At Budapest’s majestic Heroes Square, some 1,200 Children received their First Communion. They are among the youngest pilgrims participating in the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress in Hungary.

It’s seen as a hopeful sign for a nation where the Church is still recovering from decades of Communist rule, during which Christian education for children was discouraged or forbidden.

Organizers described the Mass and other events during the Congress as “a celebration of the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.”

That approach is also welcomed by non-Catholic participants such as Blanka Fabiny, a 27-year-old Lutheran kindergarten teacher… Read more »

“May the Lord God grant us to the capacity to feel in these days that Christ is with us in the Eucharist. He does not leave the Church, people and humanity alone”.

Cardinal Péter Erdő, Primate of Hungary, pronounced these heartfelt words at the beginning of the Mass in Budapest that opened the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress, which had to be postponed from last year due to the pandemic… Read more »

This year, the Council of the European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE) celebrates its 50th anniversary: it was established in March 1971 and subsequently approved by St Paul VI. To celebrate this jubilee event, the annual CCEE Plenary Assembly will take place in Rome from 23 to 26 September 2021 with the participation of the Presidents of the Bishops’ Conferences from across Europe.

Founded as a body of communion between the European Bishops’ Conferences, with the aim of promoting and safeguarding the good of the Church, for 50 years CCEE has been committed, according to its statutes, to “exercising collegiality in hierarchical communion cum et sub romano pontefice; a closer communication and co-operation between bishops and the bishops’ conferences of Europe in order to promote and inspire the work of new evangelisation; to contribute to the ecumenical dialogue for Christian unity; to offer an ecclesial witness in European society”… Read more »

In a joint statement released by CEC and COMECE, the two bodies representing European Churches and European Bishops call for solidarity with the people of Afghanistan and for support from European Union Member Nations.

As EU institutions are holding meetings on Afghanistan this week, European Churches turn to all political leaders, offering reflections and policy recommendations, urging them to prove that “EU values are not an empty rhetoric but are practical guiding principles that lead to actions based on ethical standards, beyond mere political or economic considerations.”

In their joint statement, Churches appeal to the international community to protect persons who are targets of oppression and whose lives are at risk, such as women, children, civil society actors, human rights defenders, journalists, artists and members of ethnic and sexual minorities, as well as Christians and other religious communities… Read more »

The Pastoral Formation Institute (PFI) launched a new website www.pfi.edu.mt. The site includes new features to help users access course information and apply online. The events page also features the ongoing work of the Institute which was founded in 2007 after the Diocesan Synod expressed the need of promoting the formation of Catholics in order to be empowered and to evangelize.

Besides launching the new website, the Pastoral Formation Institute moved to new offices at the Archbishop’s Curia, St Calcedonius Square, Floriana… Read more »

For the 2021-2022 academic year, the Foundation for Theological Studies of the Archdiocese of Malta will be offering 10 bursaries, which will be distributed according to these criteria:

• bursaries of €400 for those who apply for the Certificate in Safeguarding of Children and Young People
• bursaries of €800 for those who apply for the Diploma in the Archival and Cultural appreciation of Ecclesiastical Patrimony and for the Diploma in Religious Studies
• bursaries of €2,000 for those who apply for a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Theology (part-time) or for a Master of Arts in one of these fields: Bioethics, Matrimonial Canon Law, Environmental Ethics, Youth Ministry, Religious Studies, Theology, and Catholic School Leadership…

Read more »