Giving force to the youth

The youth are the protagonists of the 11th meeting of the presidents of the Bishops’ Conferences of South-East Europe, scheduled to take place in Nicosia (Cyprus) March 3 to 6 on the initiative of CCEE. Nine Bishops’ Conferences will be represented at the meeting. These are: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Moldavia, Romania, the International Bishops’ Conference Sts Cyril and Methodius, and Turkey. Among the panel lecturers figure His Beatitude the Orthodox Archbishop of Cyprus Crisostomos II, His Beatitude the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fouad Twal, the representative of the Maronite Patriarchate Msgr. Guy Noujaim and the Permanent Observer of the Holy See at the Council of Europe Msgr. Aldo Giordano. Eric Jacquinet, Youth Section Director at the Pontifical Council for the Laity, and Fr. Francesco Pierpaoli, Director of the John Paul II Centre in Loreto will introduce the theme of the meeting, chosen in view of the upcoming 26th World Youth Day in Madrid (16-21 August 2011). Their address will be followed by national Bishops’ Conferences reports. “Nowadays, being a young Catholic in our countries – said Msgr. Franjo Komarica, bishop of Banja Luka, President of the Bishops’ Conference of Bosnia Herzegovina – isn’t easy. However, it’s a challenge with positive prospects”. It’s not easy – said Msgr. Komarica – “as it means to accept feeling ‘different’ from the rest of the local population, to the extent of being discriminated in the working and social environments”. “For this reason – the bishop pointed out – we have the duty to do our utmost to help the youth practice their faith with dignity, preventing them from having inferiority complexes for this. It means explaining and bearing witness to the fact that they can live as Christians, and that despite the difficulties they can follow Jesus, consoler and Bestower of true happiness”. “In Cyprus – said the Maronite Archbishop of Cyprus Msgr. Youssef Soueif – the youth are a living sign of hope. There are endowed with dynamism, with the capability of creating a new world, a new mentality, based on the balance between the acknowledgement of their identity and the openness to diversity”. For this reason, the local Church is sensitive to “education to the culture of others, accepting diversity and promoting our commitment for the only society in Cyprus that is characterized by coexistence and multiculturalism, in a system based on justice and peace. For this reason I would like that in Cyprus all places of worship (Churches, monasteries, mosques) were open to everyone and that they served for the promotion of fraternity, forgiveness and peace”. On Saturday March 5 a festive gathering with the youth and pastoral groups in the ‘Saint Marone’ school will close the meeting. While on the same day the bishops will visit the Maronite villages of Assomatos, Karpasha and Kormakitis in the northern part of the island, as a token of solidarity towards a divided community in a separated island. Fact sheetThe 11th meeting in Nicosia will be attended by the Presidents of 9 Bishops’ Conference of South-East Europe, namely: Msgr. Rrok Mirdita, Metropolitan Archbishop of Tirana-Durazzo; Msgr. Franjo Komarica, bishop of Banja Luka; Msgr. Christo Proykov Apostolic exarch of Sofia; Msgr. Youssef Soueif, Maronite Archbishop of Cyrpus; Msgr. Ioannis Spiteris, Archbishop of Corfù (replaced by the President); Msgr. Anton Cosa, Bishop of Chisinau; Msgr. Virgil Bercea, Bishop of Oradea Mare (replaced by the President); Msgr. Djuro Gasparovic, Bishop of Srijem (replaced by the President); father Francis Dondu, Vicar general of the Apostolic Vicarage of Anatolia.The 2010 meeting took place in Chisinau in Moldavia and was centered on the theme: “The rights of Catholics in societies where they are a minority. Catholics’ contribution to the realization of the common good in society: difficulties and challenges “. The previous year the meeting took place in Iskenderum, Turkey, on the theme: “Christian and Catholic identity on the footsteps of Saint Paul”. This year in Cyprus the bishops will have the opportunity to learn more about the Maronite Church. It’s a Catholic Church sui iuris (i.e. it preserves the Syrian-Antiochian devotional and liturgical traditions. The patriarch is elected by the Synod of Bishops and upon his election he affirms his full communion with the Bishop of Rome). Lebanon has the largest presence of Maronite Catholics. The origins of the Maronite Church date back to St Maron and his convent (Apamea, Syria). Maronites have being living in Cyprus since the early 11th century. The Maronite Church is the only Eastern Catholic Church that does not originate from a confrontation with the Orthodox Church. The Patriarchate’s seat is currently in Lebanon. For further information: www.bkerke.org.lb.