Thoughts, experience and projects

The Council of European Bishops Conferences (Ccee) has two new members. The CCEE Plenary Assembly held in Fatima at the beginning of October met the request of the archbishop of the Principality of Monaco and of the Bishop of Moldavia (diocese of Chisinau) to become part of the CCEE, which is now represented by 36 members. The most important event of the past months has been the Third European Ecumenical Assembly (AEE3), held in Sibiu (Romania) on past September with 2.500 participants from all the Countries of the continent. The collegiality of the European Bishops Conferences, ecumenism, the relations between the Church, culture and society, continue representing some of the major fields of action of the CCEE. While today the Symposium on the Teaching of Religion draws to its conclusion, in Berlin next December 6-9 will take place the Ccee-Kek joint meeting for relations with Muslims in Europe (Crme). Follows an overview of the most recent initiatives undertaken by European Churches. Each issue of SirEurope gives broad coverage to the activity of all the Churches in the continent.ALBANIA. In the past weeks the archbishop of Scutari, msgr. Angelo Massafra, celebrated, with a solemn pontifical mass, the “Jubilee Year” for the 150th anniversary of the blessing of the first stone on the Scutari Cathedral on April 8, 1858. On October 28 Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re consecrated in Lezha, following the invitation of the bishop msgr. Ottavio Vitale, the diocesan Cathedral dedicated to Saint Nikolas from Bari. BELARUS. In the past days archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, neo-Metropolite of Minsk-Mohylev, participated in the meeting of Belarus President Aleksandr Lukasenko with the hierarchies of the different confessions and religions present in the Country. On the same day, the archbishop met the leader of the Orthodox Church in Belarus Filaret, metropolite of Minsk and Sluck. While in Minsk was held the meeting of the vice-premier with the representatives of the different religions. Amongst participants, the President of the Belarus Bishops Conference bishop Alexander Kaszkiewicz and Cardinal Kazimierz ?wi?tek. BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA. On October 25 Benedict XVI received in audience the President of the three-party presidency Zeljko Komsic, who also had a meeting with the Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, for the exchange of the ratification instruments of the Fundamental Agreement and of the additional Protocol between the Holy See and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Also cardinal Vinko Puljic, archbishop of Sarajevo, took part in the meeting. BULGARIA. On September 8, in the sanctuary of the Holy Virgin patron of Christian unity Malko Turnovo, the apostolic exarch msgr. Christo Proykov undertook preparations for the celebrations for the 150 Jubilee year since the Union of Bulgaria’s Oriental rite Catholic Church with Rome. In preparing for the Jubilee, which will be celebrated in 2010, the apostolic exarch sent a letter to all faithful. CROATIA . On October 16-18 the plenary session of Croatia’s Bishops Conference took place in Gospi?, see of the Gospi?-Senj diocese. These were the issues broached: sacrament pastoral care in the parishes (the document is almost completed); the establishment of Catholic Schools; the Motu proprio Summorum Pontificum and its reception in Croatia; the Bishops’ letter on the occasion of parliament elections. At the end of the two mandates of Cardinal Josip Bozani?, the new president of the Bishops Conference, msgr. Marin Sraki?, bishop of ?akovo, was elected. Cardinal Bozani? was elected member of the permanent Council. LITHUANIA . In the past weeks archbishop Dominique Mamberti, Secretary for Relations with the States visited Lithuania to celebrate 80 years since the first Concordat of the Holy See with the Lithuanian Republic. On this occasion, two international conferences were organized: “The State and Traditional Religions: history, importance and agreement perspectives” in Vilnius; “The Agreements of the Holy See and the Lithuanian Republic; history, modern times, the contribution of the Blessed archbishop Jurgis Matulaitis” in Kaunas. MALTA. In the month of October, the Bishops’ major commitment has been the reiterated condemnation of abortion. On the occasion of the visit of the director of “Women on Waves” – the pro-abortion body which gives the possibility of aborting on vessels – aimed at persuading the Maltese population to legalize such practice, the prelates issued a statement where they claim that “abortion is not a choice, it’s a murder. Abortion is the refusal of a right. Abortion is not an advantage for society. It’s the annihilation of human lives and of civil society. We encourage all true Christians to fully accept this truth”. POLAND. In the month of October the 341st Plenary session of the Polish Bishops Conferences was held in Warsaw. Some of the broached topics were: the changes in the Pbc charter, pastoral care of the youth, priestly and religious vocations, Church abandonment. The bishops acknowledged the outcomes of the historical ecclesiastic Commission and of the legal-ethical group for the evaluation of documents kept in the Ipn archives on Catholic priests. Four new members of the Permanent Council were elected. Among the most significant documents, the Word of Polish Bishops before the 2007 Parliamentary Elections: “Responsibilities for the Common Good”. ROMANIA. On October 15-16 Miercurea Ciuc hosted the plenary meeting of the Bishops Conference. Among the major issues figured the approval by the Secretary of State of Divine Worship of the canon law codes (Latin and Byzantine) as its proper Statutes; confessional teaching; the need for a National Commission for Studies on the History of the Catholic Church in Romania in the period 1948-1989; issues relating to the national Caritas and participation to the WYD 2008. RUSSIA. On September 21 msgr. Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz was transferred from the Archdiocese of the Mother of God in Moscow to the archdiocese of Minsk – Mohylev (Belarus). Father Paolo Pezzi was appointed new Metropolite archbishop of the Mother of God in Moscow. The Episcopal ordination took place in Moscow’s cathedral on October 27. On October 22-23 still in Moscow was held the 25th session of the Catholic Episcopal Conference of the Russian Federation. SCANDINAVIA. During the past few weeks, the Bishops Conference of Scandinavia held the autumn plenary meeting in Göteborg. The apostolic administrator of Estonia, bishop Philipp Jourdan, was the guest participant in the meeting. The prelates also met with the Lutheran Church bishops in Scandinavian Countries for a mutual exchange on topics of common interest. Other issues such as inter-communion and ethical questions were equally addressed. The issuance of a pastoral letter on the Eucharist and the related importance of participation to Sunday mass is also on the agenda. SLOVAKIA . In the month of October, Donovaly hosted the 58th Ces Plenary Assembly. The Bishops gave their approval to the Plan for Pastoral Care and Evangelisation (Pep) of the Catholic Church in Slovakia for the years 2007-2013, in view of the year 2013, which will commemorate 1150 years since the mission of the Saints Cyril and Methodius in Slovakian land. The purpose of the plan is to enhance evangelisation and bring the Slovakian population closer to their Christian roots and traditions. Special attention is devoted to youth pastoral care, to the family and to the service of the needy. SAINTS CYRIL AND METHODIUS. During the autumn plenary meeting of the Bishops Conference, the bishops discussed the Ad limina visit and the undertaken commitment. Special emphasis was given to the Lineamenta. The answers given in the questionnaire reflected the realities and the local possibilities. Also the Holy Father’s Motu Proprio was the object of debate as relates to the Missal of John XXIII. As for Sydney’s WYD 2008, despite expenses, the prelates intend to give youth the possibility to take part in the experience of the Universal Church. TURKEY . During the assembly of the Bishops Conference in Turkey, held in the past weeks, the successor of msgr. Ruggero Franceschini, archbishop of Smirne, was elected, since he reached the end of his mandate as president of TBS. The newly appointed president is msgr. Luigi Padovese, apostolic vicar of Anatolia (Antiokia and Tarsus), Capuchin religious and for over 10 delegate of the Congregation for Eastern Churches at the Oriental Colleges of Rome. The vicarage of Anatolia in Turkey, (480,000 kmq), although marked by a low number of Latin Catholics, includes regions and fundamental centres of the first Christian diffusion (Ponto, Cappadocia, Armenia, Cilicia, Syria, Antiokia, Edessa, Tarsus …). UKRAINE (BYZANTINE Church). In recent weeks the Synod of the Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church was held in Philadelphia (USA). Evangelization and priesthood were among the main topics. The Synod also addressed issues concerning the pastoral care of the youth, the present ecumenical situation and the pastoral care of Ukrainian migrants in the different Countries of the world. At the end of September the general assembly of the “iustitia et pax” European Commissions Conference was held in Kiev (it’s the first time that this conference is held in an ex-Soviet country). The topic of the meeting, attended by representatives from 30 different European Countries, was “Towards reconciliation and mutual understanding. Learning from the experience of Ukraine.”UKRAINE (LATIN Church). Pope Benedict XVI appointed two coadjutor bishops for the Latin Church in Ukraine: msgr. Marian Buczek for the diocese of Charkov-Zaporozhie, and msgr. Miczyslaw Mokrzycki for the archdiocese of Leopoli which is headed by Cardinal Marian Jawroski, who in turned 81 in August.