From 3rd to 7th October Portugal will host the plenary assembly of the presidents of the Council of the 34 European Bishops Conferences (Ccee). The news was relayed by Ccee today, stating that they will meet in Fatima on the invitation of mgr. Jorge Ferreira da Costa Ortiga, president of the Portuguese Bishops Conference". The assembly will be chaired by card. Péter Erdö, president of Ccee, assisted by the deputy presidents, card. Josip Bozanic and card. Jean-Pierre Ricard. "The monographic subject of the plenary assembly states Ccee will be marriage, from different perspectives. The pastoral and legal status of the institution of marriage in the different European countries; marriage and family in the European Union; and mixed-race marriages". The presidents of the European Bishops Conferences reads the note will first meet in Lisbon on 3rd October; in the morning of Thursday 4th October they will meet, in the premises of the patriarchate (Monastery of S. Vicente de Fora), the Patriarch of Lisbon, card. José da Cruz Policarpo, and the Prime Minister of Portugal, José Sócrates Carvalho Pinto de Sousa, the current president of the Council of the European Union as the head of the government of the State that is currently chairing the EU. Then the participants will move to Fatima. (continued)
