Nuncio Complains that German Church Does Not Listen to the Pope

Bonn (kath.,net/KNA)  The ambassador of the Pope in Germany is concerned about the future of the Catholic Church in the Bundesrepublik.  "The Pope suffers from an persistently closed attitude toward him in Germany," said the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Jean-Claude Perisset, in an interview published in the "Zeit" on Wednesday.  It is a "great loss", that the Church in Germany hears the Pope so little.

The Nuncio expressed himself critically about the dialog process in the Catholic Church. "Conflict in the Church is the wrong way.  But dialog is not a conflict, but the opposite".  Whoever only values his own position,  doesn't engage in dialog.  It would be a courageous step of the Bishops, to seek a discussion with the people of the Church.  "Only those who want to turn the Church on its head, are those who do not want dialog."

With a view to the debate surrounding the Kirchensteuer [Church tax], the Nuncio said, the Church in the Bundesrepublik is "sometimes is too concerned with managing resources and forgets the announcing of the good news.".  As to the question for the reason for empty churches and few priestly vocations Perisset recalled that this is not a malfunction of the institution of the Church;  the reasons lay in the mentality of people and in erroneous beliefs.  "We need a new culture of community, of believing together.  For that reason we need also great celebrations like World Youth Day or Papal Masses in the Olympiastadion.  They show: you are not alone."

At the same time, Perisset insisted that the Church must adjust itself in its announcing the faith in today's environment.  "We say things that people don't understand any more.  We must return to the basic elements of the Faith and freshly explain these with simple words in colorful language."  The restoration of the faith has to "come again from the family, so that we might remake the Church.  If the grandparents don't take their grandchildren along, if the adults do not discuss the faith, if the faith is not developed in the family, then there is no future."

Link to kathnet....

There are More Muslims in Brussels Than Catholics

Via De Morgen, VRT (Dutch):
25% of the residents of Brussels are of Muslim origin, which makes Brussels one of the European cities with the largest Muslim presence, comparable to Birmingham in the UK. This according to a sociological study ('L'Iris et le Croissant' - the Iris and the Crescent) by UCL. The study was conducted by Sociologist Felice Dassetto, who has been researching Muslims, radicalization and intercultural ism for more than 30 years.

In total there are 250,000 to 300,000 Muslims in Brussels, about half the Muslim population of Belgium. 10-15% of the Muslims are practicing and active within religious associations.

Islam is also increasingly visible: there are more moques and minarets, more veiled owmen and more Muslim organizations.

After football, Islam mobilizes the most people in Brussels, more than the Catholic Church, political parties and unions. There are more than 200,000 Muslim organizations in Brussels, including 77 mosques. Dassetto speaks of a 'religious over-socializing' among young Muslims.
Link to Islam in Europe...