CHURCHES IN BRIEF
Ccee: Congress for catechesis and Mass for EuropeA week of hard work for the European Bishops Conferences (Ccee), which will meet in Rome from 7th to 10th May for a number of meetings and events. The European Congress for Catechesis will start on Monday, 7th May, bringing together bishops and national directors of the national offices and organizations in charge of catechesis within the European Bishops Conferences. This year’s topic is "The Christian initiation from the perspective of the new evangelisation, with a focus on children and young people from 7 to 16 years of age". A survey of the state of the catechesis in Europe, to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the catechism of the Catholic Church, will also be presented during the Congress, due to end on 10th May. Mass for Europe will be officiated on Wednesday 9th May at 07.30 pm, the Day of the Old Continent, in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. The service will be officiated by card. Péter Erdõ, archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest and president of Ccee, and co-officiated by the deputy presidents of Ccee, card. Angelo Bagnasco, archbishop of Genoa and president of CEI (Italian Bishops Conference) and mgr. Józef Michalik, archbishop of Przemyl. Also on Wednesday 9th May, a press conference will be held at the Vatican Radio Station, for the presentation to the press of the new institutional news portal of the European Bishops Conferences.Comece: conference about Christians in Arab WorldThe work of the Commission of the European Bishops Conferences (Comece) for the Middle East goes on. On Wednesday 9th May, Comece, along with the European people’s party and the ECR parties at the European Parliament, will organise a workshop on Christians in the Middle East and Northern Africa, which somehow takes inspiration from the workshop held two years ago about the persecution of Christians. The conference, which will be hosted by the European Parliament in Brussels, is called "Christians in the Arab world: one year after the Arab Spring". The conference will be opened by the submission of reports about the state of Christians in the Arab world by such associations as "Aiuto alla Chiesa che soffre", "Open Doors International" and "Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life". Then, other speakers will address, in particular, the "practice of religious freedom in the Arab world": Cornelius Hulsman, editor of the "Arab-West Report" (Egypt); mgr. Samir Nassar, Maronite Archbishop of Damascus (Syria); father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, custodian of the Holy Land (Jerusalem), and Damianos Kattar, former Finance Minister (Lebanon). "This workshop – a Comece notice reads – will help us understand to what extent the Arab Spring meets the expectations of the more liberal values, such as democracy and fundamental rights". Conclusions will be drawn by mgr. Piotr Mazurkiewicz, secretary general of Comece.Albania: new president of CEAThe new president of the Albanian Bishops’ Conference (CEA) is Mgr. Angelo Massafra, archbishop of Shkodër Pult and former vice-president of CEA. The prelate, elected today during the 18th General Assembly of CEA that is being held in Tirana until 4 May, succeeds Mgr. Rrok Miridta, archbishop of Tirana. The bishops also appointed Mgr. Lucjan Avgustini, bishop of Sapë and former CEA secretary general, as vice-president. Mgr. George Frendo, auxiliary bishop of Tirana, was appointed as new secretary general. The Assembly focused on the Letter for the 100th anniversary of independence of the country. As it was decided at the previous plenary, the bishops of Albania will address a letter to "the faithful and to all people of good will" to mark the centenary of the proclamation of independence (28 November 1912). The text of the Letter, approved during the meeting, will be relayed by the media. "The good of the country a statement from the Albanian Bishops’ Conference reads is and remains a key priority for the pastors of the Catholic Church in Albania". During the three-day meeting, the bishops will also discuss issues related to the life of the Church such as, for instance, the new Missal in Albanian and relations with the media. Discussion will also focus on the CEA Committees and ongoing commitments. Poland: "grateful" for Dachau liberationAs usual, at the end of April every year, in the sanctuary of Saint Joseph of Kalisz, Poland’s oldest city, the priests thanked the patron saint for the clearing of the Nazi concentration camp of Dachau. In the years 1939 – 1945 in Dachau, 2794 priests, including 1786 Polish prelates and priests, suffered unspeakable violence. 847 of them survived. 67 years after the clearing of the Dachau camp by US troops, the only survivor is ninety-year-old Leon Stepniak, who, for health reasons, this year failed to fulfil his vow and could not take part in the Saint Joseph meeting. 43 priests martyred in Dachau were blessed. The best known of them is maybe Stefan Wincenty Frelichowski, who died from typhus that he caught while trying to console other convicts, who included cardinals Ignacy Jez and Adam Kozlowiecki as well.
