Thursday, September 28, 2017

Greetings to the Bishops of Europe

The Cardinal Secretary of State of His Holiness, His Eminence, Pietro Parolin has sent a Message in the name of the Holy Father, Pope Francis to participants taking part in the annual Plenary Assembly of the Council of Episcopal Conferences of Europe (CCEE) which is taking place this year for the first time in Minsk (Bielorussia) from 28 September to 1 October 2017.  This gathering is dedicated to the theme of youth and to the contribution and mission of the Church in building the common European home.

The Assembly has been moved to Bielorussia in order to meet the local Catholic community and to celebrate together the 750th anniversary of the first mention of the city of Minsk in the Primary Chronicles and the 500th anniversary of the printing of the Bible, the first book to be printed in the Bielorussian language.


Message sent by His Eminence, Pietro Parolin
to participants taking part in the meeting of the
Council of Episcopal Conferences of Europe

To His Eminence Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco
President of the Council
of European Episcopal Conferences

The Holy Father sends his most cordial greetings to the participants in the Plenary Assembly of the Council of European Episcopal Conferences and encourages them to continue the important work aimed at identifying paths of pastoral collaboration between the various countries, appreciating the differences and promoting initiatives of solidarity and fraternity. His Holiness hopes that the meeting may contribute to strengthening the bonds of unity and communion between the European bishops, imparting a further and courageous impetus to the Church’s mission in Europe especially on behalf of young people to help them to discover, in the light of faith, their own vocation in the Christian community and in society.

With such sentiments, he asks that you continue to pray for Him and he willingly imparts the Apostolic Blessing.

From the Vatican
23 September 2017

Cardinal Pietro Parolin
Secretary of State for His Holiness

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