The annual Plenary Assembly of the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences will take place in Santiago de Compostela at the Hospedería San Martín Pinario from 3 to 6 October 2019 upon the invitation of the Archbishop of Santiago, H.E. Mgr. Julián Barrio Barrio, and with the support of the whole Spanish Bishops’ Conference.
The chosen theme for this Plenary is: “Europe, time to wake up? The signs of hope”. The work will take the form of a cultural, political and social analysis of the European situation, especially recent history, entrusted to the French philosopher Chantal Delsol during the sessions.
The Plenary will then go on to identify the most significant elements that influence the ecclesial and civil fabric of our continent, recalling the Christian roots inherent in European history and culture.
Finally, the members of the CCEE will be presenting the most relevant initiatives of their own Bishops’ Conferences, to recount those signs of Christian hope that, every day, sprout in our communities and that find in the lives and examples of the saints a particularly encouraging sign.
This year, they will also celebrate twenty years since the proclamation of three women as patrons of Europe. On the 1st October 1999, Saint John Paul II proclaimed Saint Bridget of Sweden, Saint Catherine of Siena and Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross patronesses of Europe, together with Saint Benedict of Norcia and the Saints Cyril and Methodius.
There will be three press conferences. The first will be held by Card. Angelo Bagnasco, President of the CCEE, and will take place at 16:00 on Thursday 3 October, before the opening session of the Plenary and to which the journalists are also invited. The other two will be held by the two Vice-Presidents of the CCEE and will take place at the end of the morning on the 4th and 5th October, as in the attached programme.
The journalists that wish to participate in the press conferences and at the opening session of the Plenary Assembly are requested to register at the following email address: accreditation.media@ccee.eu by filling in the attached form.
Accreditations can be collected at the Press Room set up in the venue (Hospedería San Martín Pinario), which will be always open during the Plenary sessions.
Saint Gallen, 10 September 2019
