Around 40 bishops from Europe will attend the Plenary Assembly of the Council of the Conferences of European Bishops (CCEE), which will be held in Malta for the first time and organised by the Maltese Episcopal Conference. During this assembly, which takes place every year in one of the member countries of the Council, the bishops will discuss the theme ‘New Steps for a Synodal Church in Europe’. This comes after the first part of the Synod presided over by Pope Francis, which was concluded last month.
The assembly will commence with speeches by Archbishop Charles Scicluna, the Apostolic Nuncio for Malta Mgr Savio Hon Tai-Fai, and an online intervention from the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa OFM.
The assembly will focus on three main themes. Cardinal Mario Grech, General Secretary of the Synod, will present the work carried out in the Synod of Bishops ‘For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission’ and provide an indication of necessary preparations for the second part of the synod scheduled for October 2024.
Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich SJ, Vice President of the CCEE and General Rapporteur of the Synod, will discuss the relationship between synodality and supranational structures, aiming to give a new missionary boost to the Church in Europe. Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś, Archbishop of Łódź, will give an update on the working group revising the Charta Oecumenica, a document focusing on enhancing collaboration between different Churches in Europe.
Throughout the assembly, three evening Masses will be held, open to all Christians, particularly those involved in the Church’s mission.
Monday, 27th November, Cardinal Mario Grech will celebrate the inaugural Mass at St John Co-Cathedral in Valletta, at 6:30pm.
Mass on Tuesday, 28th November, will be presided by Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost OSA, Prefect of the Dicastery of the Bishops, at the Minor Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady in Mosta, at 6:30pm.
Wednesday, 29th November, Archbishop Charles Scicluna will celebrate Mass at St Paul’s Cathedral in Mdina, at 6pm.
The Masses will be broadcast on church.mt. Everyone is encouraged to pray for the bishops during these days of their Plenary Assembly in Malta.
Additionally, another CCEE conference will be held in Malta next week, with the participation of legal advisors of the European Episcopal Conferences.
Information about CCEE
The Council of Bishops’ Conferences of Europe (CCEE) is made up of 39 members from 45 countries in the European continent. It was established in 1971 after the end of the Second Vatican Council, where the Presidents of 13 Bishops’ Conferences in Europe decided to examine the possibility of collaboration among themselves.
Among the goals set by the CCEE are the realisation of closer communication and cooperation between the Bishops and the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe; the promotion and inspiration of the new evangelisation in Europe; the promotion of communion with the Councils of the Bishops’ Conferences of other continents; and support for ecumenical collaboration in Europe for the unity of Christians and a living ecclesial witness in European society.