The 47th plenary assembly of the Slovak Episcopal Conference (KBS) was held at Spiská Kapitula in Slovakis on 27/28 January. All 17 members of the episcopate were present. The Nuncio apostolic in Slovakia, Msgr, Henryk Jozef Nowacki, also participated in the assembly. In his opening speech he thanked all those who had contributed to the preparation of the accord on Catholic education between the Holy See and the Slovak Republic, signed at the end of January. He called it “a fruit of the Pope’s last visit”. Various issues were on the agenda. First, the preparation of the national pilgrimage to Rome on 14 February to repay John Paul’s visit and the international pilgrimage to Mariazell on 22-23 May 2004: “the culmination of the Katholikentag“, the congress of the Catholics of Central Europe. “These two events said the bishops especially serve to enable the ecclesial community to grasp the importance of the central theme: Christ hope for Europe”. For this reason the bishops urged parish communities, youth groups and the various associations to meditate on the post-synodal Exhortation “Ecclesia in Europa” during Lent. In this regards, a pastoral letter of the episcopate will be read out in all the churches of the country on 15 February. The bishops’ attention was also focused on Slovakia’s forthcoming entry into the European Union on 1st May. The event will be preceded by a message of the bishops to be disseminated during the previous week. Meetings, debates and prayers in all the country’s parishes are also planned for this period, while the night between 30 April and 1st May will be entirely dedicated to the adoration of the Eucharist.
