Catholic Church conferences convene in Zagreb and Bratislava

The Croatian Bishops' Conference (HBK) held its 73rd plenary session in Zagreb from October 20 to 22, 2026. Presided over by Archbishop Dražen Kutleša, the meeting included the Apostolic Nuncio to Croatia, Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, and various regional bishops. A primary focus of the session was the implementation phase of the synodal process initiated in 2021, following instructions from Pope Leo XIV. The bishops discussed preparing for diocesan-level synodal assemblies scheduled for 2027–2028, aimed at assessing how a synodal approach can be integrated into the daily life of church communities.

Separately, a meeting of Franciscan Slavic conferences took place in Bratislava on October 20 and 21, 2026. The gathering brought together provincial ministers and custodians from the South Slavic Conference of St. Jerome (SLAS) and the North Slavic Conference (SLAN). Participants represented religious provinces from Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, focusing on regional Franciscan cooperation.