The new frontiers of artificial intelligence were among the issues discussed at the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences plenary assembly in Malta. The bishops also discussed war and violence, the defence of life and human dignity, new waves of migration and the hidden persecution of Christians.
Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin who attended the conference, said afterwards, “Conscious of the terrible war and violence, especially in Ukraine, Palestine and Israel, we reiterated our ‘no’ to war, renewing the call for a definitive ceasefire, release of hostages and for humanitarian corridors to be kept open in Gaza.”
Speaking in the parish of St Publius in Floriana, the leader of the Irish Church said he prayed the Church would bring “a glimmer of hope” and “some joy” to the “many troubled people of these times”.
He said the bishops also discussed ministry in a synodal Church and the updating of the Charta Oecoumenica for cooperation between Christian Churches in Europe.
“In prayer and reflection, in some of the island’s beautiful churches, we recommitted ourselves to proclaim in Europe the joy of the Gospel that springs from the encounter with Christ.”
The annual meeting of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE) was attended by representatives from 36 countries across Europe and they were hosted by Archbishop Charles Sciucluna.
The bishops discussed the many challenges and opportunities which face the Church in Europe. These included war and violence, the defence of life and human dignity, new waves of migration, the hidden persecution of Christians and the new frontiers of artificial intelligence.
“Conscious of the terrible war and violence, especially in Ukraine, Palestine and Israel, we reiterated our ‘no’ to war, renewing the call for a definitive ceasefire, release of hostages and for humanitarian corridors to be kept open in Gaza,” Archbishop Martin explained.
He said the bishops also discussed ministry in a synodal Church and the updating of the Charta Oecoumenica for cooperation between Christian Churches in Europe.
“In prayer and reflection, in some of the island’s beautiful churches, we recommitted ourselves to proclaim in Europe the joy of the Gospel that springs from the encounter with Christ,” he explained.
The Presidents of the Bishops' Conferences, with the Council of European Bishops' Conferences, debated the developments of the Synod, with a particular focus on the ministry of the bishop in a synodal Church and the role of supranational structures.
In his introduction, Archbishop Gintaras Grušas, CCEE President, outlined some of Europe’s synodal challenges and underlined the bishops’ commitment to an increasingly synodal Church and the European Churches’ commitment to combating abuse, and the duty to counter it with concrete and effective preventative actions.
According to the CCEE, the greatest challenge remains that of evangelisation in a Europe “increasingly tempted by secularism, fundamentalism and populist nationalism”.
The CCEE headquarters will move from St Gallen in Switzerland to Rome in 2024.
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