CCEE in Poland to speak about solidarity in Europe

Plenary Assembly of the Council of European Episcopal Conferences

Poznań, Poland, 13-16 September 2018

At the invitation of His Grace Mgr Stanisław Gądecki, Archbishop of Poznań, President of the Polish Bishops’ Conference and Vice-president of CCEE, the church body which sees the participation of the Presidents of all the Bishops’ Conferences representing 45 nations of the continent, the annual Plenary Assembly of the Council of European Episcopal Conferences (CCEE) will take place from 13-16 September in Poznań (Poland).

The meeting is taking place in the homeland of the Polish Pope Saint John Paul II, to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of the recovery of Poland’s independence – the “re-birth” of the Polish State which in the 1700s had been divided into the neighbouring empires; and in Poznań, to celebrate the 1050^th anniversary of the first bishopric in Poland in Poznań, the first diocese of modern-day Poland.

This year the Presidents of the Bishops’ Conferences will focus on the theme of the spirit of solidarity in Europe.

Opening the work in the first session, on the theme “Europe: solidarity in the formation of consciences and society”, will be Fr Wojciech Sadłoń SAC, a member of the Institute for Catholic Church Statistics in Poland, who will present a summary of the survey on voluntary work, promoted by CCEE and undertaken in recent months with the Bishops’ Conferences. The bishops will continue their reflections in study groups and subsequently in the plenary session.

The second day will see the bishops examine in depth the state of solidarity in Europe and the Church’s mission, examining the relationship between the Bishops’ Conferences and the States.

The meeting also envisages a presentation about the work and priorities of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development from the Secretary himself of the Vatican body, Mgr Bruno Marie Duffé; a report from CCEE and a presentation about the activities undertaken and those planned by CCEE’s Commissions.

Testimony to the importance of the Church for Polish society is the presence, at the opening session, of various civil and church authorities, representatives of local and national Government, as well as leaders of other Christian Chuches.

Also participating in some of the meeting on the afternoon of Saturday 15 September will be His Excellency Andrzej Duda, President of the Republic of Poland.

The Plenary Assembly will end on Sunday 16 September with the celebration of Mass in the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Poznań, with the local community. The Mass will be televised live on TVP3.

CCEE