The years to come” “

Promoting the communion between the European Bishops’ Conferences, ecumenical collaboration between the Christians of Europe and the peace process among peoples: these are the priorities – also underlined by John Paul II in his post-synodal document “Ecclesia in Europa” – that gave rise to the foundation of the Council of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe (CCEE) in 1971. The CCEE is preparing for a series of important events in 2006. We asked Monsignor ALDO GIORDANO, CCEE general secretary, to describe the Council’s agenda for 2006. ECUMENICAL DIALOGUE. The Council of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe (CCEE), when it was founded (1971), expressed a Europe that politically could not even be dreamt of: a Europe beyond the Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtain. Now we are faced by major new historical and cultural challenges that are prompting the CCEE to examine the service to evangelization and to contribute in a new way to the process of unifying Europe and the world. One of the main points on the agenda of the CCEE for the next two years is the process of the third European ecumenical assembly (EEA3). The first stage of this ecumenical “pilgrimage” will be held in Rome on 24-27 January. Some 150 delegates of the Bishops’ Conferences, Churches and ecumenical organizations will meet in Rome. This will be the network supporting the whole process. The second stage will be realized at the level of the individual European nations; the third will be held in Wittemberg (Germany) in early 2007. The last stage will be the assembly in Sibiu (Romania), a country with an Orthodox majority, in September 2007. The title of this assembly is : “The light of Christ shines upon all. Hope for renewal and unity in Europe”. The CCEE and the CEC have set up an international preparatory committee which will meet twice in 2006, in Rome and in Romania. ISLAM. Another important event at the ecumenical level is the meeting in March of the joint CCEE-CEC committee on relations with Muslims in Europe. It works on particularly delicate and urgent issues: mixed marriages, reciprocity, prayer, relations between state and religion, religion and violence, and shared contributions to values. COMMUNION BETWEEN THE BISHOPS. The CCEE is first and foremost a European forum of “Catholic” collegiality and communion. In recent years we have seen the consolidation and extension of a series of networks between European bishops. The plenary of the CCEE is a meeting of the Presidents of the 34 Bishops’ Conferences of Europe: the meeting in 2006 will be held for the first time in Russia, at St. Petersburg. The general secretaries of the Bishops’ Conferences also hold a meeting each year: this year it will be held in Slovenia. Recently the network of spokespersons and press officers of the various countries has been reinforced: they will meet in Dublin in July. A regular meeting between the Presidents of the Bishops’ Conferences of the countries of South-East Europe began in 2001, with the aim of reflecting on the contribution of the Catholic Church to reconciliation, stability, democracy, ecumenism and inter-religious dialogue in the region: this year’s meeting will be at Corfù (Greece). A theme that is central in the agenda and in the concerns of all the bishops of Europe is that of vocational ministry: a congress for the heads of the national offices will be held in Brussels in 2006. The CCEE committee for catechesis, schools and universities is also holding a congress in 2006 for the European delegates for catechesis on the theme Christian initiation as process of becoming a Christian. Delegates for the European university apostolate will meet at St Gallen in February. The 4th European University Day will be celebrated in Rome on Saturday 11 March 2006, with the recitation of the Rosary with the pope and link-ups with various European and African university campuses. The CCEE committee and the national directors for the pastoral care of migrants will meet during the year. The European Bishops’ Commission for the Media (CEEM), which has the task of proposing policy guidelines to the Bishops’ Conferences with regard to the mass media, will also meet. WORLD. To reinforce relations with the episcopates of other continents, especially those living in difficult situations, a delegation of bishops will visit Jerusalem on 16-19 January to explore the themes of peace and the life of Christians in this region. Following the symposium of November 2004, collaboration between European and African bishops will continue with the setting up of a joint committee with the task of proposing guidelines for work and collaboration between Europe and Africa for the future, through specific seminars on concrete themes of common interest. aldo giordano – ccee general secretary