This morning, Benedict XVI received in private hearing the Presidency of the Council of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe (CCEE), composed of Cardinals Péter Erdõ, archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, Josip Bozaniæ, archbishop of Zagreb, Jean-Pierre Ricard, archbishop of Bordeaux, and Secretary General Father Duarte da Cunha.
According to what CCEE has said, “the meeting took place in an atmosphere of great geniality. At the beginning of the hearing, the Holy Father recalled his latest journey to Portugal several times, with emotion, and with feelings of joy. Then the debate went on, focussing on the situation of the Catholic Church in Europe; on the vitality of some local dioceses (especially the ones in countries where Catholics are a minority); on the problems which the Church has to face; and on the activities and the ‘works opened’ by CCEE to carry out its mission of announcing the Gospel in Europe in the best possible way. The debate was rich and fruitful”.
During the hearing, made known CCEE, “it was also recalled how the European episcopate has always wanted to express its communion with the successor of Peter, and the Pope was thanked for his illuminated teaching”. At the end of the meeting, Card. Erdõ gave the Pope a reproduction of the icon “Saints for Europe”, made by the deputy secretary general of CCEE, Father Ferenc Janka, a Hungarian priest.