EUROPE/BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA - The social situation, stability and solidarity focus of 5th annual meeting of Catholic Bishops’ Conferences of South East Europe

Tuesday, 15 February 2005

Sarajevo (Fides Service) - The Presidents of the Bishops’ Conferences of South East Europe are to meet in Sarajevo from 25-27 February. The nations represented - Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Saints Cyril and Methodius International Bishops' Conference (Serbia and Montenegro - Macedonia), Romania, and Turkey - have Orthodox or Muslim majorities, with the Catholic Church in a minority. The meeting is being promoted by the Council of European Episcopal Conferences (CCEE) and the Bishops’ Conference of Bosnia Herzegovina. The meeting will also be attended by representatives from the Holy See, the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community (ComECE), aid agencies and members of European and international institutes.
The meeting will begin on Friday 25 February with the first session focussing on the theme: The social situation, stability and solidarity. Each President will outline the social situation in his own country and speak about the solidarity initiatives currently in place. The theme of solidarity - charity will also be at the heart of the address from the President of the Pontifical Council “Cor Unum”, Mgr Paul Josef Cordes. On Saturday (26 February) the theme of Christianity in comparison with secularisation and modernity will be examined. Catholics, Orthodox and Muslims will look at the common challenges that the Churches and religions are called to respond to today. Saturday afternoon will be dedicated to meeting with various local communities (Orthodox, Jewish, Muslim).
The meeting will end on Sunday morning (27 February) with the presentation of a summary of the work and the drawing up of some proposals for the future. (MS) (Agenzia Fides, 15/02/2005 - 19 righe, 243 parole)


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