” “Bishops and youth, ” “dialogue on faith

The 10th Symposium of the European Bishops, promoted by the Council of the Episcopal Conferences of Europe (CCEE), will be held in Rome from 24 to 28 April. The venue is the Salesianum, Centre of spirituality and culture – Via della Pisana 1.111 – Tel 0039-06-656121). Theme of the Symposium is: “Youth of Europe in a period of change. Laboratories of faith”. In the working document placed at the disposal of the episcopal conferences the theme is explained with the words pronounced by the Pope at World Youth Day at Tor Vergata (Rome) in August 2000, when he defined the youth experience of the faith as “laboratory of faith”, a space for grace and listening, of search and encounter. Starting out from young people’s experience of the faith, the bishops would like to feel the pulse of the cultural change now taking place in Europe, to be better able to respond to the pastoral task of the inculturation of the faith in our European society. Four avenues of investigation are planned: What contents and prospects for a new evangelization emerge from young people’s experiences of faith? What challenges emerge for the Church from the ‘critical’ experiences young people have of the faith today? What are the essential features of itineraries of faith for young people? What are the basic characteristic of a missionary Church for and with the young? The Symposium, chaired by CCEE president Msgr. Amédée Grab, bishop of Chur in Switzerland, will be attended by a hundred or so bishops, including the presidents of the European Episcopal Conferences and the prefects of some offices of the Roman Curia. The delegates will also include 34 young people, chosen by the episcopal conferences. The work of the Symposium will also be followed by a delegation of the KEK (Conference of European Churches), representatives of other important European organizations and a dozen or so young journalists from various countries of Europe. An audience with the Holy Father is planned for Thursday, 25 April, at 11.00 am. On the previous day, the proceedings at the Salesianum will open with a eucharistic celebration officiated by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops. The organization of the Symposium is being handled by the CCEE secretariat at St. Gall (Switzerland), with the practical and logistical support of the secretariat of the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI) and SIR (Religious Information Service) as regards information. The press conference to introduce the Symposium will be held in the Marconi Room at Vatican Radio on Wednesday, 24 April, at 13.00. Speakers will include Bishop Amèdèe Grab, president of the CCEE, vice-presidents Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor Cormac (London) and Msgr. Josip Bozanic (Zagreb). Msgr. Aldo Giordano and Helmut Steindl, respectively secretary and spokesperson of the CCEE, and some of the young delegates, will also intervene. Journalists can obtain press accreditation from the Social Communications Office of the CEI, Circonvallazione Aurelia, 50, tel. 0039/06/66398209, fax 0039/06/66398239, uffstampa@chiesacattolica.it. For further information, contact: the secretariat of the CCEE, tel. 0041/71/2273374, fax 0041/71/2273375, 335/6041576 – ccee@telenet.ch. During the symposium daily updates will be given on the website www.agenziasir.it.