Maputo (Fides Service)- From 6 to 9 September in Maputo capital of Mozambique the Catholic Bishops’ Conferences of Portugese speaking countries will hold their 6th CPLP Assembly. “These meetings, the first of which was held in 1996, are of major importance for the Church in Portuguese speaking countries” Archbishop Pedro Gonçalves Jaime of Beira, President of the Bishops’ Conference of Mozambique said in a statement sent to Fides. “These gathereings are an opporunity for the Bishops to share experiences in the different local Churches and draw new impetus and energy for cooperation in view of missionary evangelisation” the statement said.
For the same reason the Bishops’ Conference of Portugal and the Religious of Portugal created a Foundation for Evangelisation and Culture in order to collaborate with the Churches in Portuguese speaking territories in the field of evangelisation and culture.

The meeting will start with an opening ceremony on 6 September, it will contonue its work on the 7 and 8, and close with a special ceremony and press conference on 9 September.
“We urge the Church and the people in Mozambique to follow this important event in a spirit of fratenity and solidarity” the statement said. “We call on Catholics of every diocese and all men and women of goodwill to take part in the preparation and celebration of this encounter with prayers and spiritual support and well as material efforts because it i san opportunità to share and show what we are”.
Representatives of the Bishops’ Conferences from eight Portuguese speaking countries Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Sao Tomé and Principe, Portugal and East Timor will attend the meeting. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 31/8/2005 righe 28 parole 290)