European bishops meet in Salzburg for first time

About 40 Catholic bishops from across Europe will gather in Salzburg from Tuesday for a four-day assembly of the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences, ORF reports. It is the first time a meeting of this scale has been held in Austria. The bishops will discuss current issues and elect a new chair.

Each European country with a bishops’ conference will be represented by a bishop, said Austrian Bishops’ Conference chairman and host Archbishop Franz Lackner. The gathering meets once a year in a different location in Europe.

Discussions will focus on the state of faith in Europe, the continent’s challenges and how the Church can help, particularly in countries affected by war. The programme also includes visits to Salzburg Cathedral and other churches and landmarks, as well as joint church services.

Among those attending is Sviatoslav Shevchuk, major archbishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. The first bishops are due to arrive on Monday, and the conference runs from Tuesday to Friday.