82nd plenary of the Czech Bishops’ Conference

On October 12-13, 2010, bishops of the Czech Republic and representatives of the conferences of major superiors of men and women religious will meet at their 82nd plenary meeting in Vranov u Brna.

Prague: The Czech Bishops’ Conference (CBK) chose the “Spiritual Center of St Francis de Paola” in Vranov u Brna as the location of the conference’s autumn plenary meeting in 2010. The sessions will be presided by Archbishop Dominik Duka, OP of Prague, president of the CBK.

Auxiliary Bishop of Olomouc, Msgr Josef Hrdlička, will open the plenary with a meditation. The meeting will be attended by Apostolic Nuncio to the Czech Republic Archbishop Diego Causero, who will address the bishops at the beginning. Concluding the first day of the plenary, bishops will celebrate the mass in the cathedral of Ss Peter and Paul in Brno at 5.30 pm. Presiding over the liturgy will be Bishop František Radkovský of Plzeň and Archbishop Dominik Duka, CBK’s president, will deliver a homily. After the mass, Archbishop Duka will convey an award “for personal courage and a contribution to spiritual poetry” to poet Zdeněk Rotrekl on the occasion of his jubilee – he celebrated his 90th birthday on October 1.

During the plenary, bishops will get acquainted with preparations of the National Pilgrimage to Rome on November 9-11, 2010 to express gratitude to Holy Father Benedict XVI for his pastoral and state visit to the Czech Republic last year. Guest of the plenary will be main coordinator of the pilgrimage, Father Pavel Dokládal. Bishops will also be informed about preparations of the World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid and about a research that was done in the diocesan centers for the life of the youth. Among other issues, they will speak about preparations of the Jubilee Year 2013 to commemorate the 1150th anniversary of the arrival of the Apostles of Slavs, Ss Cyril and Methodius, to Great Moravia, about some changes in the Statutes of the Caritas Czech Republic, and about a suggestion to start a diocesan beatification procedure of Father Václav Drbola (1912-1951) – during the investigation on the martyrdom of Servant of God Jan Bula, some materials on the martyrdom of Father Drbola were found as well. Both the priests were tortured and executed by the communist regime in 1950’s. Bishops are also supposed to appoint a working group that would draft out principles of prevention against abuse of children by priests.

After the plenary, journalists will be informed about its outcomes in a press release. During the meeting, press spokeswomen of the CBK Irena Sargánková will be available to journalists through mobile number +420 731 625 984 or e-mail sargankova@cirkev.cz