CHURCHES IN BRIEF
Slovakia: the Munk’s upcoming beatificationThe diocesan phase of beatification process of Servants of God Tomas Munk, a Jesuit novice, and his father Frantisek Munk – both converts to Catholic faith killed during the World War II – has been open in Bratislava. The solemn act on 27 September was presided by the archbishop of Bratislava, Mons. Stanislav Zvolensky. A tribunal and a team of experts in historical sciences have been constituted to examine and verify all the proofs regarding their martyrdom. “Their deep testimony of faith that became a shining example of Christian love on the road of martyrdom for many contemporaries, is the proof of a full sacrifice for Christ and assimilation to his suffering”, said the vice-postulator of the cause, Fr. Ondrej Gabris SJ, who has submitted a list of 14 living witnesses. In the middle of 1930 the Munks, Slovaks of Jewish origin, earlier declaring themselves “without confession”, experienced a deep conversion to the Catholic faith. They received baptism in 1939 and four years later Tomas entered the Jesuit noviciate in Ruzomberok. In December 1944 the Munk family was arrested by the Nazi forces after severing of the racial laws. Tomas and his father Frantisek were both shot to death on 22 April 1945 by the Nazis during the death march near Sachsenhausen.United Kingdom: Cafod, fasting for the poorFasting in time of harvest to share our goods. This is the meaning of “Cafod fast day”, a day for fasting and fund-collection called by the most important Catholic charity for aid to Third World Countries. On Friday October 7 thousands of people in schools and parishes across the U.K. will give up their lunches to support Cafod’s commitment. “Last year we collected 1.3 million pounds”, said a spokesman of the charity, “thanks to the contribution of over 2400 parishes, almost all of those of England and Wales, and of some 2300 schools”. “This year the funds for the “Harvest fast day” will go to children of poor countries. We want to improve the living conditions of poor children, strip them from hunger and diseases, nourish them and allow them to blossom”. On the Day schools and parishes will propose initiatives for charity such as concerts, walks, sport events, bicycle rides. Like each year, on the website of Cafod (www.cafod.org.uk), are to be found resources for schools and parishes that will hold initiatives linked to the harvest day.Czech Republic: a Concordat with the ChurchesCzech government approved parameters of property composition between State and Churches at the end of September (Catholic Church with 26,8 % of inhabitants among them). Persisting problems regarding this matter are the heritage of the communist regime that ended in the country in 1989. According to the final agreement, the state will pay 59 billions of Czech crowns to the Churches during the period of next 30 years. 56 % of liability will be restituted in a form of property – grounds, forests and real estate. Consensus has been reached also in the matter of transitional period during which the State´s financial support for the Churches should gradually decrease to zero. Representatives of the Joint Goverment and Church commission have agreed that it would last 17 years (instead of originally proposed 20). Partial agreements with the respective Churches are yet to be settled. In the first three years, the State will pay the clergy at the current rate and during the following 14 years its contributions will be decreasing annually by 5%.Italy: CEI report/proposal on the future of the CountryTo provide “insights and stimulus for reflection in the ongoing debate” on the demographic crisis affecting our Country, “with the hope” of finally witnessing the concretization “of the initiatives aimed at countering the impact of the ongoing trends that have been demanded for a long time”. It is the objective of “Demographic change. Report/proposal on the future of Italy” (Laterza, Bari-Roma 2011), issued by the Committee for the Cultural Project of the Italian Bishops’ Conference (www.progettoculturale.it) presented in Rome on October 5. The authors of the report claimed that every year 600 thousand less children are born (561.944 in 2010, according to ISTAT), 150 thousand less that the number believed necessary “to ensure” the preservation of the “current demographic figures” also in the future, while “birth rates have plummeted to 1.4 children per woman”. The volume contains data and analysis on the social transformations of the past years, reflections, challenges and proposals. It underlines the central role of the family, and most of all the need “for a greater awareness” of “the profound cultural and symbolical meaning of childbearing. Every newborn baby is a sign of hope, of trust in the world and in life”.
