African and European Bishops to meet in Liverpool

CCEE-SECAM Seminar
Liverpool, United Kingdom, 19-23 November 2008

MIGRATION AS A NEW OPPORTUNITY FOR EVANGELISATION AND SOLIDARITY

“I was a stranger and you made me welcome” (Mt 25:35)

Following the Cape Coast (Ghana) Seminar on Slavery and the new forms of slavery (13-18 November 2007), the meetings between European and African bishops continue with a seminar on the theme Migration as a new opportunity for evangelisation and solidarity.

The Seminar will take place in Liverpool, 2008 European Capital of Culture, and is part of the CCEE-SECAM quadrennial project (2007-2010) which began following the First CCEE-SECAM Symposium (Rome, Italy, 10-13 November 2004). The project focuses on collaboration between European and African bishops and aims to deepen their common responsibility for evangelisation and the human promotion of their respective continents and the world.

The Seminar, promoted by the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE) and the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) and with the collaboration of various aid agencies, is being hosted by the His Grace Mgr Patrick Kelly, Archbishop of Liverpool.

About 40 participants, representatives of European and African episcopates, Vatican dicasteries and aid agencies, will attend.

Participants attending the CCEE/SECAM seminar on migration, evangelisation and solidarity

They will reflect in particular on the following themes:

- The welcome of strangers in the Bible: biblical-theological perspective;
- Africa-Europe migration in the global context. The world situation;
- European and African policy and migration;
- Slavery in history and new slaveries;
- Pastoral care of refugees, workers and student migrants. Comparison of experiences;
- Pastoral approaches in a multi-cultural situation. Experiences from dioceses living through the multi-cultural dimension;
- Collaboration between the Churches of Africa and Europe.

In the course of the meeting there will also be intervention from Councilor Steve Rotheram, the Mayor of Liverpool.

The meeting will also see numerous visits to and opportunities for prayer with local communities.

A News Release will be published at the end of the meeting.

St Gallen, 7 November 2008

PRACTICAL INFORMATION FOR THE MEDIA

1. Material available to journalists Journalists are invited to consult the FEATURED TODAY section of the CCEE website (www.ccee.ch) where one can find the programme for the meeting, list of participants, and, in due course, documentation for the meeting.

2. Venue

LACE (Archdiocesan Centre for Evangelisation)
Croxteth Drive - Sefton Park
Liverpool, L17 1 AA

3. Access to the meeting

The meeting will be held behind closed doors. Interviews (during breaks) and filming can be arranged with those in charge of communication for the Seminar: Mr. Peter Heneghan and Ms. Maggie Doherty. Journalists will be able to participate in the following public events.

Friday 21 November

Public debate on Slavery in history and new slaveries. Interventions from: Archbishop Agostino Marchetto, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, and Archbishop Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle of Accra (Ghana)

Saturday 22 November

9am: Round table discussion on The pastoral care of refugees, workers and student migrants. Comparison of experiences;
2.30pm: Round Table discussion on Pastoral approaches in a multi-cultural situation. Experiences of dioceses living through the multi-cultural dimension.

These public events will take place at LACE (Archdiocesan Centre for Evangelisation)

4. News Conference – accredited journalists

A News Conference will take place on Wednesday 19 November at 5.15 p.m.. Present will be: His Eminence Cardinal Theodore-Adrien Sarr, Archbishop of Dakar (Republic of Senegal), His Lordship Mgr Josef Voss, Auxiliary Bishop of Münster (Germany), and His Grace Mgr Patrick Kelly, Archbishop of Liverpool.

The News Conference will be held at the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral (Christ the King) - Mount Pleasant - Liverpool, L3 5TQ, United Kingdom.

For further information please contact:

Thierry Bonaventura (UNTIL 19 NOVEMBER)
CCEE Media officer
Tel: +41-71-227 60 40
Mobile: +41-78-851 60 40
thierry.bonaventura@ccee.ch

Mr Peter Heneghan - Press Officer for the Archdiocese of Liverpool
Miss Maggie Doherty - CBCEW Press Office

Tel 00 44 151 522 1007
Mobile 00 44 7980 821 273
Fax 00 44 151 522 1008
Email p.heneghan@rcaol.co.uk or maggie.doherty@cbcew.org.uk

CCEE-SECAM Quadrennial Project (2007-2010)

Following the November 2004 Symposium CCEE – SECAM collaboration is proceeding with a quadrennial project (2007-2010) on the theme “Communion and solidarity between Europe and Africa in the age of human mobility”. To this end a preparatory commission has already met on a number of occasions to outline the programme for this project which includes seminars in Europe and Africa on the following themes:

- Slavery and new forms of slavery – towards a culture of life and the family (on the 200th anniversary of the end of slavery).
- Migration (from Africa to Europe and from Asia to Africa and Europe) as a new opportunity for evangelisation and solidarity.
- Pastoral collaboration between Africa and Europe. The new situation of the mission ad gentes. Exchange of personnel and formation. Vocations.
- The proclamation of the Gospel, cultures and religions.

Members of the preparatory commission:

CCEE: His Eminence Cardinal Josip Bozanic, Archbishop of Zagreb (Croazia), CCEE Vice-president; His Lordship Mgr Gérard Defois, Bishop Emeritus of Lille (France); His Lordship Mgr Tom Burns, Bishop-elect of Menevia (Wales); and Fr Duarte da Cunha, CCEE General Secretary.

SECAM: His Grace Mgr Gabriel Mbilingi, Archbishop of Lubango (Angola); His Eminence Cardinal Theodore-Adrien Sarr, Archbishop of Dakar (Republic of Senegal), SECAM Vice-president; His Grace Mgr Gabriel Charles Palmer-Buckle, Archbishop of Accra (Ghana), SECAM Treasurer; and Fr. François-Xavier Damiba, SECAM General Secretary.

Members of the current 33 European Bishops´ Conferences belong to the Council of the Bishops´ Conferences of Europe (CCEE), represented by their Presidents, and the Archbishops of Luxembourg and of the Principality of Monaco and the Bishop of Chisinau (Moldavia). The President is Cardinal Péter Erdö, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, Primate of Hungary; the Vice-Presidents are Cardinal Josip Bosanic, Archbishop of Zagreb, and Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard, Archbishop of Bordeaux. The General Secretary is Fr Duarte da Cunha. The Secretariat is based at St Gallen (Switzerland). http://www.ccee.ch

The Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) comprises the national episcopal conferences, the 9 regional episcopal conferences and the assemblies of the Eastern Rite Catholic hierarchy present in Africa. The SECAM President is Cardinal Polycarp Pengo, Archbishop of Dar-es-Salaam (Tanzania). The first Vice-President is Mgr. Francisco Joào Silota, Bishop of Chimoio (Mozambique); the second Vice-President is Cardinal Theodor Adrien Sarr, Archbishop of Dakar (Senegal); the General Secretary is Fr. François-Xavier Damiba. The Secretariat is based in Accra (Ghana). http://www.sceam-secam.org

See our events page on the seminar - African and European Bishops to meet in Liverpool.