The plenary assembly of the German bishops at Stapelfeld/Oldenburg ended on 17 February. Many questions were discussed: World Youth Day, EU Constitution, culture of burial, and measures to promote the family. During a study day dedicated to the situation of the religious orders in Germany, the bishops acknowledged “very difficult trends”, especially for the female congregations: “in many places there is an almost dramatic decline” in numbers, says the final statement of the German Bishops’ Conference. The bishops also observe the growth in the number of foreign religious: “The richness of their culture represents a challenge for the orders and for the German Church”. The bishops also point out the problem of “lack of integration” and “lack of willingness for inculturation”. As for WYD, the bishops reviewed the situation and state of readiness six months before the beginning of the event: “Some 200,000 pilgrims registered, secure contracts with sponsors, 7 million accesses to the web page per month. These are encouraging figures”, say the bishops, who also expressed their gratitude “for the great hospitality” demonstrated for the “days of meeting” during which youth from all over the world will be guests in the various German dioceses in the days preceding the meeting in Cologne. Referring to the WYD Cross in Germany, the bishops write: “The pilgrimage of the Cross through Germany has demonstrated how important it is to publicly pose the question about God through this sign. And in particular the visit of the WYD Cross to the Bundestag the German Federal Parliament has given new impulses to questions about the Cross and about God in the field of public debate”. The plenary assembly was also an occasion for the bishops to discuss a project called “Here begins the future: marriage and family”. It’s a three-year action aimed at “reinforcing the lobby of marriage and the family in the Church, in the political world and in society. It must be clear: the future depends on the success of married life and family life”.
