Conference of European Churches (CEC)
Conférence des Eglises européennes (KEK)
Konferenz Europäischer Kirchen (KEK)
P.O. Box 2100 - 150, route de Ferney
CH-1211 Geneva 2
Tel: +41 22 791 61 11 Fax: +41 22 791 62 27
E-mail: cec@cec-kek.org
Home-page: www.ceceurope.org
Consilium Conferentiarum Episcoporum Europae (CCEE)
Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE)
Rat der Europäischen Bischofskonferenzen (CCEE)
Conseil des Conférences Episcopales Européennes (CCEE)
Gallusstrasse, 24
CH - 9000 St. Gallen
Tel: +41 71 227 60 40 Fax: +41 71 227 60 41
E-mail: ccee@ccee.ch
Home-page: www.ccee.ch
St. Gallen/ Geneva, 25 January 2013
“Faith and religiosity in a changing Europe. The new Christian
movements in Europe: challenges or opportunities?”
Meeting of the CCEE-CEC Joint Committee in Warsaw
This year, the Joint Committee of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) and
the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE) will meet in Warsaw at the
Polish Caritas centre (Ul. Okopowa 55) from 4-6 February 2013 at the invitation of
the Archbishop of Przemyśl, Mgr Józef Michalik, President of the Polish Bishops’
Conference and CCEE Vice-president.
The Committee, established in 1972, is the highest body for dialogue between CEC
and CCEE. It meets annually and includes, as well as the two presidencies and
General Secretaries of the two bodies, four members from CEC and four members
appointed by CCEE.
The main theme of the meeting, Faith and religiosity in a changing Europe. The new
Christian movements in Europe: challenges or opportunities? aims at being a time for
the two church bodies to reflect together on the on-going changes in the European
person in his or her relationship with God and his or her religious experience,
particularly evident from the increase in Evangelical and Pentecostal movements in
Europe. Faced with such a wide-ranging theme, the two bodies have decided to
examine in particular the sometimes difficult relationship between the “historic”
Churches and the new communities, whose presence in Europe opens out to new
challenges and opportunities.
The theme will be developed with the contribution of experts looking at it from three
angles: first of all, the sociological and historical perspective, provided by Professor
Eileen Barker from the London School of Economics, and Professor Stanisław
Wargacki SVD from the Catholic University of Lublin; then, Cardinal Angelo
Bagnasco, Archbishop of Genoa and CCEE Vice-president, along with Metropolitan
Joseph from the Orthodox Patriarchate of Romania, will focus on the traditional
churches’ experience of the presence of the “new movements”; and finally, the
Archbishop Emeritus of Southwark, Mgr Kevin McDonald, and Pastor Claire SixtGateuille from the Reformed Church of France, will try to define the pastoral
challenges.
During the meeting, the participants will receive reports about the religious and
ecumenical situation in Poland through contributions from Bishop Krzysztof
Nitkiewicz, responsible in the Polish Bishops’ Conference for ecumenical relations,
and from Metropolitan Jeremiasz, President of the Council of Churches in Poland.
On Wednesday 6 February, the meeting will end in the morning with a visit to the
Warsaw Uprising Museum. Two statements will be published before the visit: “The
Year of Faith, the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council and the Synod for
the New Evangelisation”, by Mgr Józef Michalik; and “CEC’s role in a changing
Europe – Snapshots on the renewal of CEC – Vision and Mission” by OKRin
Cordelia Kopsch, Vice-president of the EKD.

At 1100 on Wednesday 6 February, journalists are invited to a News
Conference at the offices of Polish Caritas (Ul. Okopowa 55).
Speaking at the News Conference will be Archbishop Józef Michalik; Bishop
Christopher Hill, Church of England, CEC Vice-president (to be confirmed); Mgr
Duarte da Cunha, CCEE General Secretary; and Rev. Dr. Guy Liagre, CEC
General Secretary.
The days will be marked by moments of prayer according to the various traditions of
the Christian denominations present at the meeting.
The meeting is to be held behind closed doors. Interviews and filming during the
meeting can be arranged through CCEE’s Media Officer.
CEC and CCEE delegations present at the meeting
CEC PARTICIPANTS
His Eminence Metropolitan Emmanuel of France, Ecumenical Patriarchate, CEC President
Bishop Christopher Hill, Church of England, CEC Vice-president
OKRin Cordelia Kopsch, EKD United, Germany, CEC Vice-president
Metropolitan Arsenios Kardamakis, Ecumenical Patriarchate
Rev. Rauno Pietarinen, Orthodox Church of Finland
Dr. Joanna J. Matuszewska, Reformed Evangelical Church, Poland
Pastor Claire Sixt-Gateuille, Reformed Church of France
CCEE PARTICIPANTS
His Eminence Cardinal Péter Erdő, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, CCEE President
His Eminence Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, Archbishop of Genoa, CCEE Vice-president
His Grace Mgr Józef Michalik, Archbishop of Przemyśl, CCEE Vice-president
His Grace. Kevin McDonald, Archbishop Emeritus of Southwark
His Lordship Mgr Vasile Bizau, Bishop of Maramures
Rev. P. Luis Okulik, Secretary of CCEE’s Caritas in Veritate Commission
Invited speakers
Prof. Eileen Barker, lecturer from the London School of Economics
Prof. Stanisław Wargacki SVD, lecturer from the Catholic University of Lublin
Metropolitan Joseph from the Orthodox Patriarchate of Romania
His Lordship Mgr Krzysztof Nitkiewicz, bishop responsible in the Polish Bishops’ Conference
for ecumenical relations
Metropolitan Jeremiasz, President of the Council of Churches in Poland
For further information you are kindly requested to contact:
Rev. Dr Guy Liagre
CEC General Secretary
phone: +41 22 791 6228
e-mail: GenSecretariat@cec-kek.org
CCEE General Secretariat
Thierry Bonaventura –CCEE Media Officer
mobile: +41 791280189
e-mail: media@ccee.ch
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The Conference of European Churches (CEC) is a communion of 120 Orthodox, Protestant,
Anglican and Old Catholic Churches from all European countries, and 40 associated organisations. It
was founded in 1959 and the CEC has offices in Geneva, Brussels and Strasbourg.
The Council of the Episcopal Conferences of Europe (CCEE) includes the current 33 European
Episcopal Conferences, represented by their Presidents, and the Archbishops of Luxembourg, of the
Principality of Monaco, the Maronite Archbishop of Cyprus and the Bishop of Chişinău (Moldova Rep.)
and the Eparchial Bishop of Mukachevo. The President is Cardinal Péter Erdő, Archbishop of
Esztergom-Budapest, Primate of Hungary; the Vice-Presidents are Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco,
Archbishop of Genoa, and Mgr Józef Michalik, Archbishop of Przemyśl, Poland. The General
Secretary is Mgr Duarte da Cunha. The Secretariat is based at St Gallen (Switzerland).