Pressemelding fra Den nordiske bispekonferanses møte på Magleås

Den nordiske bispekonferanse har kommet med følgende pressemelding etter sitt plenarmøte i Magleås, 8.-14. mars.

Biskopene samlet på Magelås sammen med de ledende nordiske lutherske biskoper.

A year of Faith

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council and to enhance the new evangelisation, Pope Benedict XVI has proclaimed a year of Faith (11 October 2012 to 24 November 2013). The Bishops express their strong support for the Pope’s initiative, and are prepared to participate with homilies, meditations and comments on the Creed. These comments will be published and distributed throughout the Nordic countries. The Clergy, parishes, Catholic organisations, and youth are encouraged to take part in this missionary effort.

Talks with the leading Lutheran bishops of the Nordic countries

The Conference’s members and the leading Lutheran bishops of the countries meet regularly to discuss matters of common interest. The bishops gave an account of the challenges and concerns of the Christian community in their part of the world. The main topic on this occasion was the question of a common Eucharist. Catholics and Lutherans do not yet share the Eucharist. To many believers this is a scandal, but in spite of good will on both sides, no decisive theological progress has been made. The Lutheran and Catholic bishops expressed their hope that preparations for and celebration of the Luther-jubilee in 2017 will bring the two Churches to a closer unity in rediscovering common values.

Guidelines regarding sexual abuse

To provide necessary protection for minors and prevent sexual abuse as well as safeguarding just procedure in such cases, the Holy See has issued general guidelines.

Within 10 May 2012, all national and diocesan guidelines must be brought into accordance with these norms. Because of the differing legislation in the Nordic countries, the Conference sees no possibility to issue guidelines of its own. This will be the responsibility of each diocese. 

Polish immigration

The Roman Catholic Church in the Nordic countries has received a high number of faithful from Poland and other countries in Eastern Europe since these countries became members of the European Union in 2004. In Iceland, the percentage of Poles among the faithful is about 70, in Norway probably 50 and growing, just to mention two examples. Without assistance from Polish bishops and religious orders, several dioceses would have been helpless with regard to this pastoral challenge. To discuss this matter with the Polish Episcopate, the Conference had invited Bishop Wieslaw Lechowicz, Apostolic Administrator of Tarnow, to take part in this session. The pastoral care of Poles living abroad is the specific task of Msgr. Lechowicz at the Polish Bishops’ Conference.

The responsibility for the Poles in the Nordic countries is shared by the local bishops and the proper ecclesiastical authorities in Poland, the bishops and their guest agreed.

During the conference the Bishops visited the former Bishop of Copenhagen Bishop Hans L. Martensen. He had been ailing for some weeks and died on Tuesday 13 March. Bishop Martensen was Bishop of Copenhagen from 1965 to 1995 and for many years responsible in the Bishops’ Conference for ecumenical affairs.

The bishops also had the opportunity to meet the nordic media officers to discuss how the year of Faith and the Popes wish for a new evangelization can be implemented in various media.