The Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, Eamon Martin, has been elected vice-president of the Council of European Episcopal Conferences (CCEE) for the five-year term 2026-2031. The election took place on Thursday, October 29, during the plenary assembly held by the organization in Salzburg (Austria) from October 27 to 30, according to the CCEE’s own statement on the renewal of its presidency.
The assembly re-elected as president the Archbishop of Vilnius (Lithuania), Gintaras Grušas, who will continue to lead the organization for another five years. Alongside Martin, the Archbishop of Zagreb (Croatia), Dražen Kutleša, was also elected vice-president, so the new presidency consists of a re-elected president and two vice-presidents taking office for the first time. The two outgoing vice-presidents, Cardinals Ladislav Nemet and Jean-Claude Hollerich, received thanks from the assembly for their service during the previous five-year term.
A Primate Leading Irish Bishops Since 2014
Martin has presided over the Irish Episcopal Conference since October 2014 and, according to the Archdiocese of Armagh, his ministry has emphasized evangelization, Catholic education, the participation of young people in the Church, and the development of synodality in Ireland. The archdiocese presents his election as a link between the Irish Church, including its synodal journey, and the European Church as a whole.
Regarding that journey, InfoVaticana reported last October that the Irish synodal assembly called for further exploration of women’s diaconate despite the Vatican’s ruling.
An Assembly Dedicated to Priests and Peace
The Salzburg meeting was held under the theme “Evangelization and Synodality: the Mission of Priests Today in Europe.” The CCEE brings together 39 members representing the Catholic Church in 45 European countries, and the presidents of their episcopal conferences meet in plenary assembly to set the organization’s lines of work.
At the end of the assembly, the bishops issued a call for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and in all regions affected by war. Cardinal Mario Grech, Secretary General of the Synod, also addressed the participants, speaking about the role of local Churches in the synodal process.