Romania-Hungary: meeting of Bishops’ Conferences. Bishops invite “to pray tirelessly for peace”

The bishops of the Permanent Councils of the Bishops’ Conferences of Hungary and Romania participated in the annual meeting of the two Bishops' Conferences in Győr (north-western Hungary) on 18-19 September. These meetings, that were occasional in the past, are now held annually since 2018 since they are an opportunity for the bishops of the two nations to share their experiences and concerns, and to seek common solutions for a more effective pastoral action. As a matter of fact, there are three dioceses and various communities in Romania that speak Hungarian. At the meeting in Győr, the Hungarian Bishops’ Conference was represented by its President, András Veres, by Card. Péter Erdő, by Mgr János Székely, and by its secretary, Fr Tamás Tóth. The Romanian Bishops’ Conference was represented by its vice-president, Mgr Aurel Percă, by Mgr László Böcskei, and by its secretary, Fr Francisc Ungureanu. According to a press release issued by the two Bishops’ Conferences, the bishops spoke about Pope Francis’ visit to Hungary (28-30 April 2023), the Universal Church’s synodal process, the war in Ukraine, and about how to help refugees and encourage vocations to the priesthood. They also reaffirmed the importance of the values of marriage and the family according to the teachings of the Gospel. During these two days, the bishops prayed together and invited everyone “to continue to pray tirelessly for peace, asking for the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace”.
Cristina Grigore