England: strong doubts on the law of equality”A bill so complex that it risks being misunderstood and leading to local administrations making decisions that would make it more difficult for people to practice their own faith”, declare the bishops of England and Wales commenting on the draft law on equal opportunities, currently being discussed in the British Parliament. Deciding to abolish Christmas illuminations for fear of offending Muslims or cancelling the word “Christmas”, out of respect for non Christians, could be some of the decisions justified by the new legislation that, if it were to be approved, will substitute nine other laws and roughly a hundred different provisions. In the view of the Bishops’ Conference, which had already warned of these risks to the committee that is examining the bill, any attempt to simplify the new rules could threaten the right to religious freedom. In a new letter sent to the parliamentary committee, Mgr. Andrew Summersgill, general secretary of the Bishops’ Conference, writes that “the Catholic Church has serious concerns about the practical impact of some parts of the bill”. The new legislation will protect the rights of homosexuals, transsexuals and civil partnerships and could force the Church to remove Crucifixes from walls, and to give work to members of these groups in their own institutions. The Church could be forced to hire, as persons to look after children or as members of marriage preparation groups, even those who don’t have a lifestyle conforming to her teachings.Belgium: delegation at the Jubilee of the ACEACA small delegation of bishops from Belgium, led by Cardinal Godfried Danneels, has left for Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), to participate in a double Jubilee: the 25th anniversary of ACEAC, the association that brings together the bishops of Central Africa, and the 50th anniversary of the erection of the Bishops’ Conferences of the DRC, Rwanda and Burundi. From 30 November to 6 December the Belgian bishops, apart from participating in the events on the programme, including a colloquium on the autonomy and collaboration of the Churches of the ACEAC promoted by the Catholic University of Congo, will visit historic sites in various countries, and go on pilgrimage to holy places dear to the local tradition. The guests invited to the two Jubilees include Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino, President Emeritus of the Pontifical Council of Justice and Peace, who will give a talk on the encyclical “Caritas in veritate”. A message from Benedict XVI is expected during the final celebration.Austria: Missio for children sick of Aids”Aids is a terrible scourge. As regards the orphans of Aids the challenge is not only to provide them with medical assistance but especially to give a sense to their life, too often brief. The joie de vivre of these sick children teaches us the aim of our life: to love and to be loved”, declared Monsignor Leo-M. Maasburg, national director of Missio Austria in an interview to Fides to mark World Day against Aids on 1st December. Missio Austria has for years been supporting projects for the care and treatment of Aids patients in the developing countries. “We are virtually the only ones to help mothers sick of Aids and their children”, says the Camillian Father John Phuong Dinh Toai, who runs an orphanage in Vietnam for children with parents who are infected by Aids or who have already died as a result of the disease. In the Asian country Aids is a question that is studiously ignored: people don’t speak of it and its victims are social outcasts. Andreas Thonhauser, editor in chief of the missionary magazine published by Missio Austria “Alle Welt”, has gathered the testimony of this young priest who is currently providing a home for 60 children in the orphanage he runs together with various helpers; a further 300 children are cared for in their homes. “We try to let the children stay as long as possible with their parents. We have gathered many of our young children off the street. We try to give them a decent life but also a dignified death”. Bulgaria: Franciscans and oriental rite CatholicsTo mark the eighth centenary of the Franciscan Rule, a solemn celebration was recently held in the co-cathedral of St. Joseph in Sofia, in the presence of the President of the Bulgarian Bishops’ Conference, the Most Rev. Hristo Proykov, the Apostolic Nuncio Mgr. Janusz Bolonek, the Bishop of Sofia-Plovdiv, the Most Rev. Georgi Yovcev, representatives of the Franciscan community in Bulgaria, and many faithful. Bishop Proykov thanked the Franciscans, who have been present in the country since 1500, and especially the Capuchins of Sofia, for the help given to the first Catholics of oriental rite who arrived in Sofia from Macedonia 150 years ago. They made – he said – “a significant contribution to the building of the cathedral of the exarchate of oriental rite and the beginning of our mission in Bulgaria”. Recalling the imminent 150th anniversary of the community of oriental rite, the bishop invited the faithful to reflect on the heritage they had received and to bring a good witness of life to society.
