In the heart of Europe

On July 9-13 the General Secretaries of 27 Bishops’ Conferences of Europe convened in Lviv, Ukraine. The Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE) promoted the 37th Annual meeting on the joint invitation of the Ukrainian Bishops’ Conference (for Latin rite bishops) and of the Synod of the Bishops of Ukraine (for the Byzantine rite hierarchy). The apostolic nuncio Msgr. Ivan Jurkovic attended the meeting. CCEE Secretaries General will convene again in Rome June 10-13 2010. The Church in Ukraine. The symposium began with the presentation of the Catholic Church in Ukraine by Cardinal Lubomyr Husar (Greek-Catholic Church) and by Metropolitan archbishop Mieczyslaw Morkrzycki (Latin rite Church). In the dark years of "silence" of Communist rule the Catholic Church in Ukraine experienced deportation and martyrdom. In spite of these circumstances, Ukrainian people preserved their faith. Today the Church is undergoing major revival, despite the new challenges primarily linked to migration. The Year of Priesthood and the crisis in vocations. The General Secretaries welcomed the proclamation of a Year of the Priest on the part of Pope Benedict XVI as a "privileged opportunity for the Church to reflect on vocations, life, spirituality and priestly ministry". According to Paul Conroy, Secretary General of the Scottish Bishops’ Conference, the crisis in priestly vocations is linked to "a general crisis in Western society", accompanied by "a crisis in the family, which has ceased being the place where vocation develops and matures". Hence, according to the General Secretaries, "priestly life can indeed constitute the response to this phenomenon". The new Encyclical. Father Hans Langendörfer, General Secretary of the German Bishops’ Conference, presented the recent Encyclical of Benedict XVI "Caritas in veritate". "In the realm of economics and politics a lot is said about technicalities, planning, bank rescue and on the promotion of specific areas in the economy. However, although these are legitimate questions, the basic question – namely, the underlying cause – is frequently overlooked", Father Langendörfer declared. To the Holy Father, pointed out, the answer is clear: "the quest for the common good and the integral development of the human person ought to constitute the basic approach". "Economy and market performance must encompass ethics, a set of values in sympathy with the human person. From this perspective the Christian religion contributes to the development of peoples, provided that God is allowed in the public arena". The prelates said the Encyclical is not a "set of technical solutions" to the crisis. Rather it is the "expression of a mission of truth awaiting fulfilment". To this regard, the Secretaries General voiced their "appreciation of the Church’s attempt to organize her thought and open a debate on the theme of social development, representing social love". Now, said Church dignitaries, "the Encyclical has been entrusted to all Christians, notably also to Bishops’ Conferences in Europe and in the world so that they may undertake a process of reflection at local level".Euthanasia, the Church and the media, WYD 2011. These are some of the themes addressed during the meeting. In Europe, "a series of phenomena are increasingly offending human dignity. The Church is concerned since the anthropological model that is being conveyed is distant from the culture of life and from the natural family model", attendants said. The question of "the case of Eluana Englaro", which sparked off a debate on euthanasia in Italy, was also addressed by participants. The case of the Catholic agencies in England compelled to accept adoption requests filed by homosexual couples was brought to the attention of the Secretaries. Indeed, the agencies’ refusal to handle such cases caused them to close down. The meeting was also an occasion to address the relationship between the Church and the media. The Church, participants said, feels the urgent need to cultivate relations with the media acknowledging that hostile environments often hinder professionalism. During the meeting, the General Secretaries were presented the new version of "Litterae Communionis", a tool to boost knowledge and the sharing of information among European bishops created by CCEE in conjunction with SIR Europe. The publication will report on the major events pertaining to local Churches. Finally, participants were briefed on preparations for the next World Youth Day in Madrid (2011).