CHURCHES IN BRIEF
Germany: German Churches on Gauck’s nominationGerman Churches warmly welcomed the appointment of new president of the Republic Joachim Gauck. Evangelist theologian Gauck "owns good requisites for the high office and is much trusted by the population", declared Nikolaus Scheider, president of the Council of the German Evangelic Church: it was written by Austrian Catholic press agency Kathpress. Archbishop of Bamberg Msgr. Ludwig Schick pointed out the importance of the "acknowledged personality" of the new president for his Christian origins and his past of activist for civil rights in former East Germany, and joined the appeal of Gauck for moral and ethic renewal. President of the Central Committee of German Catholics Alois Glück also welcomed the appointment. As for the debate in progress in Germany about the private situation of Gauck – his current 14-year relationship with a journalist; separated without divorcing his wife he had four children with -, Glück said to be "much concerned about pitiless monitoring of his private life", and that "private life should exist". Belarus: apostolic nuncio presented credentialsStrengthening of cooperation between Vatican and Belarus is the main aim of the mission of the new apostolic nuncio to Belarus, archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, who presented his credentials to president Alexander Lukashenko on 20 February, during his meeting with ambassadors of nine states. "Our goal is to make Belarus better known abroad. It refers to the cooperation in the area of culture and sport, where Belarus has achieved success, as well as the cooperation on academic field", affirmed Mons. Gugerotti. According to president Lukashenko, development of relations with the Apostolic See has a special importance for Belarus, because "Christian moral values lie in the base of the culture of Belarussian nation and its spiritual traditions", reported a website www.catholic.by.Slovakia: campaign to support a work-free SundayThe Forum of Christian Institutions (FKI) in Slovakia has started a campaign to support the idea of a work-free Sunday. "Each of us can contribute to the culture of Sunday – to make it a notably different day from all working days, a day of inner and outer peace, strengthening of family relations, relaxation of the body and uplifting of the soul. For the believers, of course, with participation in liturgies", explains Pavol Kossey, deputy president of the FKI, expressing hope that the initiative could contribute to a "conscious transformation of the people’s attitude towards a work-free Sunday as well as to a wider discussion within the society". Organizers invite everyone to support the campaing by joining an internet petition on the website www.peticia.sk and send their opinions and suggestions regarding the question to the FKI. The project joins the effort of the Independent Christian Labour Unions in Slovakia and the Movement of Christian Families, supporting the idea of a work-free Sunday on the base of principles of the European Sunday Alliance.
