Checking the state of health of Christianity, its relations with other religions and its role in helping to defuse fundamentalism and terrorism: that’s the main aim of the meeting of the presidents of the 34 Episcopal Conferences that form part of the CCEE, to be held in Leeds from 30 September to 3 October. The archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, will also participate in the meeting. He, together with the archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, will intervene in a debate on ecumenism and the contribution of the Churches to Europe. In the light of the discussion, the presidents will be called to approve a programme for the third European Ecumenical Assembly. Another issue on the agenda is the relation between Churches and European institutions, following the approval of the Constitutional Treaty, and the reference to God and to Christian roots. “In particular says a statement issued by the CCEE discussion will focus on the issues that are of particular interest or concern to the Churches in the current agenda of the European Union and on the most urgent ethical questions” of our time. The second part of the meeting will concentrate, instead, on some shared events in the months ahead, in particular World Youth Day in Cologne in 2005. Cardinal O’Connor called the meeting “a suitable occasion to discuss questions of vital importance for the future of Europe”. “It’s a long time since Europe and Christianity were synonymous”, said the cardinal, “but the need for values inspired by our faith that may guide the work of the European Union has never been greater”. The cardinal added that “he was very happy that the Archbishop of Canterbury would participate in the meeting”, because ecumenical collaboration is crucial “if we want to have a role in combating poverty, in curbing violence and in the conservation of our planet”.
