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Luis de Guindos Interviewed by Helsingin Sanomat

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European Central Bank
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World Economic Forum, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
World Economic Forum, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Interview with Luis de Guindos, Vice-President of the ECB, conducted by Petri Sajari on 24 November 2020

28 November 2020

What are the key risks for the euro area recovery at the moment?

The fourth quarter of 2020 will be marked by the measures taken by euro area governments to deal with the new wave of coronavirus (COVID-19) infections that started after the summer. While these containment measures are generally not on the same scale as those taken in March or April, they will have an impact on the economy. We had a welcome surprise in the third quarter, but our quarter-on-quarter growth projection for the fourth, which was slightly above 3%, will not be met. Looking at leading indicators such as the purchasing managers’ index, negative quarter-on-quarter growth is now the most realistic scenario for the end of the year.

The main issue in the near future will be the availability of the vaccine and the precise details of how and when it is to be rolled out. The news is having a positive impact on market sentiment, but the implementation of the vaccine warrants our attention. Hopefully, a very high percentage of the population will soon be vaccinated and the nightmare of this pandemic will begin to draw to a close.

According to the International Monetary Fund, the pandemic will have the largest impact on the eurozone economy. What do you think the long-term damage of this crisis will be?

There are indeed factors that cause concern. The first long-term consequence of the pandemic is that public debt-to-GDP ratios will increase by between 15 and 20 percentage points. Similarly, leverage in the private, mainly corporate, sector will also increase. And there is a risk, which we need to avoid, of long-term scars in the labour market. Currently we see a decoupling between the drop in economic activity and the evolution of the labour market, i.e. unemployment levels have not risen by as much as you would expect with such a deep decline in activity. This is because the temporary work schemes implemented by governments across Europe are avoiding a sharp increase in unemployment.

We believe the economy will start to recover in 2021 and continue its revival in 2022. It will be essential that those who are currently on furlough schemes continue to belong to the labour force, and that those who have lost their jobs can rejoin the labour market. We can then not only recover the level of economic activity we had before the pandemic, but also the level of employment.

If the crisis gets worse, which now seems inevitable, what more will the ECB be able to do?

As I’ve mentioned, the fourth quarter will be worse than forecast, but the medium-term outlook – mainly because of the ray of hope brought by news of the vaccine – looks brighter. However, when we assess our instruments we do not only look at economic output. We also look at the evolution of inflation, which is our primary mandate. Inflation will be negative until the end of the year and we expect that it will turn positive next year because some drivers of this negative inflation will be reverted, for instance the reductions in value added tax or the sharp decline in oil prices caused by the lack of economic activity. All in all, we expect inflation to be close to 1% in 2021 and to see it moving up towards 1.2% or 1.3% in 2022.

As President Lagarde indicated after the last Governing Council meeting, we will recalibrate our instruments in December and this recalibration mainly involves our targeted longer-term refinancing operations (TLTRO), which is an instrument to inject liquidity into the banking sector, and the pandemic emergency purchase programme (PEPP), which right now comprises an envelope of €1.35 trillion to be implemented until mid-2021.These are the two main tools if the situation gets darker, although the arrival of the vaccines brings hope regarding the medium-term outlook.

Is there a risk that low interest rates, combined with the asset purchase program and the PEPP, are creating zombie companies that would not have survived under normal financial conditions and are therefore an obstacle to creative destruction?

The interest rate environment is not only a consequence of monetary policy decisions. It is also the consequence of a combination of other factors, such as globalisation, digitalisation and demographics. These have made the natural interest rate, which is a real variable rather than a monetary variable, decline over time. This, combined with very low inflation expectations, has created a situation where nominal interest rates, which are the ones we observe in the markets, are very low. But this is not only a result of monetary policy – it also reflects a decline in the natural interest rate.

Furthermore, low rates have been very useful in sustaining economic activity. Without them, the process would most likely not just have been one of creative destruction but one of simple destruction of companies and a decline in GDP.

Some might also say that the high debt levels in the economy will lead to zombie banks and zombie companies that constrain growth because of extraordinary debt burdens. What is your assessment of this?

As I mentioned earlier, there will be a legacy of debt after this crisis, in both the public and the private sector, and we will have to take this into consideration. But there is no alternative in the short term. The first line of defence against the consequences of the pandemic has been, and had to be, fiscal policy. The alternative – doing nothing – would have had much worse consequences in the short term and also in the medium and long term.

Regarding private debt, when you experience a decline in revenues as substantial as that experienced by many European companies, you need to try to bridge the gap and survive until the pandemic is over. And to do that you need to take on debt. There’s no alternative. Once the pandemic is over, issues such as fiscal sustainability and private lending will come to the fore, but in the short term there is no alternative.

Let’s move to the banking system. What are the main vulnerabilities in the eurozone banking system?

European banks have more capital and are more liquid and resilient than before the global financial crisis. But their weak point is very low profitability, which is reflected in very low valuations. This is not trivial, as it has an impact on their capacity to raise capital in the markets or generate it organically. It also makes it challenging to achieve an adequate level of provisioning that is in line with developments in the economy. Profitability was already the key weak point before the pandemic, and the crisis has aggravated it. Banks will also suffer a decline in revenues and the level of non-performing loans (NPLs) will go up. We expect the bulk of the NPL wave to come in the first half of next year.

Do you believe there will be consolidation via mergers and acquisitions in the eurozone banking sector?

We have started to see some consolidation, for instance in Italy and Spain. So far it’s domestic consolidation. It would be good if we also saw some cross-border consolidation. Consolidation is not a target in itself, but it could be a way to reduce excess capacity and costs.

The ECB started its asset purchase programme in early 2015 and abandoned it in late 2018. In autumn 2019, it was started again, but inflation remains very low. What are the key factors behind this extraordinarily low inflation?

Both headline and core inflation have been low over the last ten years and, as I mentioned, there are some structural factors, such as digitalisation, globalisation and demographics, that help explain why. In 2015 and 2016, there was a clear risk of deflation and the ECB acted to avoid it and to anchor inflation expectations. It remains to be seen what will happen with some of these factors. For instance, globalisation will likely not be as intense as it has been in recent decades, as the pandemic could make value chains more regional, which might have an impact on inflation. However, according to our projections inflation will remain low, and we will therefore keep monetary policy accommodative so that inflation can converge to our medium term aim.

In July 2020 the European Union introduced a recovery plan worth €750 billion. What is your take on that? Is there a risk that States may use it in a manner that does not promote structural changes?

The Next Generation EU fund is a very positive response, not only because of its size but also because it sends a very clear signal of the common willingness to defend Europe and the euro area. And regarding the funds, indeed, it’s not about spending but about spending properly, through programmes that can transform the European economy and accompany the structural reforms needed to improve productivity and enhance competitiveness. The European Commission will monitor this spending. If this money is not spent properly, we will be missing a great opportunity to make the European economy greener, more digital and more competitive.

Since introducing the PEPP in March, the ECB has definitely been able to calm the markets, but many people might still wonder how the programme has supported the real economy and households. What is your answer?

Calming the situation in the sovereign debt markets also brought reassurance to other markets, which has had a positive impact on the financing conditions that banks offer to their clients, households and companies. By avoiding fragmentation in the sovereign debt markets, we also avoided a credit crunch. Furthermore, PEPP also includes corporate sector purchases such as bonds or commercial paper.

Do you believe the attitude towards public debt has changed for good? Or is this change temporary, based on the fact that extraordinary times require extraordinary actions to support the economy?

Fiscal policy has to be the first line of defence, and fiscal deficits will be the consequence of the measures that governments have taken and will continue to take to address the impact of the pandemic. Public expenditure has to focus on the pandemic, for instance on furlough or public guarantee schemes, healthcare, etc. As a result, we will see larger public debt ratios. But in the medium term, once the pandemic is over, the situation will need to be addressed to ensure the sustainability of public finances.

So, basically, your answer is that you don’t believe that there has been a major shift in attitude towards public debt?

The big change is that the pandemic has caused a public health crisis which demanded a fiscal response. There was no alternative and, in the medium term, we will see higher public debt ratios. We will have to deal with that once the pandemic is over.

The response to this crisis has been quite different from what it was ten years ago, when the eurozone crisis began, because then the constant narrative was that we cannot allow public debt to increase.

This time is different. This crisis hasn’t been triggered by banks or financial stability troubles, as was the case in 2008. This is an exogenous shock of a magnitude we have not seen since the end of the Second World War. The policy response was the only one available: fiscal measures as the first line of defence, accompanied by monetary policy. Not acting rapidly on the fiscal side would have provoked an even deeper decline in GDP, and fiscal policy would also have had to react to that.

David Horowitz to Newsmax TV: Supreme Court Ruling on Religion/COVID Refreshing

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Newsdesk
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David Horowitz to Newsmax TV: Supreme Court Ruling on Religion/COVID Refreshing

Former liberal-turned-conservative author David Horowitz called the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that prohibited New York Gov. Mario Cuomo’s COVID-19-justified limits on religious gatherings ”refreshing” because the ”Democrat Party has abandoned America.”


”The most troubling thing about all the troubles we’re going through is how the Democrat Party has abandoned America,” the 81-year-old Horowitz said on Newsmax TV’s ”The Chris Salcedo Show” on Friday.


”They’ve forgotten the fundamental principles. It’s refreshing to see the Supreme Court reassert them. But it should have been a 9-0 vote. You can’t defend the freedom of liquor stores to open and not churches and synagogues.”


Horowitz was reacting to the Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision issued late Wednesday that barred Cuomo from enforcing his ”cluster initiative” that placed limits on church services to ostensibly limit the spread of the novel coronavirus.


The ruling appeared to overturn two previous rulings this summer, the most recent in July regarding a case out of Nevada in which a 5-4 court approved much stricter state regulations on churches than casinos.


The Nevada case, and an earlier one out of California, came with Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the court. She died in September and was replaced by Amy Coney Barrett.


”The most basic freedom we have as Americans is religious freedom, freedom of conscience,” said Horowitz, whose book, ”Blitz: Trump Will Smash the Left and Win” released in June has been listed on the bestsellers list of The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today.


”It’s how the country was created. It was created by religious refugees from religious persecution.”


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Pope appeals for end to violence in Ethiopia’s Tigray region – Vatican News

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Pope appeals for end to violence in Ethiopia’s Tigray region - Vatican News

By Devin Watkins & Nathan Morley

In a statement released by the Holy See Press Office on Friday evening, Pope Francis voiced his concern for the situation in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, as well as surrounding areas.

Matteo Bruni, Press Office Director, said the Pope is following news of the conflict closely.

“Because of the violence, hundreds of civilians have died and tens of thousands of people are forced to flee their homes to Sudan,” the statement read. “During the Angelus on 8 November, Pope Francis, referring to the ongoing conflict in Ethiopia, said: ‘While I urge that the temptation of an armed conflict be rejected, I invite everyone to prayer and to fraternal respect, to dialogue and to a peaceful resolution to the disagreements.’”

In the statement, the Pope also lamented the worsening humanitarian situation.

“The Holy Father, in calling for prayer for this country, appeals to the parties to the conflict to stop the violence, to protect all lives, especially those of civilians, and to restore peace to the people.”

AU-led talks

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has received three African ex-leaders working on behalf of the African Union. Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, and Kgalema Motlanthe of South Africa all arrived in Ethiopia for talks on Friday.

The AU called for an immediate halt to hostilities on 10 November, but the conflict only spiralled further out of control.

Final offensive

Now, Abiy’s army is currently poised for a final offensive against regional forces in the Tigray region. Three weeks ago, he deployed the national Army on an offensive against local troops in Tigray after accusing them of attacking federal troops.

He said the military would bring an end to the fighting in the region and remove its leadership, which his government regards as illegal.

Standing firm

As it stands, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which holds control of the northern region, still refuses to surrender its rule.

Abiy’s forces are currently near Mekelle, a city of 500,000 people. The TPLF said its forces would stand firm, as soldiers dug trenches and prepared fortifications. 

Humanitarian emergency

Over the last few weeks, thousands have died and more than 30,000 refugees have fled to Sudan. Reports suggest this conflict is already spilling into Eritrea and destabilising the wider Horn of Africa.

On Friday, the UNHCR said nearly 100,000 Eritrean refugees in Tigray could run out of food as early as next week if supplies cannot reach them.

The UN are hoping to raise US$200 million to cover food, shelter and the other urgent needs of refugees, with plans to help 200,000 people over the next six-months.

Fair and effective taxation: Council adopts conclusions

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Council of the EU and European Council
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Fair and effective taxation: Council adopts conclusions

EU member states want to ensure that EU tax policy remains fit for purpose and results in fair and effective taxation in the increasingly globalised and digitalised economy of the 21st century.

The Council today approved conclusions setting out its comprehensive assessment of the main tax policy issues to be addressed over the coming years, to shape the EU policy agenda in the field of taxation. The conclusions outline the Council’s priorities and provide guidance to the Commission in different areas of EU action, including addressing the challenges of the digitalisation of the economy, enhancing administrative cooperation between member states’ tax authorities and promoting tax good governance in the EU and beyond.

In the conclusions, the Council underlines that fair and effective taxation systems in member states are central to the sustainable recovery of the EU from the COVID-19 crisis, requiring tax policies that generate revenues for both national and EU budgets. Such systems can also support a smooth transition towards the policy goals of sustainable competitiveness, the European Green Deal and full use of the potential of digitalisation in a global economy.

The Council welcomes the significant progress made at the level of the OECD Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) on updating the international corporate taxation framework and confirms its continued support for this work, aimed at reaching a global consensus-based solution at the latest by mid-2021. It expresses the willingness of the EU and its member states to look into the possibilities for implementing the global agreement as soon as possible and recalls that the European Council will assess the issue in March 2021. It asks the Commission to engage on that basis in the relevant preparatory work in the Council on the way forward in line with EU law, in order to address the tax challenges of the digital economy, including in the absence of an international consensus by mid-2021.

EU member states are sending a powerful signal in support of a multilateral solution for taxing the digital and globalised economy. The Council fully supports the work of the OECD Inclusive Framework. I am confident that we can reach a global agreement by summer next year. All corporations should pay their fair share of taxes, including corporations in the digital economy. This is a question of justice and fair competition. This is also a question of sovereignty and state capacity to take action. Member states need proper financial resources to counter the coronavirus crisis effectively and to facilitate the digital and green transitions.
Olaf Scholz, Germany’s Federal Minister of Finance and Vice Chancellor

The Council also underlines the important progress made under the Council’s Code of Conduct for Business Taxation in promoting tax good governance standards in the EU and beyond, including with the use of the EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes. It reiterates its readiness to continue to discuss the scope of the mandate of the Code of Conduct Group (Business Taxation) as soon as there are relevant developments at international level, but no later than by the beginning of 2022.

Another important work stream concerns administrative cooperation on tax matters, where the new EU rules on exchange of information on revenue generated on digital platforms will set an example globally. The Council welcomes the Commission’s intention to propose further amendments to the Council directive on administrative cooperation in the field of taxation, in particular with regard to the exchange of tax-relevant data for new alternative means of payment and investment, such as crypto-assets and e-money.

The conclusions also set out the Council’s views on other tax policy issues, such as modernisation of the EU value added tax (VAT) rules and further assessment of cross-border administrative cooperation in the VAT area, excise duties, and tax administration and tax compliance.

The conclusions respond to the Commission’s communications on an action plan for fair and simple taxation supporting the recovery strategy and on tax good governance in the EU and beyond, presented in July 2020.

Cardinal Czerny: young people and migrants at heart of better post-Covid world – Vatican News

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officialinstitutions
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Cardinal Czerny: young people and migrants at heart of better post-Covid world - Vatican News

By Michele Raviart

The role of young people in shaping society will be central in the world that will emerge from the coronavirus pandemic. We can only emerge better from this crisis if we overcome individualism and include those who are most vulnerable and marginalized, such as migrants and refugees.

These are amongst the considerations raised by Cardinal Michael Czerny, undersecretary of the Migrants and Refugees Section of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, in his speech during an online conference at the Catholic Jesuit Center of Sophia University in Tokyo.

The effects of the pandemic on migrants

The event took place one year from Pope Francis’ apostolic visit to Japan and included a series of meetings to reflect on the Pope’s words – in particular, on the connection between “protecting all life” and the challenges the world is facing with Covid-19.

Taking inspiration from the Pope’s reflections of the past months and the encyclical letter Fratelli tutti, Cardinal Czerny on Friday invited his audience to think “of how the COVID crisis affects migrants, refugees, displaced peoples, and victims of human trafficking. It has shone an unusual light on these populations. Even ‘normal’ times are not normal for them. They are accustomed to enduring months and typically years of uncertainty, acute anxiety, precarious nutrition and lodging, poor health, legal limbo, and either unemployment or the risk of exploitation and abuse if they do find paid work.” 

They cannot go back to their countries of origin because of the closure of borders and they find themselves with even fewer means to survive. Governments seek solutions for their citizens and migrants and refugees risk being doubly – and sometimes deliberately – forgotten. This happens while their contribution to society in this period has been crucial: think of farm labourers or those in charge of distribution and delivery, many of whom live in shantytowns without social distancing, in camps or detention centres.

The “virus” of injustice

Cardinal Czerny noted that the pandemic has struck a society in which there is already widespread injustice – a “big virus” in addition to the “small but terrible virus” of COVID-19, and for the “larger virus” of social injustice, inequality of opportunity, marginalization, and the lack of protection for the weakest.

He recalled the Pope’s definition of injustice as a virus from which one can defend oneself with the antibodies of justice, clarity and solidarity. The pandemic, he said, has highlighted both our vulnerability and our interdependence.

This is not necessarily a bad thing, because these are two factors that unite us and, if we emerge better from these crises, it will be by not falling into the temptation of individualism, be it personal or collective, often expressed in the form of political nationalism and narrow economic interests.

The teachings of Fratelli Tutti

The Cardinal said the answer to the crisis can be found in some ancient teachings of the Christian tradition, as is made clear in Fratelli tutti, where the Pope asks us to establish fraternity and social friendship among all peoples and nations. This, Czerny explained, has clear implications for vulnerable populations such as migrants and refugees.

He also called for the right not to migrate that implies the right of all men and women to obtain self-realization and not be forced to flee tragedies such as hunger, war and climate change to seek new opportunities and to dream of a better future. He decried the many obstacles they face, starting from nationalist and populist regimes that try to exclude migrants, entrenched behind defensive walls and a xenophobic mentality that, he said, is not compatible with Christianity. 

Young people

The decisive role in creating a culture of fraternity, solidarity and gratuitousness will be played by young people. Respect for history, for the elderly, for creation and a commitment to social dialogue between generations and to solidarity, Cardinal Czerny said, are the founding values for a better society, always going forward with openness, towards migrants and refugees.

“The pandemic,” he concluded, “has put us all in crisis,” but as Pope Francis says: “Let us remember that after a crisis a person is not the same. We come out of it better, or we come out of it worse. This is our option.”

Hungary and Poland pledge to veto EU Budget – Vatican News

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By Stefan J. Bos

Hungary’s and Poland’s leaders are furious over the European Union’s efforts to link funds’ allocation to respect for the rule of law. EU critics have singled out both countries for their perceived efforts to limit the media’s independence and the judiciary and their alleged trampling on human rights.    

The dispute has seen Poland and Hungary block 1.8 trillion euros (more than $2.1 trillion) worth of EU funds. That includes hundreds of billions in coronavirus relief to be disbursed to those suffering most under the pandemic’s weight.

Heard through an interpreter in Budapest, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán defended their decision to veto the new EU budget. “We are going to unify our arguments and join forces in this debate,” he told reporters. “Hungary will not accept such a proposal, which is unacceptable for Poland. What is on the table under the name of the rule of law is not the rule of law but rather the rule of the majority,” he added. 

Orbán said his nation debated many issues with other EU member states, “regarding migration, national sovereignty, and gender.” Therefore, “I can’t put Hungary at risk of being restrained by a simple majority on such issues that Hungarians cannot accept,” he stressed.

Standing next to him was Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who shares Hungary’s concerns. “We are standing in front of a new challenge, in front of a totally new mechanism,” the Polish leader explained. “Due to its political implementation, which is motivated by political decisions, and could even lead to the EU’s disintegration.” 

At odds with Merkel 

On Friday, the Polish prime minister also confirmed to German Chancellor Angela Merkel that Poland was ready to veto the new European Union funding. 

In a statement on social media, he said a veto is necessary as Brussels must first a solution that, in his words, “is good for the EU as a whole, not just for some of its members.”

Hungary and Poland were once seen as an example of democratic changes following the collapse of Communism. But in recent years, they have been criticized for perceived autocratic tendencies and anti-migration policies. 

Both governments have denied wrongdoing saying the EU should not become an empire but respect nation-states’ sovereign will. 

Listen to the report by Stefan Bos

COVID-19 messages resonate with key audiences in Georgia, thanks to WHO audience research

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COVID-19 messages resonate with key audiences in Georgia, thanks to WHO audience research
Behavioural insights surveys conducted by the WHO Country Office in Georgia have led the way to better understanding the needs of key audiences in the country.

WHO/Europe directly supports 17 Member States and territories in conducting behavioural insights surveys, using a standard but adaptable tool, to gain the kind of insights into peoples’ perceptions that can help target how information is shared. The WHO Country Office in Georgia was the first country in the Region to conduct these surveys and continues to innovate in using the data they collect.

“The behavioural insights tool helped us to target the information and guided us on how to share it,” said Kakha Gvinianidze, WHO National Professional Officer in Georgia, who explains that the results from the first 3 rounds of data collection at the national level led them to conduct a 4th round, focusing on 2 specific regions, Kvemo Kartli and Samtskhe-Javakheti.

“We had an idea that the people in these regions would need information in Azerbaijani and Armenian, but the survey results confirmed this for us, along with many other important aspects, including the fact that people there were less aware about the virus and had lower risk perception,” reported Mr Gvinianidze. The team also learned that national television, where many campaigns are broadcast, was less popular, and overall satisfaction with the information received was lower than in the national-level surveys.

Language, local influencers and inclusivity

These insights allowed the team in Georgia – led by WHO, the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health (NCDC) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) – to target their actions to the specific needs of people living in these regions.

Using the results from the behavioural insights tool, the team in Georgia identified 3 key areas for specific focus: 1) using the language that people use; 2) engaging with local influencers and networks; and 3) creating messages that inspire inclusion, such as “No one is 100% safe from the virus” and “Let’s defeat COVID-19 together”.

Next, the WHO Country Office shared their behavioural insights findings with the municipal authorities in Kvemo Kartli and Samtskhe-Javakheti, as well as with the Ministry of Health and NCDC. These key stakeholders then provided feedback on how best to translate this data into actionable messages and interventions.

No-rules fighter and a singer promoting COVID-19 messages

A famous “no-rules” fighter agreed to appear in posters in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region, wearing a facemask and reinforcing COVID-19 safety messages. Similarly, in the Kvemo Kartli region, a well-known singer joined with many respected writers, teachers and other cultural figures to create and adapt COVID-19 messages.

The WHO Country Office, with financial support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), created a short video featuring these local influencers, who also feature in a television clip and on digital billboards in the cities of Marneuli, Bolnisi and Gardabani, Akhalkalaki and Ninotsminda. In addition, bilingual posters have been put up on public transport, at tea houses, bazars and bus stations, and in other public settings.

Silviu Domente, WHO Representative in Georgia, says the initiative was very well received. “The behavioural insights tool helps us to better target the information campaigns and more efficiently use the available resources,” he says, noting that the project in Georgia is funded by WHO, UNICEF, and the European Union Solidarity for Health initiative in 6 countries of the Eastern Partnership.

Philippine Church dedicates 2021 pastoral year to missionary renewal – Vatican News

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Philippine Church dedicates 2021 pastoral year to missionary renewal - Vatican News

By Vatican News staff writer

It was on March 31, 1521, that the Eucharist was first celebrated on Philippine soil on the island of Limasawa, south of Leyte.  Since 2012, the Catholic Church in the Philippines has been on a 9-year preparation for the 2021 5th centenary, with each year focussing on a specific theme and aspect of the Church and faith life.

With this in mind, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has dedicated 2021 as the Year of “Missio ad Gentes”, the Latin for “mission to the nations”.  CBCP president, Archbishop Romulo Valles of Davao released a pastoral letter for the inauguration of the pastoral year, which will take place on Saturday, Nov. 28. 

“Gifted to give”

“The Christian faith arrived and prospered in our land, through the dedication and heroic sacrifices of thousands of men and women missionaries from various parts of the world,”  notes the pastoral letter entitled, “Becoming Jesus’ Missionary Disciples”.  “They treasured the gift of faith they had received and desired to share this gift with others.”

Archbishop Valles draws attention to the overall theme of the 9 years of preparation for the celebration of the 5th centenary, stressing that all Christians are “gifted to give.”  This “giftedness”, the letter says, motivated generous missionaries over the centuries. It should also “enflame the hearts of all of us today to engage in mission here at home and in other countries (missio ad gentes)”.  It recalls the mandate of Jesus: “What you have received as a gift, give as a gift” (Mt 10:8).  “We pray for a missionary renewal of our Church -both at home (ad intra) and beyond our borders (ad extra) during our celebration of the 500 years -and into the future!” the bishops urge.

Joy

In keeping with the task of missionary renewal during the pastoral year, Archbishop Valles focuses on the virtues of joy and mercy. Citing Pope Francis 2013 Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii gaudium, he says that salvation history is a “great stream of joy”. “Let the joy of faith be revived because God’s mercies never end. Unfortunately, ‘there are Christians whose lives seem like Lent without Easter’. ‘An evangelizer must never look like someone who has just come back from a funeral’. We all must not ‘end up stifling the joy of mission’, both here at home and in other lands!”

Mercy

Speaking about mercy, the Philippine bishops’ president again cites the Pope regarding the Jubilee Year of Mercy 2016, where he stresses, “mercy is God’s identity card”. As the “wellspring of joy, serenity and peace”, which “connects God and man”, mercy is the “very foundation of the Church’s life”.  “In our parishes, communities, associations and movements, in a word, wherever there are Christians,” the Pope says, “everyone should find an oasis of mercy.”

The Philippine bishops’ pastoral message for the year 2021 concludes, urging for two graces as exhorted by Pope Francis: “Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of missionary vigour”, and “Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of missionary enthusiasm”. 

All things consistory: linguistic origin…. – Vatican News

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All things consistory: linguistic origin.... - Vatican News

By Veronica Scarisbrick

Saturday’s consistory, during which Pope Francis is set to create thirteen new cardinals, provides us with an opportunity to dig into our archives in search of popular “Latin Lover”, Carmelite Father Reginald Foster’s linguistic expertise.

In a conversation with Veronica Scarisbrick, the Latinist explains how some of the vocabulary surrounding consistories derives from the Latin, including the word cardinal: “Cardinals are the hinges on which the Church revolves…”; we say “to create cardinals” because the word creare means to appoint them…”

Listen to the podcast, presented and produced by Veronica Scarisbrick, in which Father Foster describes the linguistic origin “of all things consistory”, including the red hat:

Listen to Veronica Scarisbrick and Fr Reginald Foster talk about the linguistic origin of “all things consistory”

Brexit: How travel to the European Union from 2021 will change

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Newsdesk
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Technically the UK has left the European Union, but from the traveller’s point of view, nothing significant has changed during the transition phase. This comes to an end at 11pm GMT (midnight Western European Time) on 31 December 2020.

After that, life for British visitors to the EU becomes very different. The one exception is for Ireland, where very little changes: notably customs and motor insurance rules.

For everywhere else in Europe, these are the most critical changes.

Passports

Even if you have a burgundy passport with “European Union” on the cover, it will continue to be valid as a UK travel document. The problem is, from 1 January 2021, European rules on passport validity become much tougher.Read more

On the day of travel to the EU (as well as non-members Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland and the plucky Vatican City) your passport must pass two tests.

1. Was it issued less than nine years, six months ago?

2. Does it have six months’ validity remaining.

The reason: the UK has traditionally given renewals up to nine months’ extra validity in addition to the normal 10 years. So a passport issued on 30 June 2011 could show an expiry date of 30 March 2022.

While this was fine when the UK was part of the European Union, British travellers must now meet the strict rules on passport validity for visitors from “third countries”.

In particularly, passports issued by non-member countries are regarded as expired once they have been valid for 10 years.

While the expiry date printed in the passport remains valid for the UK and other non-EU countries around the world, within the European Union the issue date is critical.

A passport issued on 30 June 2011 is regarded by the EU as expiring on 30 June 2021. Therefore if the holder attempted to board a plane to the European Union on New Year’s Day 2021, it would be considered to have insufficient validity and the airline would be obliged to turn them away – even though the British passport has almost 15 months to run.

Until September 2018, the government appeared unaware of the problem. Once the issue was identified, the practice of giving up to nine months’ grace ended abruptly.

Border formalities

EU fast-track lanes for passport control will no longer be open to British travellers, although countries that receive a large number of visitors from the UK, such as Spain and Portugal, may make special arrangements.

The process is likely to be slower, and with no guarantee of entry.

At present, all a border official can do is to check that the travel document is valid, and that it belongs to you.

From 1 January 2021, the official is required by EU law to conduct deeper checks. They may ask for the purpose of the visit, where you plan to travel and stay, how long you intend to remain in the EU and how you propose to fund your stay.

Length of stay

From 1 January 2021, the “90/180 rule” takes effect. For holidaymakers and business travellers who normally stay a long time in Europe, it has significant effects. You may stay only 90 days (about three months) in any 180 (six months).

Example: if you spend January, February and March in the EU – totalling 90 days – you must leave the zone before 1 April and cannot return until 30 June.

You will then be able to spend the summer in Europe until 27 September, when you must leave again – and can’t come back until Boxing Day.

Any time spent in the EU up to the end of 2020 does not count. So if you spend December in Spain, the clock does not start ticking until New Year’s Day.

The UK government says: “Different rules will apply to Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania. If you visit these countries, visits to other EU countries will not count towards the 90-day total.”

British citizens can stay as long as they like in the Republic of Ireland.

People who have a work or residential visa for a specific EU country will be treated differently.

Visas

Initially they will not be needed, but from 2022 (or possibly later) British visitors will need to register online and pay in advance for an “Etias“ permit under the European Travel Information and Authorisation System.

Brexit briefing: How long until the end of the transition period?

Returning to the UK

Previously there were no limits on the value of goods you could bring in from European Union nations. From the start of 2021, the European Union will be treated the same as the rest of the world – which means that there are now strict limits on what you can bring back free of duty.

For alcohol, the limits are 4 litres of spirits or 9 litres of sparkling wine, 18 litres of still wine and 16 litres of beer, which hopefully will see you through at least an evening. Arrivals to the UK will also qualify to bring in 200 duty-free cigarettes.

“Anything that increases the availability of tobacco is a negative step for public health,” the British Medical Association says.

If you exceed any of these limits, you will pay tax on the whole lot.

There is a limit of €430 – roughly £400 – for all other goods, from Camembert to clothing.

Health care

For more than 40 years, British travellers have benefited from free or very low-cost medical treatment in the EU and its predecessor organisations. The European Health Insurance Card (Ehic) and the document it replaced, the E111, have proved extremely valuable for many elderly travellers, and/or people with pre-existing medical conditions.

Since the EU referendum, the government has repeatedly said that it hopes to establish a reciprocal health treaty mirroring the European Health Insurance Card (Ehic).

For example, the then-health minister, Stephen Hammond, said: “The department recognises that people with some pre-existing conditions rely on the Ehic to be able to travel.”

The pretence has now been dropped, and the government now says: “You should always get appropriate travel insurance with healthcare cover before you go abroad.

“It’s particularly important you get travel insurance with the right cover if you have a pre-existing medical condition.”

The Association of British Insurers warns: “Claims costs within Europe are currently reduced due to the presence of the Ehic, which covers some or all state-provided medical costs.

“In the absence of the Ehic or similar reciprocal health agreement, insurers will inevitably see an increase in claims costs – this could have a direct impact on the prices charged to consumers.”

One bit of latitude: if you enter an EU country by 31 December 2020, your Ehic will remain valid until you leave that country.

Driving licences

Your licence carries the EU symbol but, as with passports, will still be valid as a UK document from 2021 until its expiry date.

The government says: “You may need extra documents from 1 January 2021. You might need an international driving permit (IDP) to drive in some countries.”

In fact, you may need two. A 1949 IDP (valid one year) is required for Spain, Cyprus and Malta, while the 1968 version (valid three years) is valid everywhere else in the EU.

The IDP is an antiquated document available at larger post offices. Take your driving licence plus a passport photo and £5.50 for each permit that you need.

Motor insurance

Under the European Union 2009 motor insurance directive, any vehicle legally insured in one EU country can be driven between other European nations on the same policy.

From 1 January you will need a “Green Card” – an official, multilingual translation of your car insurance that demonstrate you meet the minimum cover requirements for the country you’re visiting.

Insurers will generally provide them free of charge, but require around two weeks’ notice.

Flights

At present, there is no legal agreement for any flights between the UK and the European Union from 1 January 2021.

The transport secretary, Grant Shapps, says: “The government’s priority is to ensure that flights can continue to operate safely, securely and punctually between the UK/EU at the end of transition period, regardless of the outcome of negotiations.

“Air travel is vital for both the UK and the EU in connecting people and facilitating trade and tourism, and we are confident measures will be in place to allow for continued air connectivity beyond the end of 2020.”

Some UK airport disruption caused by tough new passport rules may occur in the first few days if significant numbers of British travellers are denied boarding.

Ferries/Eurotunnel

Ships will continue to sail and trains will continue to run, but the National Audit Office (NAO) warns that motorists taking their cars to France on ferries from Dover or Eurotunnel from Folkestone face waits of up to two hours once the Brexit transition ends – and that queues could be “much longer” in summer.

Eurostar

Passenger trains linking London St Pancras with Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam will continue to run – but because of travel restrictions applied in response to the coronavirus pandemic, services are currently extremely limited.

Mobile phones

From 1 January 2021, the EU-wide ban on roaming charges for phone calls and internet use no longer applies to people with UK mobile phones. Providers will be free to impose whatever fees they wish.

But all the big providers have told The Independent they do not intend to bring back roaming charges.

O2 says: “We’re committed to providing our customers with great connectivity and value when they travel outside the UK. We currently have no plans to change our roaming services across Europe, maintaining our ‘Roam Like At Home’ arrangements.”

3 says: “We’ll give you free EU roaming just the same.”

EE says: “Our customers enjoy inclusive roaming in Europe and beyond, and we don’t have any plans to change this based on the Brexit outcome. So our customers going on holiday and travelling in the EU will continue to enjoy inclusive roaming.”

Vodafone says: “We have no plans to reintroduce roaming charges after Brexit.”

Should these or other providers introduce roaming charges, the government says it will cap the maximum for mobile data usage while abroad at £49 per month unless the user positively agrees to pay more.

Pets

For many years British travellers have been able to take a cat, a dog or even a ferret abroad with minimal formalities.

The government says it is “working with the European Commission to ensure a similar arrangement for pet travel between Great Britain and the EU from 1 January 2021.

“However, if an agreement is not reached there could be new requirements in place for those travelling with a pet from Great Britain to the EU from 1 January 2021.”

The hope is that the UK will become a “Part 1 listed country” under the Pet Travel Scheme. This would be the least bad option compared with what we have now.

But the issue is still not settled, so for now we have to assume the worst – that the UK will be “unlisted”. In that case, your pet must have a blood sample taken at least 30 days after its primary rabies vaccination. That sample will be sent to an EU-approved blood testing laboratory.

Then, you must “wait three months from the date the successful blood sample was taken before you can travel,” according to the government.

So if you start the process on 1 January 2021, you should be able to take a pet abroad from 1 May 2021.

One thing we do know: coming home will be no different. “There will be no change to the current health preparations for pets entering Great Britain from the EU from 1 January 2021,” says the government.

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