Largest-Ever Gathering of Catholic Bishops in Britain highlight Re-evangelising Europe

Last weekend, Catholic Bishops from 34 European Countries gathered at Hinsley Hall, Leeds, England to attend a four-day assembly of the Council of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe (CCEE). It was the largest ever gathering of senior Catholic bishops in Britain.

Evangelism and how to recover the root of Christianity in Europe have become the spotlights of the conference, in the hope of solving concerns regarding the declining Christian churches and influence of secularisation. The Pope John Paul II addressed this focus in the meeting, saying “you will guide your respective peoples to rediscover their common spiritual roots and the enduring wisdom of their Christian heritage.”

Bishop Amédée Grab, CCEE president, sharply pointed out the challenges faced by churches nowadays. There is a vast difference between the moral values of the Church and the secular world; a very typical example is the recent ethical debate on medical issues such as abortion, euthanasia and stem cell research.

Bishop Grab suggested, “We are fully, but not exclusively, citizens of this world. This world's values are not enough for us - yet we do not despise them or look down on our culture. Our culture is the context for our mission, and the more we understand and respect it, the less of a problem there will be with our work for this culture and for those who live it. Our challenge: to belong to two societies at one and the same time.”

Archbishop Jean-Pierre Ricard of Bordeaux stressed on the importance of the role of Christianity in Europe and the way to recover it. In the age of Post-Christendom, Europeans have replaced God with many other things in their hearts, thus the whole of Europe has fallen into moral crisis.

Archbishop Ricard said that the presence of the Christian Church in Europe would help in defending the dignity of each and every person and family, and especially those most in need, such as the poor; creating a distinct and proper relationship between politics and religion; forming a truly ecumenical and interreligious dialogue; and bringing about a culture of solidarity in a Europe truly open to the world.

Three practical approaches were formulated to revival Christianity in Europe:

- to strengthen the dialogue with contemporary culture;

- to look for a closer dialogue with the Islamic communities in Europe, especially in universities;

- and to campaign for the defence of Sunday as a day dedicated to God.

The Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, was invited to the conference, where he spoke of ecumenism. As Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, President of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales and CCEE Vice President shared some positive ecumenical experiences in England and Wales, Archbishop Williams advocated the cooperation between the Anglican and Catholic churches so as to develop a culture of service to contribute to the society.

Theological dialogue on themes such as the Eucharist, ministries and authority also need to be further advanced in their ecumenical movement. The Archbishop of Canterbury affirmed that there are uncertainties about the institutional form of unity the churches will reach, but still the journey has to go on.

Even though divisions still exist between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches, including persisting mutual ignorance, proselytism and incomprehension, countries with a majority of Orthodox Christians have reported that a new ecumenical commission is being built in Russia. Catholics and other Christian denominations are becoming united as they fight against some common challenges together, such as violence and terrorism.