13-14 March: 397th Plenary Assembly of the Polish Bishops’ Conference in Warsaw (announcement)
Catechism classes at school, the Church Fund and the election of a new President and Deputy President of the Polish Bishops’ Conference will be the main topics of the 397th Plenary Assembly of the Polish Bishops’ Conference to be held in Warsaw on 13-14 March this year.
This year’s spring Plenary Assembly will be held at the Secretariat of the Polish Bishops’ Conference in Warsaw. „We are happy that after four years we could return to the Secretariat to deliberate here, and not as has been the case in recent years, when, first because of Covid-19 and then because of renovations being carried out, the deliberations were held outside the premises of the Secretariat” – acknowledged Bishop Artur G. Miziński, Secretary General of the Polish Episcopate.
Bishop Miziński noted that the date of the Plenary Assembly is no coincidence. „It is connected to the 11th anniversary of the election of Pope Francis as the head of the Catholic Church” – he stressed. On this occasion, on 13 March, at 6 pm, the bishops will celebrate Holy Mass at the Temple of Divine Providence in Warsaw, presided over by Cardinal Kazimierz Nycz, Metropolitan of Warsaw, with the participation of the Apostolic Nuncio to Poland Archbishop Antonio Guido Filipazzi.
The Secretary General of the Polish Bishops’ Conference noted that the 397th Plenary Assembly is also important because of the election of the President and Deputy President of the Polish Bishops’ Conference. „At this time we want to thank the current Presidents of the Bishops’ Conference: Archbishop Stanisław Gądecki and Archbishop Marek Jędraszewski. In their place, new members of the Presidium of the Polish Bishops’ Conference will be elected” – he noted.
Bishop Miziński informed that the main topic of the Plenary Assembly will be issues related to the announcements of the Polish Government concerning the presence of catechism classes at school and the Church Fund. „The bishops will familiarise themselves with the current state of these issues. We will try to prepare ourselves so that when the government side wishes to enter into dialogue on these issues, we will be ready for these talks” – he admitted.
The Plenary Assembly’s guest speaker will be Ewa Kusz, whose presentation is expected to help prepare standards for the protection of minors and vulnerable persons in institutions run by Church entities. „These topics are related to the so-called “Kamilek’s Act”, which has been in force in Polish law since February this year” – emphasized Bishop Miziński.
The meeting will also include the topic of the family, which the bishops will discuss under the chairmanship of Bishop Wiesław Śmigiel, President of the Council of the Polish Bishops’ Conference for the Family.
Press Office of the Polish Bishops’ Conference
