” “Mgr. Kurt Koch, bishop of Basel, is the new President of the Swiss Bishops; the news was given today by a note from the Swiss Bishops Conference (Ces). The bishop, who replaces mgr. Amédéè Grab whose office is ending on December 31st, has been appointed during the 273rd Ordinary Meeting of Ces that ended yesterday, September 6th, in Ascona (diocese of Lugano). Mgr. Koch, 56, has been the deputy president of Ces for nine years and is currently in charge of the departments for the announcement of faith, ecumenical dialogue and relations with non-Christian religions. The new deputy president will be mgr. Norbert Brunner, bishop of Sion and member of the Ces facility since 2001, currently in charge of the Department for the pastoral and deaconship. The third member of the facility, who is due to hold office in the three years 2007-2009, is mgr. Bernard Genoud, 64, bishop of Lausanne, Geneva and Freiburg, currently in charge of church services and ministries. The subjects addressed by the assembly included the worrying situation of the Middle East, about which the bishops guarantee “their support to any initiative for peace”; the public voting due on September 24th on the laws on asylum and foreigners about which the bishops confirm “widespread rejection”. The Ces members will go on a visit ad limina to the Vatican from September 7th to 9th.
