(June 17, 2010) The secretaries-general of European bishops' conferences concluded
their 38th annual meeting in Rome at the close of the Year for Priests, taking the
opportunity to affirm their communion with the Successor of Peter. The meeting was
held last Thursday through Sunday. “Along with thousands of priests coming from all
over the world, the secretaries consolidated their communion with Peter and his ministry,
a source of inspiration for their work with bishops' conferences," a concluding communiqué
reported. "The Year for Priests was an excellent opportunity for the Church to probe
into the meaning of vocation, life, spirituality and priesthood. "As pointed out
by many attendants, over the past year, bishops' conferences all over Europe took
several initiatives aimed at delving into the specificities of modern priesthood."
At the meeting, the bishops considered the "topical and very painful" issue of sexual
abuse of minors by clergy. The prelates reviewed the measures to be taken, and emphasized
the importance of "an exchange of information across bishops' conferences. All bishops'
conferences are willing to follow along the lines of the Pope," the communiqué affirmed.
"A few bishops' conferences have even taken impressive measures to prevent further
abuse from happening and support and help the victims and their families, whose suffering
was unanimously condemned." The director of the Vatican press office, Jesuit Father
Federico Lombardi, joined with the spokesman of the Italian bishops' conference, Monsignor
Domenico Pompili, to speak about Church relations with the press.