In a statement, the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences said “the new evangelisation is a major concern for European bishops.

“Evangelisation is the manifestation of the Church’s life and vitality. It should not be understood simply as a pastoral activity, but as the manifestation of its very nature and mission. “The new evangelisation is not only aimed at Christians who have strayed from the faith, but at all. It seeks to proclaim Christ, true God and true man, crucified to bear every human grief, raised from the dead that we might have life.

“Through their baptism, all believers are called to take part in the new evangelisation.

“There is also a question of seeking new ways to evangelise, such as, for example, new technology, the internet, and social networking sites. But all this is only possible if, following the example of the Christians of the Acts of the Apostles, we open ourselves up in a new way to the Holy Spirit: there will be no new evangelisation without a new Pentecost.”

Three parishes for sale

A diocese in Ontario, Canada, is offering to sell three closed parishes – all of them designated heritage sites – for one Canadian dollar. The cheap price is due to the fact that the building cannot be developed in any way. Besides, they are not being used as parishes due to lack of priests and low Mass attendance.

Compensation for Church property

Over the next 17 years the Czech Republic will pay the Catholic Church 47 billion Czech korunas (€1,894m) in compensation for property confiscated by the Communist government.

For the next three years the Czech government will pay the full salaries of all clergy and then pay smaller portions of the salaries in ensuing years. Sixteen other religious bodies will also receive compensation.

Multiculturalism must change voting habits

“Voting cannot just be dictated by habit, membership of a social class or the pursuit of particular interests – it should take account of the challenges presenting themselves and aim for what could make our country more humane to live in.”

This statement is taken from a declaration by France’s Catholic bishops in preparation for the presidential elections of 2012.

They said France was a multicultural country and voters had to look at candidates in new ways. Cultural homogeneity was ended by mass immigration, the bishops said. “For citizens of more or less old stock, this provokes a sense of instability which is hard to live with, while for many new arrivals it translates into a feeling of being ill-accepted and unable to find one’s place in a society one cannot leave.

“These transformations question our conception of man, his dignity and vocation, and confront rulers and legislators with new questions,” the bishops added.

The importance of helping missions

In preparation of World Mission Sunday on October 23, L’Osservatore Romano interviewed the new prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples. “Evangelisation always promotes the development of peoples,” Archbishop Fernando Filoni said.

Mgr Filoni said all baptised have a responsibility for mission; besides being a command of Jesus, being blessed with the gift of faith naturally should lead people to want to share it. “In defending the principles of the Gospel, one must speak of justice.”

(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)