Time of communion

A time of encounter, communion and exchange of information on the life of the Churches in Europe”: that’s how Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard, Archbishop of Bordeaux and Vice-President of the CCEE, presented to journalists the plenary assembly of the Council of the Episcopal Conferences of Europe (CCEE), which is meeting in Paris from 1 to 4 October. The plenary brings together 33 Presidents of the European Bishops’ Conferences: from Archbishop Rrok Mirdita of Tirana in Albania, to the Archbishop of Budapest Cardinal Peter Erdö, to the Presidents of the Episcopal Conferences in Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy (Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco) and Turkey. Bioethics and migration. Apart from the theme of the meeting dedicated to the relation between “Church and State, twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall”, the Presidents are also discussing other issues that are of particular interest to the life of the Churches in Europe. Cardinal André Vingt-Trois, President of the French Episcopal Conference, has the task of speaking of “gender ideology in European legislation” with all its legal consequences in terms of the recognition of homosexual couples. Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard will update the European bishops and cardinals on how the Church has intervened this year on questions of bioethics, actively promoting an all-round debate that had involved thousands of persons and all the dioceses of France, and included the use of websites, public meetings and the publication of a book. “We have tried – said Cardinal Ricard – on the one hand not to soft-pedal our ideas even if we knew they were not accepted by everyone, and on the other to open our debate even to those who have ideas very different from ours”. At their meeting in Paris, the European bishops will also speak of the problems of migration, in preparation for a European colloquium due to held at Malaga (Spain) next year on the theme “The Europe of People on the Move. Overcoming fears and offering new prospects”. The approach – explained Cardinal Josip Bozanic, Archbishop of Zagreb – is to consider “migration not as a problem” but as “a human and social phenomenon that, while it poses challenges to the Churches, also represents a great opportunity for the development of the peoples of Europe”.Mass media. The full communion of the European bishops with the Holy Father so that “the Church may continue courageously to proclaim the truth of the Gospel even in environments less open to this proclamation” was reaffirmed by Cardinal Peter Erdö, President of the CCEE, in his keynote address at the start of the plenary assembly. The Hungarian Archbishop recalled that last year the European bishops had “reflected on the ways in which the Church uses the news media and how news on the life of the Church is so often distorted, with the result that she is often ridiculed or attacked. This year – said the cardinal -, unfortunately, even the Holy Father has been the victim of these attacks. They have not been happy moments, and we know they have been particularly harsh in some countries. We recall, however, that the Lord himself warned us of the fact that following him would lead us to persecution, and that in our society some signs of real intolerance are perceptible”. “The CCEE – assured the cardinal – will continue to work “in the defence and promotion of freedom and truth, as preconditions for sincere dialogue, also with the means of social communication”.Year for Priests. The European bishops assembled in Paris also spoke of the Year for Priests called by the Holy Father. The President of the CCEE expressed “gratitude” on behalf of the European episcopate as a whole “to all the priests who in Europe continuously proclaim the Word of God, accompany communities and offer forgiveness, support and the Body of Christ through the sacraments”. “Without their work – added the archbishop – often performed in the midst of great difficulties, temptations and incomprehension, the People of God would be without the nutriment that God himself wishes to give to everyone. Also for this reason, I feel that this year may represent a privileged occasion to strengthen our commitment to the vocational ministry. Europe needs more priests”. The cardinal said that the Church in Europe also “has a great need for the laity”, but “experience shows that the more laypeople commit themselves, the more they feel the lack of what is specific to priests. We hope that this year may be for the whole Church, as was the Pauline Year, a time of grace”. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, (intervening in the first session of work) also spoke of how important this Year for Priests is for the Church. “The Church – he said – walks with the feet of her priests”. And he added: “In our contemporary world the priests who have gravely betrayed their vocation, even if they represent only a tiny proportion, have led us to forget the many ‘holy curés of Ars’ who continue to exist even today in the ranks of our clergy”.