Portugal: the bishops on gay marriagesA “hastened decision”, “A wound” in the Country’s democratic system. Father Manuel Morujão, spokesman of Portuguese bishops, on behalf of the Permanent Council of the Portuguese Bishops’ conference (CEP) thus defined “the endorsement of same-sex marriages by the Portuguese government”. “It was a hastened decision – he said – and the lack of a referendum on this subject is a wound in the country’s democracy, since it didn’t take into account the request of a popular voting advanced by over one hundred thousand people”. Referring to the signature collection organized by the “Citizenship and Marriage” platform, and rejected by the Parliament, father Morujão said, “The bishops believe that citizens ought to be treated with greater respect, and that measures must be adjusted case by case. The family has a unique identity, that is incomparable and irreplaceable”. “The bishops had expected measures in defense of the marriage between man and woman, designed to promote the birth of children, their health, education, employment, thus granting protection to traditional family unity, rather than weakening it or questioning its validity”, said Father Morujão. “The ban on child adoption by homosexual couples envisaged in the bill – added the spokesperson of Portuguese bishops – exemplifies contradictions, and a conscience pang in the acknowledgement that children could be harmed by this form of marriage”. Finally, as relates to Benedict XVI’s trip to Portugal, CEP spokesperson made known that bilateral preparations in cooperation with the Holy See are ongoing, and that a Pastoral Note on the forthcoming Papal visit will be released next February 9.France: message for the Day of Migrants “Do not be afraid” of saying to the youth: “keep your spirit of reception alive”. And “be brave enough” to tell migrants: “The Church is your home. The Church is your family. Your life is precious to us since it is precious to God. We will not abandon you”. The French bishops sent a strong message on the occasion of the world Day of Migrants and Refugees due to be celebrated Sunday 17. The message was written by Msgr. Claude Schockert, bishop of Belfort-Montbeliard, responsible for the pastoral care of migrants of the French Bishops’ Conference, on behalf of the same Conference. In the Note, the bishops call the faithful to “view the tragic situation of minor migrants and refugees” to whom the Holy Father dedicated this year’s Day, “with open hearts and minds”. They are those who most suffer from “the travel conditions to a land that is unwilling to receive them”. Minors are the “weakest” migrant bracket, due to “their own living conditions and that of their families”. “We wish to remind the Christian communities of our dioceses – the bishop concludes – that the Gospel message is not a multiple choice questionnaire. ‘Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me’. Let us give impetus to these words of Christ”, the bishop writes. Great Britain: the Passion in Trafalgar SquareFor the first time Trafalgar Square will be the stage of the tragedy of the Passion of the Christ. On Good Friday, next April 2, one hundred actors of the acting company “Wintershall estate”, from Surrey in South East England, run by Catholic Peter Hutley, will perform the Passion of the Christ at three fifteen p.m. This is the first time that the Passion is being staged in Trafalgar Square. The initiative enjoys the support of the archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols and of bishops of other Christian denominations. The idea is of Peter Hutley, who obtained permission from the mayor of London Boris Johnson. “I aim at reaching out to people who don’t know Jesus or who might have forgotten him”, Hutley said. “Many people will be outside taking walks during that day and thus there might be a crowd of spectators”. The company of Wintershall has staged theatre performances on the life of Christ, the nativity and the apostle for twenty years, and twenty five thousand people attend their performances every year.
