young to attend the seminary, have helped keep alive an interest that was dieing out”, concludes Judith Eydmann. Austria: basic income for social cohesion Basic income regardless of the profession would step up social cohesion benefit other sectors too. Its implementation is thus motivated also by theological and biblical claims. This the view of Markus Schlagnitweit, chairman of the Katholische Sozialakademie (Ksoe – Social Catholic Academy). In an interview to the Austrian Catholic news agency Kathpress, Schlagnitweit declared that despite reservations, also the Ksoe is committed in undertaking “cautious steps” to implement the Unconditional Basic Income (BGE). The latter “is in harmony with the fundamental principles of the Catholic social doctrine and the Christian view of man”. As compared to Caritas and to the Conference for Poverty, along with the SPÖ socialist and the Green parties, which advocate “minimum wage according to individual needs”, KSOE proposes basic income understood as the financial resource capable of supplying life-sustainment, which all Austrian residents should benefit from, regardless of other income, employment or lifestyle. This basic income is designed to include also health assistance. This solution “cannot be implemented from one day to the next”, Schlagnitweit realistically remarked. “However, KSOE endorses this project as a policy guideline” representing a “reasonable objective that is worthwhile pursuing”. The claim that basic income would encourage lack of affection for work, is the result of an “extremely positivist view of the individual” Schlagnitweit declared. “Christians who believe that people aren’t mature enough to receive a basic income and therefore controls and other pressure methods should be employed” are affirming that also “the entire biblical message, the message of the Sermon on the Mount”, are “politically irrelevant and unrealistic”.Portugal: a meeting of Portuguese-language churches The Presidents of the Bishops Conferences and the Bishops who live in Portuguese-language countries (Angola, Brasil, Capo Verde, Guinea, Macao, Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome and East Timor), convened on the 24th (until the 28th) of September in Macao (China) to reflect upon the “Social responsibilities of Christians in the globalization era”. According to Fides news agency, this 8th meeting of Portuguese language-speaking Churches is aimed at “increasing the knowledge and the relations of the many ecclesial communities as well as at further expanding the major issues pertaining to the life of the Church and of society as a whole”. The purpose is “to find cooperation and participation tools to step up joint action”. Msgr. José Lai, bishop of Macao, delivered the opening address centered on “China and the Catholic Church”. The Portuguese delegation is represented by Msgr. Jorge Ortiga, President of Portugal’s Bishops’ Conference (CEP), Msgr. Carlos Azevedo and by father José María. Msgr. Ortiga affirmed that these meetings “were motivated by the yearning to share our lives, our flaws and our limits, so as to give life to a spirit of cooperation”. “The different Churches have a social responsibility – the CEP President added – this is why we want there to be a real and true circulation of goodness. Portugal’s Bishops Conference set up solidarity funds for this purpose, that it distributes according to the requests it receives”. The previous reunion of Portuguese-speaking Bishops was held in Fatima in October 2006. Representatives of Macao and East Timor attended it for the first time.
