Den nordiske bispekonferansen
I en pressemelding uttrykker biskopene "sin bekymring for Syrias lidende befolkning", og innfører samtidig en fellesnordisk årlig bønnedag for forfulgte kristne, 26. desember. Andre tema som ble diskutert var skandinaviske teologers samtaler med utdanningskongregasjonen i Roma, samt videre samarbeid med tyske Bonifatius-Werk.
Les hele pressemeldingen under.
The Nordic Bishops’ Conference Autumn Session
Tromsø, Norway, 13 to 18 September 2013.
The Nordic Bishops finished their autumn session in Tromsø in Norway on 18 September. They were the guests of the Sisters of St. Elizabeth and the Roman Catholic Bishop of Tromsø, Mgr. Berislav Grgic. The Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Henryk Józef Nowacki, was present throughout the Conference. They also enjoyed the hospitality of Svein Ludvigsen, the King’s representative in the County of Troms. They were pleased to receive the Lutheran Bishop of Tromsø, Per Oskar Kjølaas and his wife as well as the Rector of his Cathedral, Kjell Y. Riise.
The Bishops expressed their concern and offered their prayers for the suffering people of Syria and furthermore decided to introduce an annual day of prayer for the persecuted Christians all over the world. This day is fixed on 26 December – the feast of the first Christian martyr.
Catholic Theologians in the Nordic Countries
In recent years, a number of scholars have converted to the Catholic faith, and Catholics have qualified for doctorates and higher degrees in theology. Many of these teach at universities and academic institutions and are not ordained or members of religious orders.
The faculties at Uppsala - the Newman Institute - and Menighetsfakultetet in Oslo, already offer a wide scope of Catholic subjects. To encourage these theologians to come together for lectures and other academic activity, the Bishops’ Conference supported their first assembly in Rome in May this year. The theologians hope to establish a Catholic Academy for the Nordic Countries in co-operation with the Conference and hope for the acknowledgement of the Congregation for Education in Rome. The Congregation expresses its interest and support, and there will be a meeting between a representative for the Conference and the Cardinal Prefect in Rome this October.
The Bonifatius-Werk of the German Catholics
The Catholic dioceses in the Nordic countries have enjoyed generous moral, practical and economic support of German Catholics for many years. The Bishops were happy to welcome the Secretary General of the Bonifatius-Werk, Mgr. Georg Austen in Tromsø.
They discussed the needs of the fast growing church in the North of Europe and the possibilities for further co-operation with the Church in Germany. The Bonifatius-Werk already arranges for young Catholics to come to our countries to work in parishes or institutions for a limited period of time. Mgr. Austen hopes to enable young Scandinavians to make a similar experience in Germany.
Catholic Missions
The Secretary General of the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of Faith - Father Timothy Barrett LeHane - informed the Bishops about the activities of this institution. Mission is the responsibility of the entire Church, and the Dioceses in the Nordic Countries try to contribute generously to the evangelisation co-ordinated by the Papal Missions.