Germany: Dresden to host the Bishops’ next plenary assembly: war in Ukraine, Synod and WYD on the agenda

From 27th February to 2nd March, Dresden (diocese of Dresden-Meissen) will host the spring plenary assembly of the German Bishops’ Conference. It will be attended by 65 members of the German Bishops’ Conference, led by its president, mgr. Georg Bätzing, Bishop of Limburg. The venue will be the Hyperion Hotel Dresden. In Dresden, the general assembly had originally been planned in 2021 but then it took place online because of the pandemic. Discussions will be focussed on the situation in Ukraine one year after the Russian attack that triggered the war. In the wake of the tradition of exchanging views with a distant Church, the German Bishops will reflect on the social, political and ecclesial situation of Madagascar. Other points on the agenda will include the results of an “Ad Limina” visit in Rome in November 2022 and the key issues of the forthcoming World Synod of Bishops in Rome in October 2023, partly in the light of the European meeting in Prague. The German Synodal Path will be addressed again, in the run-up to the fifth and last assembly due to take place on 9th March this year. The Bishops will talk again about sex abuse. Then, they will take stock of the young Germans’ participation in the XXXVII World Youth Day, which will take place in Lisbon in summer 2023. The opening session of the Plenary Assembly on 27th February will be attended by the apostolic nuncio to Germany, mgr. Nikola Eterovic. Card. Désiré Tsarahazana, Archbishop of Toamasina, president of the Episcopal Conference of Madagascar, and mgr. Gabriel Randrianantenaina, Bishop of Tsiroanomandidy, will also be there as special guests.
Valentina Bombelli