PRESS RELEASE

Scandinavian Bishops’ Conference 9th – 14th September 2005.

A thoroughgoing examination of the pastoral care of immigrants, and the issuing of a short statement on migrants (statement is attached), was the major work undertaken by the Bishops during the Autumn General Assembly of the conference which was held at the Bishop’s House in Reykjavik, Iceland. This had been inspired by the document from the Council for the Pastoral Care of Immigrants containing new legislation and pastoral guidelines for the care of immigrants. The bishops reviewed, in every individual diocese, the need for pastoral care in the various languages which are used and also considered ways of building greater unity among Catholics in our parishes, whatever their nationalities. The Bishops reiterated their decision not to build national parishes and also considered ways in which the ecumenical and inter-religious aspects of this work could be emphasised.

With the resignation of Bishop Schwenzer as Bishop of Oslo and also his resignation as chairman of the Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Anders Arborelius of Stockholm became the new chairman and Bishop Czeslaw Kozon of Copenhagen the new Vice-Chairman of the conference. Bishop Georg Müller of Trondheim became the third member of the standing committee of the Conference.

The Pastoral letter on the family which has occupied much of the conference’s time in the recent past will be issued on December 30th 2005. It is hoped that translations will be available in other languages besides those of the Nordic countries.

In order to be more effective the Conference decided that in a number of matters concerning social and ethical questions the Conference secretariat will spread information to politicians, governments, etc, rather than each individual bishop doing so. This will always happen in cooperation with the local Bishop.

Bishop Czeslaw Kozon of Copenhagen has prepared a text to be presented at the coming Bishops’ Synod on the Eucharist. This was approved by the Conference.

Reports were also received from various meetings: from the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community (COMECE), particularly concerning questions of euthanasia and bioethics and the meeting of the General Secretaries of the European Bishops’ conferences (CCEE). At the latter the various problems of bioethics were discussed as was the desirability of holding a third European Ecumenical Assembly in Romania in 2007. Bishop Georg Müller of Trondheim is responsible for this aspect of the Conference’s work.

The report from the conference on the question of pastoral care of “street women and trafficking” which was held in Rome in June 2005, was thoroughly discussed. It was decided that the full report would be circulated to each Bishop and eventual concrete measures to be taken would be discussed at the next conference.

The next General Assembly of the Bishops’ Conference will be held in Magleås, Denmark 10th – 15th March 2006.

For more information or other enquiries please contact the local Roman Catholic Bishop or Bishop William Kenney: tel.: +46 (0)70 521 4534.