Ireland: preparing for the Apostolic VisitationOn October 5 the prefect and secretary of the Congregation for Bishops and other Holy See representatives held a meeting in Rome with the apostolic visitors appointed by Benedict XVI to discuss preparations for the Apostolic visitation to the Church of Ireland which Pope Benedict XVI called for October. Irish bishops also attended the meeting. “Mindful of the tragic abuse of children that has taken place in Ireland”, states a communiqué released by the Holy See – participants discussed aspects of the visitation. The visit, of a “pastoral” nature, is “intended to assist the local Church on her path of renewal”, it “is a sign of the Holy Father’s desire, as the Successor of Peter, to offer his pastoral solicitude to the Church in Ireland. The communiqué states that the visitors will devote “particular attention to victims of abuse and their families, but will also meet with and listen to a variety of people, including ecclesiastical authorities, lay faithful and those involved with the crucial work of safeguarding of children”. On October 6 Cardinal Seán B. Brady, archbishop of Armagh, Msgr. Diarmuid Martin, archbishop of Dublin, Msgr. Dermot Clifford, archbishop of Cashel and Emly, and Msgr. Michael Neary, archbishop of Tuam, celebrated a Holy Mass. At the end of the meeting all participants expressed the hope that this significant effort may become “a tool of purification and healing for the Church in Ireland and contribute to the recovery of faith and hope of the faithful”. Czech Republic: towards the Treaty’s ratificationIn an interview with Catholic new agency KNA in Berlin the president of the Czech Bishops’ Conference Msgr. Dominik Duka, said he hopes in a clarification in the relations with the State. “The ratification of the Treaty between Prague and the Holy See which hadn’t taken place in 2002 is currently under way” Msgr. Duka made known, and added that the Commissions responsible are “gradually preparing the clarification of questions linked to patrimonial right”. “It’s still hard to find a model in Church-State relations”, explained the archbishop of Prague, who remarked, “the 40-year dictatorship undoubtedly caused a distance between society and the Church. Furthermore, Communism instilled prejudices” which “the Church hasn’t succeeded to eradicate completely”. However, he added, “this doesn’t mean that Church-State relations are marked by hatred or anti-clericalism. The Church – concluded Msgr. Duka – plays a significant role in the life of the Country”. Croatia: a commitment of the Catholic University On October 6 the academic year of Croatia’s Catholic university was inaugurated in Zagreb. The ceremony also marked the opening of the academic year. The archbishop of Zagreb, Card. Josip Bozanic said that the University, “in virtue of the term ‘Catholic’ is called to distinguish itself”, and whose approach must include “not only the pleasant moments of university life, but also ordeals and difficulties”, with special attention “not only to objectives and aspirations” but also to wider horizons”. “We are mutually committed to create a community that is the reflection of true light, in charity and mutual kindness”, His Eminence continued. Referring to the role of Catholic universities Bozanic said that “higher education establishments are called to responsibility towards individuals and towards the sphere related to the human person”. The solemn ceremony was attended, among others, by the dean of Zagreb’s university Aleksa Bjelis and by the Secretary of State Ivana Mrkonjic of the Croatian Public Education Ministry.France: seminarians in European institutions35 seminarians of Versailles’ diocese spent five days in Brussels for a full-immersion course on European institutions. It is the initiative of bishop Eric Aumônier, so that “future priests may become aware of European challenges”. Antoine Roland-Gosselin, one of the participants in the visit held at the end of August said, “The course was not only informative, it was a real and true acknowledgement of the challenge which the EU represents to citizens and especially to Christians like ourselves”. The working sessions were coordinated by COMECE and by father d’Hervé-Pierre Guillo SJ (OCIPE). Seminarians held meetings with numerous speakers: parliamentarians, European officials, enterprise lobbyists and members of the French institutions. The purpose of the initiative is to enable young seminarians to acquire a multi-faceted understanding of the European Union. At the end of each day, a French journalist was tasked with presenting a summary of the discussion panels, enabling the acknowledgement of the experience and promoting participants’ debate.
