The conference from March 3 to 5 gathered the Presidents of the Episcopal Conferences of Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Greece, the International Conference of SS Cyril and Methodius of Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia, and Romania, as well as the Greek Catholic Bishops.
The gathered delegates at the meeting, facilitated by Mgr Amédée Grab, President of the Council of European Episcopal Conferences (CCEE), were challenged to consider the issue of migration which continues to change the face of Europe.
In particular delegates considered the impact of poverty which has caused many people to leave Albania, Bulgaria and Romania in search of work, as well as the war in the Balkans which has led to an influx of refugees especially into Bosnia-Herzegovina.
“Migration is changing the face of European countries and will be the major problem for the next decades,” read a CCEE press statement.The Gospel's ability to create the family of God among the different peoples is the true response to the questions of globalisation.
CCEE press statement
Delegates were also able to hear about the phenomenon taking place in Greece, where statistics reveal that between 1975 and 2005 the number of Catholics in the country has seen an astonishing rise from 50,000 to around 350,000 due to the thousands of Filipinos, Poles, Albanians and Iraqis who have settled in the country. Native Greek Catholics are now a minority in the already minority Catholic community in Greece.
Fr. Francesco Varthalitis, Dr Desylas Christos (Orthodox), Fr Gabriele Righetto, and Don Stefano Marangos, all pastors and experts in the field of migration in Greece, presented on the number of pastoral challenges that have arisen from migration.
Delegates reached consensus on the fields requiring further exploration and development, including the prioritisation of the pastoral care of migrants at local and international levels, the formation and integration of the immigrant communities, and maintaining greater contacts with the countries of origin.
Migration into Greece has also put pressure on the Church to find the personnel for pastoral work with immigrants and to also increase collaboration between individual parishes.
Particular emphasis was given to the fact that “migration urgently calls for an ecumenical response and collaboration between the different Churches and communities,” the statement read.Delegates also discussed the implications of migration on security, particularly in regard to the threat of terrorism, as well as visa issues, re-uniting families, and illegal immigration.
The statement read: “The Presidents of the Bishops' Conferences are clear that migration must not remain a "problem", but must become an opportunity. It ushers in a new stage of humanity and drives towards a new discovery of the universality (catholic) of the Church.
“The Gospel's ability to create the family of God among the different peoples is the true response to the questions of globalisation.”
Areas of focus also included a reconsideration of the common responsibilities to propagate the Gospel and solidarity between the different Conferences in this part of Europe.
The Third European Ecumenical Assembly, launched in Rome from Jan. 24 to 27, will conclude in a south-east European country – at the Sibiu Assembly in Romania in September 2007.
Delegates were particularly encouraged for the future of greater collaboration in light of the EEA3 following the ‘extraordinary welcome’ from the local Catholic church and the Orthodox Metropolitan, and a pilgrimage to the sanctuary of San Spiridione, which showed “signs of the hope for unity”.
