Topics and Dates:

Corona and the People on the Edge of Society: We need to talk!

Tuesday, 8. September 2020 - 10:00 a.m.
All forms of work with particularly needy people, whether they were seriously ill, homeless or refugees, i.e. people on the margins of society in the broad sense, were severely hampered, in some cases even almost impossible, by the necessary restrictions. Even though charitable and diaconal aid is now being provided again, many of those affected suffer from the consequences. In the event, which will be organised by experts from Renovabis, the Community of Sant' Egidio, the Jesuit Refugee Service, members of the Vincentian Family and employees of Caritas, both sides, helpers and affected persons, will have their say.
Moderation: Martin Lenz (Renovabis)

When the Soul is out of Balance: Psychosocial Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Tuesday, 8. September 2020 - 2:00 p.m.
It is not possible at present to predict what far-reaching consequences the crisis and the associated limitations will have on people's psychosocial development. However, initial studies suggest that many people have perceived the pandemic as an existential threat with drastic consequences for their life prospects. The event will take the form of a discussion led by Dr. Klemens Ochel (Medical Mission Institute Würzburg), who will discuss the topic with partners from Bosnia and Herzegovina (focus: young people), Romania (focus: older generation) and Hungary (focus: child protection).
Moderation: Dr. Klemens Ochel

Livestream from the House of the Lord? Experiences and Impulses from the Time of the Corona Restrictions

Wednesday, 9. September 2020 - 10:00 a.m.
„Social Distancing“ is a special challenge in pastoral ministry. How did churches in East and West react to the COVID-19 pandemic? How have the tasks and requirements for pastoral workers changed? What new ideas has the crisis brought forth? What questions has it raised in the different country contexts?
Direct quotes from Central and Eastern Europe will be heard in this video conference which will be conducted together with the Catholic Department for Missionary Pastoral (KAMP, Erfurt). Experts will be Dr. Denes Kiss (Univ. Cluj/Romania), Prof. Dr. Klára Csiszár (Univ. Linz + Univ. Cluj) and Dr. Hubertus Schönemann (KAMP, Erfurt). In addition, an exchange of experiences between the participants in small groups is planned.
Moderation: Andrea Imbsweiler (KAMP)

Humanity and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Biblical Approaches on how to deal with the Crisis

Wednesday, 9. September 2020 - 2:00 p.m.
Whether earthquakes, plague epidemics or sudden death: the question why a merciful God allows illness and suffering has been asked for thousands of years. In the Old and New Testament, the image of the „suffering righteous man“ is one of the most catchy metaphors, and the Book of Job is dedicated to the topic as a whole. In a longer impulse, Dr. Halyna Teslyuk (lecturer for Old Testament at the Catholic University of Lviv/Ukraine) will unfold various aspects of the topic using biblical texts. This will be followed by a discussion with Dr. Josip Bošniaković (priest, psychotherapist and lecturer for religious psychology at the University of Djakovo/Croatia), in which experiences from pastoral care and counselling on this topic will be incorporated.

Orphaned Educational Institutions and full Data Highways: Church Adult Education in Times of COVID-19

Wednesday, 9. September 2020 - 4:30 p.m.
Within the church, not only pastoral care in the narrower sense was affected by the pandemic, but also church educational institutions, which were no longer able to provide their usual services, but in some cases also developed new digital formats. Due to the financial shortfalls, the continued existence of many educational institutions and other adult education offerings is fundamentally threatened, and this applies to Germany as well as to Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe. The problems briefly presented here, but also the opportunities to break new ground, will be the focus of a discussion in which directress Dr. Claudia Pfrang, Domberg-Akademie Freising (also moderator), Dr. Jan Heinzl, director of the Monastic Educational Institute Hejnice (Czech Republic) and Dr. Šimo Maršić. director of the Youth House "John Paul II.", Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) will participate.
Moderation: Dr. Claudia Pfrang

Europe at the Crossroads: Unity or Dissension – The Corona Crisis and its Consequences for Europe

Thursday, 10. September 2020 - 10:00 a.m.
Visible signs of the crisis at European level were the border closures, which often took place without prior notice or consultation with neighbouring countries and often provoked emotional reactions; one need only think of scenes on the German-Luxembourg border. The European Union reacted hesitantly and rather helplessly, the crisis within the Union, which had already been smouldering for some time, deepened, and new rifts between "North" and "South" opened up alongside the existing rifts between "West" and "East". But does this finding stand up to closer scrutiny? Even in the midst of the crisis there was help and solidarity, and not least the churches repeatedly pointed out what was unifying in Europe. In a discussion led by the journalist Marek Ząjac, Warsaw (Poland), the Member of the European Parliament Sven Giegold (Brussels/Düsseldorf) will comment on this together with Prof. Dr. András Máte-Tóth, religious scholar (Univ. Szeged, Hungary). A video impulse by the President of COMECE, Archbishop Jean-Claude Cardinal Hollerich SJ (Luxembourg), is also planned.
Moderation: Marek Ząjac

Between Slaughterhouse and Brain Drain: Labour Migration and COVID-19

Thursday, 10. September 2020 - 2:00 p.m.
The still precarious situation of migrant workers in Germany was brought to public attention by the pandemic, when mass infections occurred in the accommodations of slaughterhouses and large agricultural enterprises. Particularly affected were workers from Romania, Bulgaria and other countries of Central and Eastern Europe, whose fate trade unions and churches have been pointing to for years without any significant response. After a short video recording, Pastor Wolfgang Herrmann, head of the Stuttgart corporate chaplaincy, will introduce the topic; experts from Bulgaria and Croatia will also have their say.
Moderation: Claudia Gawrich (Renovabis)