THE CHURCHES OF THE MAGHREB

The Jubilee, an occasion to study and strengthen the faith

Despite the situation of instability and enormous suffering, in Algeria, the Churches of the Maghreb (Africa) have already started the long march towards the Jubilee. The desire to be able to live fully this year of grace requires a study of the faith. The difficulty in carrying out the work together is given by the fact that «our Churches are few and rather isolated in four different countries». Although, in contrast, their existence in countries of Arab and Moslem traditions, leads to strong ties between the four Churches. The Holy Father's visit in 1996 was of significant assistance to prepare the work for the coming years. Until now efforts were made in the direction of a work of sensitisation and increasing awareness, through the circulation of documents and reflections. The objective is to ensure that the Jubilee may be «for us substantially conversion and study of the faith». The bishops of the North African Regional Episcopal Conference have identified a three-fold conversion: making the faith stronger in man, as a consequence of a concretely lived Christology; giving greater substance to the presence of an even poorer Church which lives with its people and in which students and African emigrants are proportionally always more numerous; creating an increasingly felt and real communion, in order that the spirit allows the appreciation of the huge wealth of the diversities in one's history.

The Churches of Africa accepting the invitation made by the Pope, believe that, not being able to impose a change of hearts, what is required is a preparation according to the times and ways of the Spirit. More than on the production of documents, time must be spent studying the spiritual aspects of the Jubilee.

The moments which are considered essential are: the Trinitarian paradigm, the social content, the experience of prayer, so that one may learn about one's history, ask for forgiveness and re-discover hope in the path. The Churches of Africa feels they must choose, invent ways of preparation that best adapt to their particular situation, while moving in the same direction as the universal Church. On the front of ecumenism, for example, to emphasise love and a respectful exchange between Christians and non Christians, it will be opportune to gather united for the celebrations of the major feasts: Christmas, Easter, Id-el-Kabir, Id-el-Seghir.

As far as social moments are concerned, which are part of the Jubilee celebration, the bishops warned that it is absolutely essential to "evangelise the economy", to educate "to justice and solidarity", defending the "universal destiny of goods", the "value of the human person", which both in the North and in the South must be placed ahead of any economic structure. The preferential choice of the poor also implies the rejection of a "colonialist and paternalistic mentality", which was the cause of many failures in the path to development for a long time.

The Churches of Africa have a different history. They have not had to deal with anti-Semitism or the inquisition. The difficulty in having to deal with the past stems from cultural, theological and generational differences. Managing to accept these could represent a valid preparation for the Jubilee to become a year of Hope.

In addition the study of biblical knowledge and the re-discovery of the Trinitarian paradigm could represent the bases of a new inculturation of faith. In a situation of fratricidal mourning and death, the Churches of Africa can look towards the Jubilee as a "feast", as the chance to break internal tensions and bring about peace. A "feast" which following tradition may be the consequence of profound conversion and pardon. Indeed, one can be joyful when one feels he has been forgiven, liberated and is ready to begin from a deeper and higher level at the same time. The spiritual path of preparation can be concretised through the efforts of priests to accept the missionary and pastoral reality of the laity; the ability of the specialists of the Maghreb to work in the mission together with non specialists; the availability of Christian Arabs of the East to meet Moslem Arabs; the sensitivity of the new community to help the old Tunisian Christians.

The path crosses the meeting of people in the first place. It is here that barriers come down. Communication and meetings will mark the path of the years 1997-1998 of the whole community: North-South, Old-New, francophiles-heterophiles, clergy-laity, religious men and women. The meetings between people will make diversity and unity alive and real, the "Trinitarian" way to live together. Diversity is wealth. The first step on the road of the spiritual Jubilee is communication at all levels. It is important to keep in mind that «the best way to prepare for the year 2000 is indeed walking together, living, that is, in synod with the brothers and sisters of Tunisia, in imitation of God who knows no frontiers». The Bishops noted that this means knowing how to offer communion to those who belong to other religions and, even more importantly, remaining united within the Catholic community, despite the differences. In the Trinitarian outlook differences are essential as long as there is true unity.

TANZANIA

The incarnation of Christ in the African family

Making the people of Tanzania aware about the significance of the Great Jubilee and reflecting together on the Church as a family of God were the objectives for 1996, the year of animation and preparation in view of the year 2000.

From a first evaluation of the questionnaires sent from the 29 dioceses, there appears to be a clear awareness and enthusiasm among believers for the event. The conclusions of the Synod - as underlined by Monsignor Amedeus Msarikie, bishop of Moshi and President of the National Committee for the Jubilee - have reached their destination; now it is a question of making them live, walking together as a family of God towards the year 2000. In addition it appears evident that small Christian communities are the most effective instruments for the preparation of the Jubilee and the mass underway by the Synod.

A good result was obtained by the seminars for the formation of educators organised at all levels, national, diocesan and parish. The main instruments of formation were the following: Tertio Millennio Adveniente (translated in Kiswhili), a simplified translation of the exhortation Ecclesia in Africa, a leaflet of the 1996 programme and, fundamentally, the Sacred Bible. In the cases where the materials were used, the results obtained were encouraging; in some areas however they were lost.

Numerous subjects were addressed: the need to prepare the year 2000, the importance and significance of the African synod, a new era for the Church in Africa, an analysis of the social, economic and political situation in light of the Gospel, and the teachings of the Church in this respect, with the consequent implications and pastoral answers.

An insufficient preparation of the common believer emerged with respect to social aspects. The main reason regards the inadequate knowledge of theology and the social doctrine of the Church. The few prepared people have requested the Bishops to provide adequate study materials on the subject matter.

For 1997 the theme is "The Incarnation of Christ in the African family", based on the indications given by the Holy Father. Pastoral action is committed to underline the reception of Christ in the life of Africans, and of Christ who calls Africans to be with Him: a reflection on the mystery of Incarnation, the arrival of Christ in the world, in the African Church as family.

After having thoroughly reached small Christian communities, the objective is to invite people to reflect on how Christianity lives today, to compare African values to those of the Gospel and thus choosing with awareness. Responses will be collected at a national level and examined, to understand which values may be compatible with Christian life.

An inductive or participatory method is to be used. Thus, the main pastoral action is inculturation. In parallel, efforts are being made to intensify spiritual aspects, including liturgy and sacramental life, in order to give adequate importance to the liturgical year, in its time of preparation for Christmas and Easter. At the beginning of January the Bishops elaborated a pastoral letter I was a foreigner and you gave me a home, which adapts well to the theme of Incarnation and with the present situation in Tanzania, which takes in thousands of refugees.

Particular attention will then be reserved to reading, prayer and meditation on the Word of God, so that men may find the solution to their problems in light of the Gospel. Pilgrimages are also underway, organised at a diocesan level by the various jurisdictions and at a national level to the Holy Land, Rome and other sacred sites. Finally other issues are to be included at least in part in the preparation for the Great Jubilee, such as the problems of young people in rural and urban environments, the spreading corruption in the social services, the general loss of the sense of sin, and the recovery of life in the clergy.

IVORY COAST

In the sign of reconciliation and ecumenical commitment

A multifaceted commitment is underway in the dioceses in preparation for the Great Jubilee of the year 2000, as underlined by H.E. Joseph Teky Niangoran, bishop of Man, responsible for the National Committee. The diocese of Abidjan has established a committee for the preparation of the Jubilee of the year 2000, composed of the abbots Jean-Baptiste Akwadan, Norbert Abekan and Lecien Kima.

The main objective is to provide wide circulation of the Holy Father's Apostolic Letter, Tertio Millennio Adveniente. Due to the delay in starting the pre-preparatory phase, sensitisation was concentrated in the months of October, November and December. The Jubilee as a «great prayer of praise and thanks especially for the gift of Incarnation of the Son of God and the Redemption carried out by Him», is the subject of the October celebration during which great space was given to the liturgy of the Word.

In November the meaning of the Jubilee as a time of penance was underlined through a penitential liturgy which was followed in December by a reflection on reconciliation, with wide ecumenical connotations. The study of the Apostolic Letter then inspired the creation of seven commissions co-ordinated by the diocesan committee: for catechesis, the missionary pastoral, liturgy, art, culture and pilgrimages, social and mass media.

There is a rich and well-defined production plan by Radio Espoir with newscasts and catechesis tied to the reflection theme for the first year of preparation, Christ only Saviour of the world, yesterday, today and always, along with broadcasts on the Jubilee: the history of the Church, pilgrimages, spirituality and the letter of the Holy Father on the third millennium.

The General Assembly of the diocese of Man has elaborated a questionnaire on the first pre-preparatory phase and on the first year of the more immediate one, with questions regarding evangelisation and the re-discovery of the sacraments, starting with Baptism. Finally, the Diocese of Korhogo, after having informed of the steps outlined by the Pope for the Jubilee, proposed a work method for the formation of parish committees in order to link all the realities to the diocese. It suggested the celebration of a Holy Mass as the adequate occasion for the sensitisation of faithful and the circulation of the Tertio Millennio Adveniente. Then in order to link up all the movements, prayer groups and small villages, the diocese of Yopougon prepared a book entitled: Towards the Jubilee.

NIGERIA

An intense work of preparation

"Good news is welcome" is the title of the conference which the National Commission for the Great Jubilee of the year 2000 of the Nigerian Episcopal Conference has organised at Enugu, to outline the guidelines for the preparatory phases of the Jubilee, from 1997 to 1999. The works were presided by the Archbishop of Owerri, Anthony Obinna. The 70 members who attended included bishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugoji, president of the Theological Commission; the bishop of Ijebu-Ode, President of the Commission for inter-religious dialogue; the Archbishop of Onitsha Albert Obiefuna, President of the Nigerian Episcopal Conference and the Secretary Michael Okoro, bishop of Abakaliki. While the first volume of "Celebrating the Great Jubilee of the year 2000", guidelines for 1996, had already been published by the National Commission for the Jubilee, the second volume regarding 1997 was published recently. The latter highlights the importance of a commitment towards the study, deeper knowledge and faith in the person of Jesus Christ, following the Pope's invitation expressed in the Apostolic Letter Tertio Millennio Adveniente. These were the indications given to live and celebrate at best the figure of Jesus Christ in all the different liturgical phases. The next conference to reflect on the figure of the Holy Spirit, to which 1998 is dedicated, has been planned for September 1997.

Eight commissions are charged with preparing the main guiding subjects to be addressed during celebrations over the next three years: ecumenical, led by bishop Patrick Sheenan; for inter-religious dialogue, led by bishop A. Fashina; the liturgical and pastoral commissions led by Archbishop A.J.V. Obinna, the historical-theological commission led by bishop J.B. Adelakun, the mass media commission led by bishop E. Otteh.

Always with reference to the figure of Jesus Christ, the Nigerian Episcopal Conference recalls the importance of some fundamental aspects which can favour the just spiritual preparation of man: the role of the Sacred Scriptures, as Word of God; the testimony of the Catechesim of the Catholic Church; the Baptism as a common inheritance; Mary, as model of Faith. Aware of the task to be carried out, the Catholic Church in Nigeria, through the Synod of bishops, has indicated some areas on which to act, which can be summarised as follows: Proclamation, Inculturation, Dialogue, Justice and Peace and Social Communications. Meanwhile some commissions have been presenting their studies: the historical-theological commission published a theological pastoral commentary on the Tertio Millennio Adveniente and is preparing the publication of three volumes on the trinity as a theological pastoral aid, while the commission for inter-religious dialogue has prepared a document which contains proposals for a celebration of the Great Jubilee in union with Moslems and the brothers belonging to traditional African religions.

LAMEC

The pastoral project for the year of the Holy Spirit

Following the pastoral letters published by the Episcopal Conferences, which directed with decisiveness the ordinary pastoral towards the Jubilee, the General Secretariat of the Latin American Episcopal Conference (LAMEC) continues work on the great event during all its ordinary meetings; in its quarterly bulletin it opened a new section "the path towards the Jubilee", which provides information and material from the Central Committee of the Great Jubilee and the local Churches. The most significant contribution however continues to be the Collection Tertio Millennio, a project of small pocket-books, tapes and videos which underline the themes for the preparation of the Jubilee. The pastoral project for next year, 1998, is already well defined with reflections on the content of the TMA, suggestions for pastoral initiatives and indications for pastoral aids.

The year of the Holy Spirit, which will begin with the first Sunday of Advent (30 November 1997), will be celebrated in parallel with the year of Jesus Christ, due to the Christological and Trinitary character of the Jubilee. It will be the year of the discovery of His sanctifying presence in the communities of the disciples of Christ. The Church cannot prepare for the year 2000 but through the Holy Spirit, which always operates in silence and within people. It will be necessary to enter deeply into the mystic experience to know Him, in the variety of charisms and ministries which He arouses, such as the mystery of communion and reconciliation which He carries out both in the Church and in society. The presence of the Spirit is recognised especially by its fruits and always invites to be selective. For this reason the virtue expressed with preciseness by this Person of Trinity is Hope, which offers us the motivations for daily commitment in the transformation of reality, to make it consistent with the project of God.

In Mary the Spirit saw its most beautiful reflection, a silent witness of the marvels of God, principle of Communion in the apostolic community and in the Holy Church. As far as the divine Lectio is concerned, this will be the year of the Gospel of Luke. Also opportune is the reading of the Acts of the Apostles, especially during the Easter period, and the other writings of the Bible which make special references to the Spirit like the letters to the Romans, the Galatians, the Corinthians and the book of the Apocalypse.

The Spirit acts in the Church mainly through the sacrament of the Confirmation, arousing charisms, tasks and ministries. It will thus be a particularly adequate time to give space to lay people in carrying out the pastoral, for the evangelisation and progress of society. Among the other activities in 1998, the Latin American Youth Encounter, promoted by Lamec and the Pontifical Council for the Laity, will be held during the month of October in Santiago of Chile. The central theme will be that supplied by the Holy Father for the Youth Day: «The Holy Spirit will reveal all things». Then at the end of the year there will be a celebration to mark the Anniversary of the U.N. Declaration for Human Rights, to be kept in mind during the Social Pastoral, as an occasion to underline the action of the Spirit in the promotion of conscience among peoples.

There are various suggestions, for the application of these contents in the various sectors of the pastoral; as far as liturgical and spiritual life is concerned the invitation to everyone is to re-discover the thirst for Holiness, renew the mystical experience of the Church, school of spirituality, especially among young people, continue the divine lectio in the meditation of the Gospel of Luke, adequately underlining the eve of Pentecost; in addition it will be opportune to renew the preparation and celebration of the Confirmation, a sacrament of personal maturity and of the ecclesial mission, which opens the heart of the believer to the project of witnessing and apostolate in the faith and represents the opportunity to underline the diversity and richness of the mission of the laity in the Church. The presence of the Spirit in the liturgy can thus be highlighted, in the invocations, blessings and sacramental gestures such as the imposition of hands, ointments, the blessing of the oils and especially of the Holy Charism, the traditional sign of the Holy Spirit's effective presence. Value can be given in catechesis to the Revelation and the inspiration of the Spirit in the Magisterium of the Church. It is above all in the communities that the Spirit distributes charisms, vocations and ministries to the service of the Church. The commitment is to identify the gifts and charisms of each person to place them at the service of common good, to re-discover the charismatic and ministerial dimension of the Church, to study in depth the services entrusted to the laity and to understand the charisms of the Church, especially in the field of apostolic movements, of Spirituality and of other associative realities, thus to pay attention to the charismatic Renewal and to the movements which derive from it, strengthening their ties with the Church; in the ecumenical field to be committed to with the non-Catholic Pentecostal movement, overcoming sectarian attitudes on both sides.

In the context of the family pastoral the existence and testimony of stable families represent the true hope for humanity; a particularly adequate time to underline this is the beginning of Advent, when the blessing of couples expecting children takes place in many areas.

All these prospects will have to be animated by an authentic missionary spirit; the grace of Pentecost is indeed grace of unity and mission. The Latin American Episcopal Conference is preparing a variety of pastoral aids to carry out the activities proposed: among these a liturgical itinerary for the year of the Holy Spirit, a theological-pastoral presentation of the Spirit, a text on Mary mother of Hope, the pastoral commentary to the Gospel of Saint Luke, texts on the preparation and celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation.

PERU

Campaign of solidarity to re-discover the social roots of the Jubilee

Be happy, people of Lima, the Lord Jesus is with you.

The Archdiocese of Lima, under the guidance of Archbishop Vargas Alzamora, has established the path to be followed in preparation for the Great Jubilee of the year 2000. The pastoral plan reflects the structure expressed by Pope John Paul II in Tertio Millennio Adveniente, with the same sub-division for each of the years which separate us from the Holy Year. The task of the Archdiocese will be above all to make every man, who daily sees himself and his fellow men fight against hunger and misery, closer to God: «It is necessary to arouse… desire of Holiness, a strong desire of conversion and personal renewal» (TMA 42)

Evangelisation and managing to guarantee the unity of the Church, also strengthening the participation of lay people in pastoral life, will be just as important. For these objectives - and for the preparation of an agenda, of aids, suggestions and all that will be necessary - an Archdiocesan Commission has been established composed of the Vicar General, Pastoral Vicars and also of priests and lay people. 1997 must conform to «be happy, people of Lima, the Lord Jesus is with you». A year dedicated to becoming conscious of the values and gifts which the Lord has granted Peruvians.

It will be indispensable to abandon the easy pessimism which can afflict every person who is forced to face the ills of society and look for hope and solidarity within oneself and the surrounding world. The first objective will be to carry out a campaign against hunger, in favour of employment and development. The action, which will have to start from the Church, will reach all sectors of general interest, such as politics, the economy and culture.

Beginning with the TMA - which dedicates 1997 to the reflection of Christ, of Baptism, to strengthening faith and the witnessing of Christians, to the reading of the Word of the Lord, to the discovery of Jesus in every man, especially those who suffer and are abandoned to themselves - each Peruvian, whether a believer or not, will have to interest himself to solidarity.

Every parish, every vicarage, every diocese, will have the objective of carrying out a campaign of solidarity. The campaign will also be focused at alleviating the situation of the poor of Lima. Not only the clergy, but all figures from the world of culture, politics and the economy will be called to this challenging task to work for their own people.

To this end a collection of funds will be organised, in order to improve the material, as well as spiritual condition of men. There are also two other objectives to reach. The first refers to the education to Faith through knowledge of the Bible and the Sacred Scriptures, the blessing of homes and a programme of religious education. The second will be developed in prayer and in the celebration of Jesus Christ through festivities of religious events and with the preaching of the Verb.

The First Social Week of Lima will be organised from 14 to 18 July and its theme will be "Development and equity for a society of solidarity", and the month of September will be dedicated to the Bible and the Family.

EL SALVADOR

Evangelisation, the primary commitment

The National Committee for the Jubilee presided by Monsignor Fernando Saez Lacalle, Archbishop of San Salvador prepared the programme for the three-year period of preparation to the Jubilee event.

As already happened during the pre-preparatory phase, great attention will be given over the next three years to evangelisation through the distribution of material prepared by the Episcopal Conference of Costa Rica, and in Guatemala, the publication and distribution to the faithful of the reflections by Pope John Paul II on the figure of Jesus Christ. Evangelisation will take place in El Salvador also through the network of Catholic radios whose programming will accompany the whole of the preparatory phase.

During the course of the last meeting of the National Committee the diocesan delegates indicated, in accordance with the Apostolic Letter Tertio Millennio Adveniente, the guidelines to be followed during this preparatory phase for the great Jubilee: priests will take part in formation days, two events will be organised in the Archdiocese which will be attended by lay people committed to the kerigmatic missions which was already been planned in the majority of the parishes of El Salvador during Holy Week, and finally, the distribution of material among priests and faithful.

Among the proposals which emerged from the diocesan delegates of the Episcopal Conference of El Salvador was the pilgrimage, during this three-year period, of the images of the Virgin of Peace (1997-1998) and the Divine Saviour (1998-1999).

BRAZIL

The project: Towards the new millennium

The Brazilian National Bishops' Conference continues to study and enrich the path of preparation for the Jubilee. The project "Towards the new millennium" (ed. Don Bosco) is now consolidated. This is evident, among other things, from the numerous publications which, within the same project, and of which they reproduce the logo, are aimed at providing useful indications for the various aspects of Christian life in the country. For example, the collection of homiletic guides continues within the framework of the evangelisation project of the Brazilian National Bishops' Conference, which, starting from the Advent period and Christmas '96 represented an important instrument of unitary participation, emphasising the celebratory dimension of the project for the new millennium. The first "Guide for Sunday celebrations" of Advent '96 (Going towards the Lord who comes) was followed by the guide for Easter (He walks with us) and the one for the ordinary time (Called to serve). Others will follow, all inspired to the need to deepen the peculiarities of the liturgy of the current year. To that end special preparation activities are suggested for the whole parish community, ways and reference points for the introduction rites to Mass and for the correct participation in the liturgy of the Word and the Eucharist liturgy.

But great attention is reserved especially to the preparation of evangelisers at this time of renewal. The booklet "The Good News has arrived" - proposed for the formation of evangelisers, by the Pontifical Missionary Works of the Brazilian National Bishops' Conference - underlines the urgency of an announcement on the person of Jesus, as an example of live hope. It is believed that only in this way can that gradual renewal of the ecclesial spirit be successfully spread, a spirit which already in Brazil, shows encouraging signs of starting through numerous activities, especially in the missionary field. An earlier booklet, last year, had prepared for the current phase, recalling the concepts developed by Redemptoris Missio and Tertio Millennio Adveniente, and applying them to the reality of the country. The title itself already expressed the essence of the program: "Spirituality without fear - Perspectives in the implementation of the project".

The theme of unity among Christians is also dealt with by the project "Towards the new millennium". The booklet "What is ecumenism?" encourages the Catholic community to study the reasons of unity and the problems which have until now been an obstacle for its realisation. Following the various phases of the ecumenical path of the Catholic Church, the fruits collected until now are recalled and an encouragement is given for what still needs to be done, noting the indications of "Ut unum sint". The greater value given to the ecumenical example of saints and martyrs, particularly persuasive in its own right, is thus accompanied by a wide ranging analysis, which constitutes a useful instrument for work and Christian life. And to enrich Christian life with new and inexhaustible energy bishops addressed the laity, calling on it to actively participate in three different and complementary directions. The "popular book" for reflection groups constitutes the basic instrument in which the contents of the 34th General Assembly of the Episcopal Conference, which launched the project for a new evangelisation in Brazil, are presented to a larger audience.

The reflection and prayer groups are called to be "semi fertile" of spirituality and action according to the indications of Tertio Millennio Adveniente for the preparation and celebration of the Jubilee, which in the case of Brazil coincides with the 5th centenary of its evangelisation. With respect to specifics on the history and the Brazilian church, a guide for the animators of the "Social Weeks" was also circulated. It includes initiatives which involve a large number of people, in encounters at a diocesan level on the themes of justice and solidarity, against social relegation and the logic of competition. The first series of weeks, in 1991, were centred on the "World of work"; the second during '93-'94 on the theme "Brazil: alternatives and protagonists".

The third "social week" takes place throughout 1997. Completely pervaded by the spirit of preparation to the Jubilee, its focal point consists in reaffirming the dimension of service, and thus the values of sharing, solidarity and justice, even in their international repercussions, with reference to North-South relations in the world. To conclude, the third aspect of the laity's contribution to community life in the church, with the "Guide to meetings" to live the Sunday Gospel. In a certain sense this guide represents the natural complement to the homiletic guides aimed at the celebrants. The participation of the faithful to the Mass is enriched by proposals for the various moments of the liturgy. The chants suggested integrate in the Sacred Texts, but the contents addressed in church are received in a more profound and timely manner, thanks to moments of reflection and prayer, before or after the Mass, proposed by the booklet.

BELIZE

Reflections on the biblical roots of the Jubilee

On occasion of the official opening of the preparatory phase of the Great Jubilee of the year 2000, the bishop of Belize Monsignor Martin addressed a pastoral letter to the faithful. The letter focused on three aspects: the objectives to be followed during the three-year period of preparation as indicated by Pope John Paul II in the Apostolic Letter Tertio Millennio Adveniente, the celebration of the year of Christ and some practical indications for the faithful to follow principally during this first year of preparation.

In the letter Monsignor Osmond P. Martin expressed the hope of encouraging all the components of his Diocese to «carry out the first important step of our preparation to the Jubilee: conciliation with God and with others through the sacrament of Reconciliation».

Outlining the objectives of the Great Jubilee of the year 2000 Monsignor Martin underlined how the strengthening of faith and the witnessing of Christian life must be given major attention. To reach such goals a true and authentic conversion of the heart and a renewal of the Christian faith is needed, in accordance with the invitation of Tertio Millennio Adveniente. All this, Monsignor Martin declared, will be able to take place only through intense and profound prayer, and «putting oneself at the service of the poor, the abandoned and all those brothers and sisters who request our assistance».

For this first year of the preparatory phase for the Great Jubilee of the year 2000, the bishop of Belize City invited the faithful to prepare for the 14 Christian festivities during the year with a period of reflection and mediation through the practice of spiritual exercises.

SCOTLAND

A path of prayer and study of the word

The Church of Scotland is fully committed to preparations for the Jubilee of the year 2000. The National Committee of the Scottish Episcopal Conference has indeed outlined a series of initiatives which involve all the communities, from priests to catechists and lay people of all ages. After having introduced the first year of preparation with a resource pack which lays out the themes of Advent, relating them to the Great Jubilee, the initiative was also continued for Lent. The distribution of resource packs was the widest possible, through printed issues and photocopies, aimed particularly at lay people who, individually, in the family, in schools or in groups, have taken the opportunity to live to the full special moments of the liturgical year. Always as far as the activity of lay people is concerned, the National Committee distributed pamphlets aimed at stimulating the formation of small groups, for sharing, study and prayer. The aim is to organise meetings to be held at home, in a family and friendly environment, to underline the daily character of Christian commitment, and also to favour the participation of those who do not customarily attend parishes. These small guides do not limit themselves to tracing a path of prayer and study on the Word, but also contain useful educational suggestions for the co-ordinators of the groups and propose activities which can be carried out to put into daily practice the commandments of love and solidarity.