The 27th ordinary assembly of the Slovene Bishops’ Conference (SBC) was held at the diocesan Curia in Koper on 23 January. The participants included the apostolic Nuncio in the Republic of Slovenia, Monsignor Santos Abril y Castelló. During the meeting some significant events in the life of the Slovene Church in the last two months were reviewed: the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the episcopal ordination of the Most Rev. Franc Kramberger, bishop of Maribor and president of the SBC, the sudden death of Msgr. Joef Kvas, auxiliary bishop of Ljubljana, the episcopal ordination of Msgr. Anton Jamnik, auxiliary bishop of Ljubljana, and the celebration of the 15th anniversary of the plebiscite that marked the proclamation of the independence of the Republic of Slovenia from the former Yugoslavia. The bishops also discussed the various events planned for the Year of Holy Scripture, to be celebrated in Slovenia in 2007. In this regard, on Sunday 29 January, coinciding with the Day of Holy Scripture, the Catholic, Orthodox and Evangelical Churches in the country will announce the proclamation of the Year and some associated events such as the Biblical Festival and the World Congress of Biblical Scholars that the international organization of Old Testament Studies IOSOT (http://www.iosot2007.si/temp/) is preparing in Ljubljana. The bishops also defined the most important pastoral events that will characterise the near future of the Slovene Church: the pilgrimage of families coinciding with the world meeting of families in Valencia and the Day of Priests, whose main rapporteur will be the preacher of the pontifical household Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa.
