On the new roads

In a message to the bishops gathered in Tirana from September 29 to October 2 for the plenary assembly of the Council of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe Pope Benedict XVI encouraged the European bishops to “identify with missionary courage new paths of evangelisation especially at the service of the new generations”. The busy schedule of the Plenary included the election of the new CCEE Presidency, the meeting with the Albanian Church and civil society and the debate on the central theme: the New Evangelization. New CCEE Presidency. The Presidents of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe elected the new CCEE Presidency for the five-year period 2011-2016. Cardinal Péter Erdo, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, Primate of Hungary and President of the Hungarian Bishops’ Conference, was re-confirmed for a second mandate as President, while to the roles of Vice-presidents were elected Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, Archbishop of Genoa and President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, and Mgr Józef Michalik, Archbishop of Przemysl and President of the Polish Bishops’ Conference. The two Vice-presidents replace Cardinals Jean-Pierre Ricard, Archbishop of Bordeaux, and Josip Bozanic, Archbishop of Zagreb. The CCEE plenary meeting welcomed the request of Msgr. Milan Šašik, Eparchial Bishop of Mukachevo (or Mukaèeve) for Byzantine Rite Ruthenians, to become a member of the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences, in accordance with the formula proposed by the Congregation for Oriental Churches. Therefore CCEE is now composed of the Presidents of the 33 Bishops’ Conferences present in Europe. A laboratory of faith. The immediate response of Cardinal Péter Erdo to his re-confirmation as President of the Council of the European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE) for the five-year period 2011-1016 was one of “gratitude for the trust expressed” in him. It will permit him, he said, to “continue the reflections, initiatives and projects” that the European Churches are sharing together with a view to the new evangelization, to a “mission in Europe”, for the national and European common good without forgetting Africa and Latin America. The Archbishop of Budapest and President of the Hungarian Bishops’ Conference also recalled the service rendered by the CCEE “in supporting and encouraging the local Churches, in particular those in difficult situations”. No less important, recalled Cardinal Erdo, citing the many steps taken in 40 years of activity, is the support given by the CCEE to ecumenical dialogue, since “European Christians today must be more united in bearing witness to the solidarity on which Europe is founded”.”A laboratory of faith” was the definition of the CCEE given by Mgr. Jósef Michalik, Archbishop of Przemysl (Poland) and newly elected Vice-President of the CCEE, who emphasized how important “the criterion of the choice of the Churches of Eastern Europe” was and remains for the growth of this experience. “We have ever-growing awareness – added Archbishop Michalik – that listening to each other has promoted, and can still further promote, the growth of all the European Churches, while also responding to their cultural and spiritual hunger”.”Trust and friendship are at the basis of a commitment that will continue to be developed at the service of the Churches in the various nations and of Europe as a whole”, said Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, Archbishop of Genoa and President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, adding a further aspect of the common commitment to the new evangelization: a need that is not new for the CCEE but one that certainly needs to be constantly updated and reactivated. At a time when pastoral tiredness seems to prevail over pastoral impetus “we must make sure – said Cardinal Bagnasco – that out local communities do not remain self-enclosed, but are progressively opened up to other experiences to draw from them the encouragement and support they need to live and proclaim the Gospel”. At the same time, in relation to the major ethical and cultural questions of our time, the CCEE is called to develop the necessary capacity “in affirming criteria of judgement, in identifying problems that sometimes escape us, and in seeking and proposing responses from the dialogue between faith and reason”.40th anniversary of CCEE. The meeting to mark the 40th anniversary of CCEE (1971-2011) will take place on 22 November in Rome. In fact, on March 23-24 1971 was held the CCEE constitutive Assembly that today with its members includes 33 Bishops’ Conferences present in Europe. Eminent personalities called to attend the 40th anniversary celebrations include Cardinal Secretary of State, Tarcisio Bertone; Mgr Salvatore Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelisation; the philosopher Rémi Brague; and Honourable Luca Volonté, President of the Group of the European People’s Party and Christian Democrats (EPP-CC) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.