European Churches" "
“Current European policy, the dramatic tragedy of the Holy Land, Africa and ecumenical dialogue”: these were the main themes at the centre of the 33rd plenary assembly of the Council of the Episcopal Conferences of Europe (CCEE), held in Vilnius (Lithuania) from 2 to 5 October. The participants included the presidents of the 34 Episcopal Conferences forming part of the CCEE. As for the first point, the bishops sent a letter to the President of the European Council Silvio Berlusconi, to coincide with the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) inaugurated in Rome on 4 October. Referring to the similar letter sent to Berlusconi by the COMECE presidency on 22 September, the bishops renewed “their hope that the Preamble of the constitutional Treaty would make an explicit reference to the Christian roots of Europe”, and asked the President of the European Council to “transmit this request to the other members of the IGC”, a request they say that is founded “on the whole history of our continent” and that “expresses the hope of the huge majority of the peoples of Europe”, heirs of the “Christian heritage in our time”. In the final communiqué issued on the conclusion of the assembly, the presidents of the Episcopal Conferences of Europe also note that “the process of drafting the constitutional Treaty and of the enlargement of the European Union was subjected to thorough discussion”. As for the other issues treated in the assembly, “the bishops once again denounce the dramatic tragedy of the Holy Land and renew their solidarity to the Christian Churches of the Middle East. It is essential they say that visits and pilgrimages to these lands be resumed”. They also “denounce the international cynicism that seems to have abandoned Africa to a destiny of ever greater poverty. That’s why the work to prepare a meeting between European and African bishops, scheduled to be held in 2004, will continue”. For the CCEE, lastly, “ecumenical dialogue through collaboration with the KEK (Conference of the Churches of Europe) remains a priority: in the years ahead the process of the Charta oecumenica together with the preparation of the third European ecumenical assembly (in 2007) will once again dominate cooperation between the two organizations”. At the end of the meeting, Msgr. Aldo Giordano was reconfirmed CCEE general secretary for a further five-year term.
