THE FIRST EUROPEAN MEETING OF THE
PRESIDENTS
OF THE EPISCOPAL COMMISSIONS FOR CULTURE
The Castle of Klingenthal, 9-12 September, 1999
The pastoral approach to culture arouses an ever increasing interest in
the Church, as testified to by the Bishops on their ad Limina visits,
the Synods of Bishops and Episcopal Conferences, but also by all those
who, in any capacity, are involved in the field of the encounter of the
faith with the cultures of our time. This realisation goes hand in hand
with numerous questions concerning the aim, the fields of action and the
means of the pastoral approach to culture.
On the eve of the II Special Assembly for Europe of the Synod of
Bishops, and bearing in mind the fact that some Episcopal Conferences have
a Commission for Culture or a Commission for non-believers, while others
have not yet made provision for them, this Pontifical Council for Culture,
engaged in furnishing an effective service to the particular Churches,
invites the Bishops of Europe, entrusted by the respective Episcopal
Conferences of the Pastoral Approach to Culture, to participate in the
first Colloquium which will be held from Thursday, 9 to Sunday, 12
September, 1999, at the castle of Klingenthal, in the diocese of
Strasburg.
A certain number of Episcopal Conferences of Europe has already
instituted within its own set-up a Commission for Culture entrusted with
the relationship between faith and culture. Others wish to receive
suggestions in this decisive field for the future of the Church. Finally,
some Episcopal Conferences, with a limited number of permanent staff and
resources, or in particularly difficult conditions, pose the question on
the opportuneness of a pastoral approach to culture.
In order to respond to these questions, in particular on the reasons of
this pastorale, in the various fields in which it can be exercised, but
also with the aim of presenting to the Bishops pastoral initiatives which
are in the phase of being realised, the Colloquium will propose to the
participants brief specific interventions, which may serve as a cue for
discussion, which is the essential part of the meeting.
In the perspective of the new evangelisation in Europe, the pastoral
approach to culture, in a context often marked by non-belief and religious
indifference, has as its primary objective to inject the life blood of the
Gospel into cultures in order to renew them from within and transform in
the light of Revelation, the vision of man and of society which moulds
culture, the way of understanding man and woman, the family and education,
the school and the university, freedom and truth, work and leisure,
economy and society, the sciences and the arts.
The pastoral approach to culture, in its multiple
expressions, has no other aim but to help the whole Church to fulfil her
mission of proclaiming the Gospel, until the message of Christ inspires
the whole of Christian existence, as the Third Millennium draws near.
PROGRAMME
Thursday, 9 September, 1999:
Afternoon, arrival of the participants
19.30: Dinner
Evening: Informal Meeting with His Excellency, Mons. Joseph Doré,
Archbishop of Strasburg, Member of the Pontifical Council for Culture.
* * * * *
Friday, 10 September, 1999:
| 7.30: |
Concelebrated Mass |
| 8.15: |
Breakfast |
| 9.00: |
The First Session |
|
Paul Cardinal Poupard, President of the Pontifical
Council for Culture, The Opening of the Meeting. |
|
His Excellency, Mons. Franc Rodé, Archbishop of
Ljubljana, Member of the Pontifical Council for Culture, "I
will speak to your heart": the prophetic character of the pastoral
approach to Culture. |
| 10.15: |
Coffee Break |
| 10.45: |
P. Marko Rupnik, S.J., Consultor of the Pontifical
Council for Culture, What type of pastoral approach for artists? |
| 11.15: |
Discussion |
| 12.30: |
Lunch |
| 15.00: |
The Second Session |
|
His Excellency, Mons. Donal Brendan Murray, Bishop of
Limerick, Member of the Pontifical Council for Culture |
|
P. Alain Fontaine, A.A., President of l’Union des
Religieux de Turquie (URT) |
|
The task of the pastoral approach to culture in
particular situations: Ireland and Turkey. |
| 16.00: |
Discussion |
| 16.30: |
Coffee Break |
| 17.00: |
Mr. Krzysztof Zanussi, Film director, Consultor of the
Pontifical Council for Culture, The media of social communication:
the game at stake and the challenges for the pastoral approach to
culture. |
| 17.30: |
Discussion |
| 19.00: |
Vespers |
| 19.30: |
Dinner |
* * * * *
Saturday, 11 September, 1999:
| 7.30: |
Concelebrated Mass |
| 8.15: |
Breakfast |
| 9.00: |
The Third Session |
|
His Excellency, Mons. Jozef Miroslaw Zycinski,
Archbishop of Lublin, Member of the Pontifical Council for Culture, The
pastoral challenges in the context of science. |
| 9.30: |
Discussion |
| 10.15: |
Coffee Break |
| 10.45: |
Fr. Aldo Giordano, Secretary General of the Council of
Episcopal Conferences of Europe |
|
Fr. Peter Fleetwood of the Pontifical Council for
Culture, entrusted with the problem of the sects |
|
The Cultural dimension of the pastorale in the
context of the sects and new religious movements. |
| 11.30: |
Discussion |
| 12.30: |
Lunch |
| 15.00: |
The Fourth Session |
|
His Excellency, Mons. Egidio Caporello, Bishop of
Mantova, President of the Episcopal Commision for Catholic Education,
Culture, the School and University, An Initiative of the Italian
Episcopal Conference: "A cultural project in a Christian
perspective". |
| 16.00: |
Discussion |
| 16.30: |
Coffee Break |
| 17.00: |
His Excellency, Mons. Fernand Frank, Archbishop of
Luxemburg, Culture, the privileged locus of encounter with
non-believers. |
| 17.30: |
Discussion |
| 19.00: |
Vespers |
| 19.30: |
Dinner |
* * * * *
Sunday, 12 September, 1999:
| 7.30: |
Concelebrated Mass |
| 8.30: |
Breakfast |
| 9.15: |
Conclusions |
|
