The diocesan Pastoral Days and the role of the laity in the Church were among the main points discussed by the Slovenian bishops during their 23rd ordinary Assembly, held at the diocesan lycée of Vipava on 20 June. The assembly was also attended by the apostolic Nuncio in the Republic of Slovenia, Msgr. Santos Abril y Castelló. The Pastoral Days held at Koper (Vipava) on 14 May, at Ljubljana (Stièna) and at Maribor on 4 June, promoted in the framework of the pastoral guidelines of the first plenary Council of the Slovene Church, represented one of the main events of the Year of the Eucharist and of the whole pastoral programme of the three Slovenian dioceses, dedicated in particular to the role of the laity. The bishops also defined the process that will lead to the celebration of the national Pastoral Day, planned for 2007. “In the course of the assembly said the general secretary of the Slovene episcopate, Msgr. Andrej Saje two significant events were announced that will leave their mark on the near future of the Slovenian Church. First, the Slovene-Croat pilgrimage to the national sanctuary of Mary Auxiliatrix at Brezje will be held on 24 September 2005, in continuity with the events planned following the great pilgrimage of peoples to Mariazell in 2004. Second, the meeting of the general secretaries of the Council of the European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE) will be held at Ljubljana, in Slovenia, from 24 to 27 June 2006”. Other decisions taken by the assembly included the nomination of the delegate to the Third European Ecumenical Assembly of the CCEE, to be held in Sibiu (Romania) in 2007, the preparation of the next ordinary assembly (29 September) and the request to the Holy See for the subdivision of the Slovene dioceses (Murska Sobota, Celje and Novo Mesto) and the establishment of a military Ordinariate. The bishops were also informed of the programming of religious transmissions by national television and the activities of the press office.
