The commitment of the Irish bishops to ensure the maximum protection of children in local churches continues. The assembly of Irish bishops, held in the early days of December, in fact opened with a report from the Child Protection Office (CPO). The CPO updated the bishops present about the training programme it is undertaking with suitable individuals identified in each diocese; the aim is that they in turn may become the promoters of meetings and guarantors in the parishes of the work conducted with and for children. During their assembly the Irish bishops also decided to hold a solemn celebration for the feast of Corpus Christi on 29 May 2005, as culmination of all the events that will be promoted at the diocesan level for the Year of the Eucharist and to write a pastoral letter to help Catholics better understand the meaning of the Eucharist by answering their more frequent questions. The Irish Bishops’ Conference lastly decided to host in their country the meeting (in 2006) of the spokespersons of the European Episcopal Conferences (CCEE) which is due to be held in Poland in 2005.
