Pope Gathers Bishops to Study New Movements

At the encouragement of the Pope, the Pontifical Council for the laity gathers Bishops to reflect on the new ecclesial movements.

VATICAN CITY (Zenit) - With the encouragement of Benedict XVI, the Pontifical Council for the Laity is gathering bishops to reflect on "the ecclesial movements and new communities as a gift of the Holy Spirit."

The Thursday-Saturday seminar will bring about 100 bishops to Rocca di Papa, near Rome, to study the movements and consider the Pope's Nov. 18, 2006, exhortation addressed to bishops of Germany: "I ask you to go out and meet the movements with much love."

The pontifical council announced in a communiqué that it "wishes to continue the reflection on the ecclesial movements and new communities as a gift of the Holy Spirit for the Church of our times with the pastors coming from every part of the world."

The council recalled a similar meeting in 1999, saying the time that has passed since then has proven "fruitful for a deeper reciprocal knowledge and a greater awareness of the role that these various realities have in the work of the new evangelization." The dicastery also noted the "perfect continuation of the magisterium of the Servant of God John Paul II in the thought of Benedict XVI."

The prelates will be accompanied by representatives from 20 movements and ecclesial realities.

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Pope's secretary of state, will inaugurate the seminar Thursday.