Toughts, experiences, projects” “

Collegiality between the Episcopal Conferences of Europe, the ecumenical process and the role of the Churches in society and culture, have formed, as usual, the main commitments of the European episcopates in recent months. As for “collegiality”, the meeting of the presidents of seven Episcopal Conferences of South-East Europe (Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, and Turkey) was held in Belgrade from 20 to 22 February. As regards the “ecumenical meetings”: the general secretaries of the Council of the European Episcopal Conferences (CCEE) and the Conference of European Churches (CEC) met in Geneva in February. During the meeting it was decided that “the general secretaries will officially visit the leaders of the Churches in Romania in June and that a working group will meet from 29 to 31 August to draft a proposal for the 3rd European ecumenical assembly”. Forthcoming appointments of the CCEE include the meeting of general secretaries (Belgrade, 10-14 June); the meeting of spokespersons and press officers (Athens, 24-27 June); the meeting for vocations (Strasbourg, 1-4 July); and the meeting of the CCEE executive (London, 18-19 July). Below we present a brief review of the main projects and events of the European Churches over the last few months. ALBANIA. The new Church of the Dominicans was consecrated in Durazzo in April; the order has been active in the city since 2000 (and present in Albania since 1996). Also in April, a meeting on “Family as community of love” was held in the “village of peace” (Scutari), as part of the “mosaic of peace” initiative promoted by the archdiocese of Scutari. 800 youth from all the country’s dioceses were present. ENGLAND AND WALES. The bishops met in assembly for four days at the end of April. Various issues were on the agenda, including: the bill before Parliament on mental disability, EU enlargement, the situation in the Holy Land and the new draft of the translation of the Ordo Missae prepared by the International Commission for English in the liturgy (ICEL). BELGIUM. The Episcopal Conference has decided to celebrate a “year of prayer” in 2005-2006: it will have as its objective the “promotion of a culture of prayer and initiatives in parishes, schools and families”. For the next five years the Belgian bishops will donate global aid to the Episcopal Conferences of Burundi, Ruanda, and Congo, as full recognition of their own responsibilities. BELARUS. The 20th plenary assembly of the Episcopal Conference was held in March. The bishops decided, among other things, to draft two pastoral letters: one with the objective of emphasizing the existence and role of the Catholic Church in the country (read out in all the country’s dioceses on 28 March); and the second on the “Value of human life and the current threats against it” (read on 25 April). BULGARIA. Those in consecrated life from all over the country met in the parish of Belene on 15 April to celebrate the Day of the consecrated (not having been possible to hold it, as planned, on 2 February due to the extreme cold and snow during the winter months). During Mass, Bishop Petko Hristov of Nicopolis stressed the importance of the presence of those in consecrated life in Bulgaria and in the parishes. CZECH REPUBLIC. A census of the faithful who participate in Sunday mass was held in all Catholic churches on 18 April. The 54th plenary assembly of the Episcopal Conference was also held in April (27-28); the bishops, among other things, approved a document on “norms for the formation of the vocation of consecrated virgins”. FRANCE. The bishops purchased a property belonging to the Congregation of the Sisters of the Cenacle (situated in the centre of Paris) in April; the national offices of the Catholic Church will be re-grouped in this building from 2006. The decision was taken in November 2003, with the objective of “reinforcing collegiality, facilitating meetings between church leaders and equipping the Church in France with proper facilities for hospitality and meetings”. It is expected that the new headquarters of the Episcopal Conference will be opened at the end of 2006. GERMANY. “The dignity of the human person at the end of life” was the title of the 14th Pro-Life Week (24 April-1st May). The Week is a joint initiative of the Episcopal Conference and the Council of the Evangelic Church in Germany. The Churches pronounced their opposition to euthanasia and support for the increased provision of palliative treatment and medicine. SWITZERLAND. During their 263rd ordinary assembly (1-3 March), the bishops decided to proclaim 2005 and 2006 “vocation years”: 2005 as the year of vocations to the priesthood at the service of God and the community; and 2006 as the year of ecclesial vocations (religious life, lay commitment, volunteer service and the diaconate). SPAIN. The Directory of Family Pastoral Care was published in February; it had been approved by the Episcopal Conference in its assembly in November 2003. Guidelines for the Christian initiation of children are now being examined, and the Statutes of the Episcopal Conference to permit the creation of ecclesiastical regions, revised. HUNGARY AND LITHUANIA. “Religious life” was the main focus of attention of the spring plenary assembly of the bishops of Hungary and Lithuania. The Hungarian Episcopal Conference registered a shortage of vocations. According to the bishops “the causes are various: lack of children in families, difficulties in discernment, spreading materialism… despite that, it is observed that new vocations are not lacking in the more ‘rigorous’ Congregations”. In Lithuania, on the other hand, the Episcopal Conference placed “particular emphasis on the relation between the diocesan bishops and the religious communities”. POLAND. “The introduction of the permanent diaconate, the need for the ongoing formation of the bishops, and changes in pre-matrimonial catechesis” were the main issues at the 326th plenary session of the Episcopal Conference (17-18 March). The meeting concluded with the election of the new president and vice-president of the Episcopal Conference. Archbishop Jozef Michalik, metropolitan of Przemysl, was elected president, and Archbishop Stanislaw Gadecki, metropolitan of Poznan, vice-president. SCANDINAVIA. “Ecumenical dialogue, letter on marriage and the family, next synod of Bishops, Holy Land, relation between Europe and Africa, inter-religious dialogue” were the main issues on the agenda of the Nordic Episcopal Conference, meeting at Turku, in Finland, from 18 to 24 March. The bishops dedicated the first day of the conference to a meeting with some Lutheran bishops of the Nordic region. They discussed current ecumenical developments, the various dialogues in progress in the region between the Catholic and Lutheran Churches, and also the documents published by the two Churches, in particular the document on the bishop’s service published by the World Lutheran Federation. SLOVAKIA AND SLOVENIA. The Episcopal Conference of Slovakia together with the other Christian Churches celebrated the country’s entry into the EU with an ecumenical meeting in Bratislava on 30 April. The representatives of the Churches met with the political representatives to pray together. On 1st May the Slovak bishops celebrated EU accession with a mass in the Calvary at Nitra, traditional place of pilgrimage of Slovak Catholics. The Slovene Episcopal Conference also stressed the importance of entry into the Union. The bishops drafted a pastoral letter, read out in all the country’s parishes on 25 April. Various celebrations were held in the dioceses of Slovenia on 1st May. TURKEY. “From a Church of presence to a Church of witness”: that is the title of the new pastoral plan of the Catholic church of Turkey. The document, published in four languages in February, is the outcome of the ecclesial conference held in the years 1998/2002. The four booklets (in Turkish, English, French and Italian) confirm the importance of the conference, but especially emphasise that the decisions taken during it must have a follow up in the life of the Latin, Catholic-Armenian, Chaldaean and Catholic-Syrian communities.