“European youth in transformation. Laboratory of faith”: this is the theme chosen for the 10th Symposium of the European bishops, which will be held in Rome from 14 to 28 April this year. Organized by the Council of the Episcopal Conferences of Europe (CCEE), the meeting is expected to be attended by over 150 participants from all over Europe. The hundred or so bishops present will include the presidents of all the European Bishops’ Conferences and some prefects of offices of the Roman Curia. Each Episcopal Conference will also send its own young delegate. Representatives of the European organizations for priests (CCPE), religious (UCESM) and laity (European Forum of the laity) will also be present. A number of ecumenical guests from all over Europe are also expected to attend. The Symposium explains a press release put out by the CCEE is aimed at reflecting on how “the reality of Jesus Christ, living in his Church and hope of Europe today and of its youth, may be concretely and fully experienced in our European society”. Starting out from young people’s experience of faith, the bishops will try to “analyze the cultural change taking place to be able better to respond to the pastoral task of the inculturation of the faith in Europe today”. Each report at the Symposium will be followed up by a round table in which the young delegates and the representatives of the other confessions and the other continents will be given an opportunity to speak.
