The 70 members of the German Bishops’ Conference will meet for their spring plenary assembly in Berlin from 6 to 9 March. At the centre of the meeting, which will be held for the first time in the German capital, will be a study day devoted to prospects for the youth apostolate, including an evaluation of the last World Youth Day and the opportunities for youth pastoral work in the dioceses. Religious education, science and liturgy are other themes that will be discussed by the bishops, more specifically the reorganization of Catholic liturgical and theological studies, the formulation of formative standards for Catholic religious education in primary schools, the revision of the ecumenical translation of the Bible and a common book of hymns and prayers. Lastly, the Bishops’ Conference will discuss problems linked to the application of the law on immigration and the consequences of the German reform of the labour market; the project “The future begins here: marriage and family”; and the Church’s commitment in view of the world soccer championships to be held in Germany. At the ecumenical level, the bishops will exchange views on the third European ecumenical assembly, which opened in Rome in January with a meeting of delegates, and is due to conclude with a final assembly at Sibiu (Romania) in September 2007.
