EUROPE/PORTUGAL - “Religious life today: our spiritual life and the challenges facing Europe” theme of next general assembly in Fatima of the Union of European Conferences of Major Religious Superiors representing Europe’s 400,000 men and women Catholic Religious

Fatima (Fides Service) - “Religious life today: our spiritual life and the challenges facing Europe today” is the theme of next general assembly of the Union of European Conferences of Major Religious Superiors UCESM representing Europe’s 400,000 men and women Religious. The meeting with take place in Fatima at the Francisco i Jacinta Marto Spirituality Centre.
Some 42 national conferences or unions from 26 different countries of Europe representing 400,000 men and women religious will take part. The main conferences will be given by Fr. Mark Rotsaert sj president of the Conference of European Provincials of the Society of Jesus, who will reflect on “Religious life in Europe in 2006”, and Sr Enrica Rosanna, Salesian secretary adjunct of the Vatican’s Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life on the theme “Challenges facing Religious life in Europe”. Other speakers will include Fr. August Hülsmann, a Religious of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, president of the German Conference of Religious Superiors and UCESM president; Hungarian Sr María Adrien Paco, president of the Hungarian Conference of Religious; Dominican Fr. George Frendo, President of the Albanian Conference of Religious men and women.
Also present representatives of the Italian Unione dei Superiori Generali USG, the International Union of Superiors General UISG, the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences CCEE and the Commission of European Bishops’ Conferences COMECE, the Patriarch of Lisbon, Card. José da Cruz Policarpo, the president of the Portuguese bishops’ conference Bishop Jorge Ortiga, and the Bishop of Leiria-Fatima, Bishop Serafim de Sousa Ferreira e Silva. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 2/2/2006 - righe 20, parole 264)