Category Archives: News

Bereavement

Monsignor Ivo Fürer, Bishop Emeritus of St. Gallen, has died

He was the CCEE General Secretary from 1977 until 1995

Msgr. Ivo Fürer, Bishop Emeritus of St. Gallen, died on Tuesday 12 July; he was 93 years old and had been ill with Parkinson’s disease for some time. From 1977 to 1995 he served as General Secretary of the CCEE, and from 1995 to 2006 as Bishop of St. Gallen. The funeral service will take place next Monday, 18 July at 10 am in St. … Continue reading Monsignor Ivo Fürer, Bishop Emeritus of St. Gallen, has died »

General Secretaries of the Bishops’ Conferences

The Church in Europe on the Synodal Path

43 participants at the annual meeting that took place in Zagreb

From 30 June to 3 July, at the Headquarters of the Croatian Bishops’ Conference, was held the meeting of the General Secretaries of the European Bishops’ Conferences entitled, “The Church in Europe on the Synodal Path”. Welcoming the participants was H. Em. Card. Josip Bozanić, Archbishop of Zagreb, who, in his speech, stressed the generosity of people, especially young people, in helping those in need … Continue reading The Church in Europe on the Synodal Path »

Europe

“Let the world not forget. Let us not get used to war”

The closeness and solidarity of the European bishops to the Ukrainian people

Last Tuesday, 14 June, 28 Presidents and delegates of the European Bishops’ Conferences met online to receive updates on the situation regarding the war in Ukraine, and to reflect together on the role of the Catholic Church in Ukraine in the context of the current war. The meeting was opened by H.E. Msgr. Gintaras Grušas, Archbishop of Vilnius and President of CCEE, who recalled the … Continue reading “Let the world not forget. Let us not get used to war” »

Social Communications Section

The commitment to peace and the synodal path: what Europe are we striving for?

Meeting of the Press Officers and Spokespersons of the European Bishops’ Conferences

The annual meeting of the Press Officers and Spokespersons of the European Bishops’ Conferences was held in Tirana from 9 to 11 June. At the heart of the proceedings was “the commitment to peace and the synodal path”: together reflecting on the challenges facing the Church due to the conflict in Ukraine and in the light of the Synodal path initiated by Pope Francis. Welcoming … Continue reading The commitment to peace and the synodal path: what Europe are we striving for? »

Family and Life Commission

Church in Europe: a family of families on the move

The path to the World Meeting in June

From 10 to 12 May 2022, the first meeting of the CCEE Family and Life Commission was held at St Joseph’s Seminary in Vilnius, Lithuania. The meeting had been scheduled to be two years earlier but had been postponed because of the pandemic. The national delegates for Family and Life of the Bishops’ Conferences throughout Europe met to reflect on the theme ‘Church in Europe: … Continue reading Church in Europe: a family of families on the move »

Catechesis Section

Impart what you have heard from me to those who can teach

Meeting of national directors for catechesis

From 28 to 30 April, the national directors and delegates for catechesis met in Malta at the Dar il-Hanin Samaritan centre. After two years of online meetings, finally, the delegates of the European Bishops’ Conferences, working in the field of catechesis, were able to meet in person. H. E. Msgr Gintaras Grušas, Archbishop of Vilnius and CCEE President, opened the meeting by expressing “our first … Continue reading Impart what you have heard from me to those who can teach »

EUROPE

The prayer of the Church for peace in Ukraine and for the victims of the pandemic

A holy Mass of remembrance is celebrated on each day during Lent

Starting on Ash Wednesday, and continuing throughout the Lenten season, the Presidents of our continent’s Bishops’ Conferences celebrated Holy Mass to invoke peace in Ukraine and to pray for those who have died as a result of the war and of covid. The Lenten initiative, called a ‘Eucharistic chain’, and conceived as a sign of the Church’s closeness to the victims of covid and their … Continue reading The prayer of the Church for peace in Ukraine and for the victims of the pandemic »

Ecumenism

CCEE-CEC Joint Committee. Declaration on the war in Ukraine

The meeting on 21 March in Bratislava, Slovakia

Members of the Joint Committee of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) and the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE) are calling leaders of the nations and the international community to do everything in their power to end the current war in Ukraine that is destroying lives and causing untold suffering. The CEC–CCEE Joint Committee issued a declaration in its meeting on 21 March in … Continue reading CCEE-CEC Joint Committee. Declaration on the war in Ukraine »