France: greater justice for immigrantsAn appeal to Christians, that they may “fully exercise their responsibilities as citizens in all areas of economic and political life, so as to contribute to the building of a fairer society”, thus finally getting out of the financial crisis, the “consequences of which” have hit hardest the “weaker classes” of the population. It is contained in the opening speech with which card. André Vingt-Trois, archbishop of Paris and president of the French Bishops Conference, opened the 49th Plenary Assembly of the French Bishops in Lourdes this morning. The cardinal listed the most at-risk categories: “those – he said – who do not have a job guaranteed by a contract, those who do not have adequate education or an education that is not suitable for the current jobs. Above all, it is the men and women who have fallen prey to desperation, “because of competition-induced stress” or “the uncertainty that weighs on the future of their businesses”, “that are most worrying”. Then, there are people who are besieged by the anxiety of poverty: the anxiety of rent to be paid, the mortgage, or simply the anxiety of not being able to feed their children”. All this – the archbishop said – calls us “to a veritable reform of social practices”, to a responsibility “and a feeling of solidarity” at all levels. Full respect of the immigrants’ human rights. It was asked for by card. André Vingt-Trois, archbishop of Paris and president of the French Bishops Conference, who, opening the 49th Plenary Assembly of the French Bishops in Lourdes this morning, spoke of immigration as well. The people who are in the detention centres – the cardinal said – “must be able to benefit from the means of subsistence that are worthy of any human being (food, hygiene, health care), but, even more than that, they must be able to have access to the information they need to defend themselves”. The archbishop adds: “Being in an irregular status will not make anyone lose their basic rights, whoever one is. Even if they have breached the law, they must still be able to benefit from the protection of the law. In particular, their applications for a residence permit or for recognition of their status as refugees should not be left unanswered for too long (sometimes for over one year) during which time their life becomes really difficult in terms of finding a job or a house”.England: Mpv, not kill baby RB”Every time there are doubts on medical treatments that keep the patient alive, one must decide with a presumption in favour of life. The value of life and its protection should never be judged from the opinions on the person’s quality of life”: this is how Anthony Ozimic of the “Society for the protection of unborn children”, a British pro-life movement, comments with SIR the case of “Baby RB”, the one-year-old baby who was called like that by the British press to protect his identity, born with a “congenital myasthenic syndrome” which makes it difficult for him to breathe without a breathing apparatus. Although he depends on a machine to live, RB loves fairy tales, music and playing with toys. The hospital treating him went to the British Supreme Court because it wants to unplug the machine that keeps him alive, as doctors claim that the baby’s quality of life does not warrant keeping him alive. His father opposes the hospital’s request while his mother agrees with it. According to Janet Thomas of “No less human”, another pro-life association, “some children who caught polio in 1950 spent the rest of their lives in an iron lung, but no one doubted that their quality of life would undermine their right to keep living”. In the United Kingdom, approximately 300 people suffer from the same condition as “baby RB’s”.Ireland: bishops’ letter on the protection of the environment “In the last few years, our efforts to save the planet did not bear much fruit. For this reason it is important that the Church teach people how to contribute to the protection of the environment”, said the archbishop of the diocese of Cashel & Emly, Mgr Dermot Clifford, as he announced the Irish bishops’ pastoral letter on the environment. The document entitled “The cry of the earth” is to be released in Donaghmede, Dublin, on 10 November and will be made available to parishes in English, Irish and Polish with an accompanying reflection on the same issue in DVD format. The material will also be published on the Bishops’ Conference website. An interview with John Sweeney, director of the Climate Analysis and Research Unity at the National University of Maynooth, will also be published on the website. “We are not scientists – explained Mgr Clifford – which is why the first part of the document has been written by two scientists. In the second part we, bishops, explain what everyone can do, from recycling to saving water, passing through minimizing the use of heaters – these are all measures that will help save and are important in these times of recession”. The archbishop then added that he hopes the document will be read and commented upon, thus leading to a better understanding of St Francis, a saint with a deep love for Creation”.
