The Swiss bishops held their assembly from 30 August to 1st September. During the meeting, the bishops once again discussed the celebration of the Eucharist in the light of the numerous reactions caused by the recent publication of the Vatican document “Redemptionis Sacramentum”. In a statement issued at the end of the assembly, the bishops point out that the Holy See’s document is far more than “a mere list of prohibitions” and that it was published to ensure that the eucharistic celebration be “truly a celebration of the Church. The mystery of the Eucharist needs to be rediscovered, also taking due account of its ecumenical dimension”. In this regard, the Swiss episcopate has for many years been studying a document on the liturgy and the mystery of the Eucharist that will be published “shortly”. Meanwhile, the Swiss Church is preparing to celebrate 2005 as the Year of the Eucharist; it will also be the year of vocations to the priesthood for the Swiss Confederation. The memory left by the Holy Father, who met Swiss youth in June, is still strong. A concrete result of that visit is the creation of an Internet portal for Swiss Catholic youth, accessible on the website: www.leve-toi.ch. The bishops’ statement ends with a positive mention of the legislation adopted by the government in favour of maternity and the integration of foreigners, due to be submitted to a referendum on 26 September.
