CHURCHES IN BRIEF
Austria: “Second Savings Bank” of CaritasA second opportunity to re-enter the labour market is being offered in Austria by the “Erste Bank” (First Bank), founded five years ago to help those who find themselves in disadvantaged situations and who do not have the possibility of maintaining a bank account in “normal” highstreet banks. At the present time the “Erste Bank” is offering an account with an overdraft facility and bank card to 7,500 such persons throughout Austria. And now Austrian Caritas has founded a similar bank called “Zweite Sparkasse” (Second Savings Bank): “A stable and concrete support for many disadvantaged people”, underlined Franz Küberl, President of Austrian Caritas on 5 October, during an interview he gave to the Austrian Catholic press agency Kathpress. The strong request for its services “demonstrates the need for the offer”, said Küberl, recalling that “each year the social counselling offices of Caritas offer counselling and financial support to over 50,000 persons”, of whom many “don’t have a bank current account, though this is an essential prerequisite to be able to re-enter the world of work. Today, those who don’t have a current account are in practice excluded from the labour market”. To be able to open an account at the “Erste Bank” applicants need to trust to the assistance of debt-counselling agencies, Caritas or other welfare organizations. At the present time the “Zweite Sparkasse” is present in seven Austrian cities. According to the President of the Foundation, Boris Marte, some 200 customers were able to abandon the “Zweite Sparkasse” in 2011 to open an account in a regular bank: “The ‘Zweite Sparkasse’ – he pointed out – is undoubtedly the only bank to be pleased by the loss of a customer”.Turkey: Bishop Padovese, trial deferredThe first session of the trial against Murat Altun, self-confessed murderer of mgr. Luigi Padovese, apostolic vicar of Anatolia, stabbed to death in Iskenderun on 3rd June 2010, lasted a mere 15 minutes on 5 October. The hearing was postponed to 30th November. During the session, as reported to SIR Europe by a close collaborator of mgr. Padovese’s, John Farhad, who was in court, “the public prosecutor read the report, then asked Murat if he wanted to say anything. Murat answered that he felt unwell and needed a doctor. Murat’s lawyer asked that his client be taken to hospital in Adana till next hearing, but the judge rejected such request”. “Murat seems to be fine – Farha added -. He has put on 4 or 5 kilos. All his family was there, at the hearing. As he entered the room, one of Murat’s brothers said: ‘Murat, don’t be afraid, God is with you'”.Belarus: 10th anniversary of seminary of Pinsk”Pinsk seminary begins a new chapter of its history. I hope that today’s celebration will become a symbol of gratitude to God for all His benefits, and that it will bring you new strength and confidence in answering the call of Christ to become laborers in his harvest”, said the metropolitan of Minsk and Mogilev, archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, in Interdiocesan Higher Seminary of St. Thomas Aquinas in Pinsk on 29 September, on the occasion of opening of new academic year. This year the institution, founded in 1925, celebrates the 10th anniversary of its revival. In 1939 it was closed by the soviet regime, library and diocesan archives were partially destroyed. New opening of the seminary was held in September 2001, thanks to the initiative and effort of cardinal Kazimir Sviontak – a faithful priest who resisted brutal soviet persecution trying to keep Catholicism alive in Belarus. Currently, 34 young men prepare in the seminary for their priestly mission, 8 of them starting their first year. Archbishop Kondrusiewicz exhorted them to “thank continually for the gift of vocation and not to be afraid of difficulties of formation”.
