Belgrade: National identity and European integration. Meeting of the CCEE-CEC Joint Committee (19 february 2011)

Issued jointly with the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE)

National identity and European integration
Meeting of the CCEE-CEC Joint Committee in Belgrade

Christians’ contribution to the building of national identity and to European integration will be the focus of the work of the annual meeting of the Joint Committee of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) and the Council of European Episcopal Conferences (CCEE), scheduled to take place in Belgrade from 17-20 February 2011 at the invitation of His Grace Mgr Stanislav Hocevar, Metropolitan Archbishop of Belgrade and President of the International Bishops’ Conference of Saints Cyril and Methodius.
The Committee, which was established in 1972, has the role of supervising co-operation between CEC and CCEE. As well as the General Secretaries of the two bodies, the Joint Committee has seven CEC members and seven members appointed by CCEE.

The fundamental theme of the meeting will be developed starting out from four dimensions in which the relationship between Christian identity and European integration is present:

– freedom of religion: Prof. Massimo Introvigne, OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) Representative on Combating Racism, Xenophobia, and Discrimination against Christians and Members of Other Religions;

– ecumenism: Dr Joanna J. Matuszewska, theologian from the Reformed Evangelical Church in Poland;

– the economic crisis: Reverend Rüdiger Noll, Director of the Church and Society Commission and CEC Associated General Secretary, and Mgr Piotr Mazurkiewicz, ComECE General Secretary;

– peace: Dr Božidar Đelić, Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration and Minister of Science and Technological Development of the Serbian Republic.

The agenda also includes discussion on the following issues: the presence of gypsies (the Rom peoples, the Sinti, Gitani, etc.) in Eastern Europe; ecumenism ten years after the signing of the Charta Oecumenica; and relations between Christians and Muslims in Europe.

The days will be marked by moments of prayer according to the different Christian denominations present at the meeting. The meeting is behind closed doors. A News Release will be published at the end of the meeting.

The media will be able to meet participants during a Media Conference on Saturday 19 February at 12. 30 at the Archbishop’s residence (Svetozara Markovica 20 SRB-11000 Belgrade)

CEC Members:

H.E. Metropolitan Emmanuel of France, CEC President; Ecumenical Patriarchate
Rt. Rev. Bishop Christopher Hill, Church of England, CEC Vice President
OKRin Cordelia Kopsch, EKD United, Germany, CEC Vice President
H.E. Metropolitan Michael of Austria, Ecumenical Patriarchate
The Most Rev. Rauno Pietarinen, Orthodox Church of Finland
Dr. Joanna J. Matuszewska, Evangelical Reformed Church in Poland
Rev. Dr. Katarina Schächl, Reformed Church of France
Revd Prof. Dr Viorel Ionitá, Interim General Secretary
Rev. Rüdiger Noll, Director of CEC Church and Society Commission and Associate General Secretary of CEC
Mag. Elizabeta Kitanovic, Executive and Communications Secretary of CEC Church and Society Commission

CCEE Members:

H. Em. Card. Péter Erdő, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, CCEE President;
H. Em. Card. Jean-Pierre Ricard, Archbishop of Bordeaux, CCEE Vice President;
H. Em. Card. Josip Bozanic, Archbishop of Zagreb, CCEE Vice President;
H. E. Mgr Stanislav Hocevar, Metropolitan Archbishop of Belgrade;
H. E. Mgr Vincenzo Paglia, Bishop of Terni – Narni – Amelia;
H. E. Mgr Virgil Bercea, Bishop of Oradea;
Mgr Piotr Mazurkiewicz, ComECE General Secretary;

Fr Duarte da Cunha, General Secretary
Fr Ferenc Janka, CCEE Deputy General Secretary

For further information, please contact:

CEC General Secretariat
phone: +41 22 791 6226
e-mail: GenSecretariat@cec-kek.org

Thierry Bonaventura
CCEE Media Officer
phone +41 71 227 6040
e-mail: thierry.bonaventura@ccee.ch

*****************

The Conference of European Churches – CEC – is a communion of 120 Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican and Old Catholic Churches of all European Countries, and 40 associated organizations. It was founded in 1959. The offices of CEC are in Geneva, Brussels and Strasbourg.

The Council of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe (CCEE) gathers the Presidents of the current 33 European Bishops’ Conferences of this continent, represented by their Presidents, and the Archbishops of Luxembourg, the Principality of Monaco, and the Maronite Archbishop of Cyprus, as well as the Bishop of Chişinău (Republic of Moldova). The President is Cardinal Péter Erdő, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, Primate of Hungary; the Vice-presidents are Cardinal Josip Bozanić, Archbishop of Zagreb, and Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard, Archbishop of Bordeaux. The CCEE General Secretary is Fr Duarte da Cunha. The headquarters of the Secretariat is in St Gallen (Switzerland)