Portugal: conscience and voteOn the occasion of the plenary Assembly of Portugal’s Bishops’ Conference (CEP) that closed in Fatima past April 23rd, the Bishops issued a Pastoral Note titled “Voting: exercising citizenship”. Considering that in the year 2009 Portuguese citizens will be called to cast their vote in three rounds of elections (European, General and local council elections), “Christians must feel the duty to vote and be aware of its significance”, the bishops stated in the Note. It is a duty of the conscience which they are not exempted from performing, in order to set an example to the younger generation”. The bishops suggested a set of values that must be acknowledged and respected within political action, since “the fundamental criterion is represented by the human person, whose dignity and rights ought to be acknowledged and respected”. “Christian voters can’t betray their conscience when casting their vote. The values grounded in faith can’t be separated from family, social and political life. Rather, these values should be incarnated in all dimensions of human life. The political choices of Catholic faithful ought to be in line with the values of the Gospel and must be consistent with the faith lived within Church community, in their capacities of voters and candidates”, continues the Note. With reference to the debate regarding parliamentary regulations on euthanasia, the bishops reiterated the basic tenets of Catholic doctrine to this regard: “To die with dignity is to die with greatness and generosity, thereby accepting the positive and redeeming dimension of suffering – the bishops declared -. Death is an important moment in life, and the way in which we die can redeem our very lives. We are under the obligation of helping our brothers undertake the terminal phase of their existence with dignity, a need that enjoys the contribution of medical science by means of palliative treatments and pain therapy”. England: a Mass for immigrants For the fourth year running Catholic immigrants living and working in London will attend a special Mass dedicated to them. The Mass is due to be celebrated in Westminster’s Cathedral (the mother church of British Catholicism) next Monday, 4th of May. The Mass will be officiated by Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, by the bishop of Brentwood, Msgr. Thomas McMahon and by the auxiliary bishop of Southwark, Msgr. Pat Lynch. For the first time similar services will be celebrated also in the “Westminster Abbey”, the Anglican cathedral, and in the Methodist Central Hall, a few steps away from the parliament. The Mass will be followed by a march in the centre of London organised by “Strangers into Citizens campaign”, launched by Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor in May 2006. “Strangers into citizens” demands that migrants who have been living and working in the United Kingdom for at least four years be put into legal employment for at least 2 years. At the end of this period, the foreign workers will be entitled to citizenship, provided the employer submits the requested references. Ireland: Card. Brady meets the Protestant military faction “We informed the ‘Ulster Political Research Group’ (UPRG) that the Catholic community dreads the risk of further acts of violence by Loyalist factions. We appreciate the Ulster Political Research Group’s encouragement and reassurance that there will be no return to the past, and that we can create a new future together”. With these words Cardinal Sean Brady, Primate of All Ireland, conveyed the meaning of the historical meeting that took place a few days ago between the leader of the Catholic community and the most important party representing the hard line of North-Ireland Protestants. It’s the first time that a meeting of this kind takes place. His Eminence received the members of the “Ulster Defence Association” political faction, the most active armed Protestant group, responsible for a number of atrocities committed in the course of the Ulster clashes and involved in drug trafficking and neo-Nazi movements. In 2007 the UDA openly renounced violence but it took no steps to return weapons. Cardinal Brady reminded UPRG members that “we share the mutual responsibility of erecting a peaceful future for the next generations”. The Cardinal made known that the parties agreed to “work together” with the support of the Catholic Council for Social Affairs of Northern Ireland, in order to turn this vision into a reality”.
