Russia: Bishops held Plenary in Irkutsk. Focus on pastoral care of children, family, State-Church relations

The Plenary Assembly of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Russia ended yesterday, Wednesday 1 March, in Irkutsk. According to a statement issued by the Secretary General, Fr. Igor Kovalevsky, the bishops “discussed the outcomes of the meetings held in late January during the ad limina visit” and in particular “the significance of the meeting with Pope Francis, who expressed a keen interest in the Russian Catholic community”. Talks in Irkutsk also focused on the pastoral care of children and adolescents, and on the definition of “moral, canonical and legal norms regulating the clergy’s relationship with minors”. The bishops also decided to hold a Day of Prayer for Families in all Catholic parishes in Russia on 25 August 2018 to “emphasise the spiritual unity of Russian Catholics with the participants in the World Meeting of Families in Dublin”. Discussion also touched on the Liturgy and the activities of the various Episcopal Commissions were also analysed. The Apostolic Nuncio, Mgr. Celestino Migliore, updated the bishops on certain aspects of the relationship between the Church and the State, and on Orthodox-Catholic dialogue. The meeting was attended by the Bishop of St. Clement in Saratov, Mgr. Clemens Pickel, who is the president of the Bishops’ Conference; Mgr. Joseph Werth, bishop of the Diocese of Novosibirsk; the Archbishop of Moscow, Mgr. Paolo Pezzi; and Mgr. Kirill Klimovich, bishop of St. Joseph in Irkutsk.