PORTUGAL: DOCUMENTS ON “SCHOOL” AND “CHILDHOOD” IN THE AGENDA OF THE CEP PLENARY ASSEMBLY

(SIR) The two documents: “School in Portugal” and “Full priority for children”, are the most important issues in the agenda, which are going to be dealt with in the plenary assembly of the Portuguese Bishops’ Conference (CEP) taking place in Fatima next November, from 10th to 13th. During the works, taking place at the “Casa das Dores”, the Portuguese bishops will also debate the reports submitted by the different episcopal commissions on the renewal of the basic services of CEP, on the celebration of the Pauline Year in Fatima (scheduled on 25th January 2009), as well as on the analysis and approval of the budget of the Secretariat General for the year 2009. As for the priority lines of his second presidential term of office for CEP, in an interview with Ecclesia agency, Msgr. Jorge Ortiga said in advance that they would concern “the ways of transmitting faith, reorganization of the believers’ communities, the ecclesial communion, permanent training, and a renewed and special attention to social problems”. “We must go on defending our social and assistance structures, and to reflect on their functioning, since, in the globalization era, it is necessary to pay constant attention to and approach everyday life as much as possible, by supplying a pastoral capable of answering concrete social problems, which should not simply be linked to tradition”, declared the president of CEP.