Zagreb, (IKA) – The Presidency of the Council of European Episcopal Conferences (CCEE), the body comprising the continent#!s 34 Conferences, met in Zagreb from 17-21 July.

The meeting was attended by the CCEE President Mgr. Amédée Grab, Bishop of Chur; the two Vice-presidents Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O#!Connor, Archbishop of Westminster, and Cardinal Josip Bozanic, Archbishop of Zagreb; Mgr. Aldo Giordano, General Secretary; Mgr. Andrew Summersgill, General Secretary of the Bishops#! Conference of England and Wales; and Mgr. Vjekoslav Huzjak, General Secretary of the Croatian Bishops#! Conference.

The paricipants were guests of the Archbishop of Zagreb Cardinal Josip Bozanic.

The CCEE Presidency planned the CCEE Plenary Assembly which will see all the Presidents of Europe#!s Episcopal Conferences gathered in Rome from 29 September – 2 October 2005. Marking the 40th anniversary of the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council, the Presidents will reflect on future prospects for the Church in Europe with regard to evangelisation in the context of a secularised culture, the meeting between churches, religions and cultures, and the contribution in providing Europe with the moral values it needs, especially faced with the tremendous challenges in the field of bioethics.

Hence a letter was sent from Zagreb to Pope Benedict XVI informing him of the plans of the European bishops and expressing the desire to meet him in the course of the Plenary Assembly.

Another theme tackled by the CCEE Presidency was that of ecumenism. The plan for a Third European Ecumenical Assembly was examined. This will see a four-stage pilgrimage involving all Europe#!s nations and Churches, starting in Rome 24-27 January 2006 and ending at Sibiu in Romania in September 2007.

CCEE#!s Presidency again considered the actual process of European unification in the light of the recent drama of terrorist attacks in London and the French and Dutch votes rejecting the Union#!s Constitutional Treaty.

Other agenda items included: collaboration between European and African bishops and relations with Muslims in European countries.

On 18 July, the Presidency met with the Croatian Vice-president Damir Polancec, minister Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic, and minister Dragan Primorac for a discussion about European problems of mutual interest.

The visit to the city of Zagreb, to Marija Bistrica, to Zadar and the meeting with various ecclesial and local authority representatives provided an opportunity for the guests to get to know the history, culture and faith of the country and perceive its contribution to the life of the universal Church and Europe.