On 18 November 2012, the Bishops of the North African Episcopal Conference held their General Assembly for the first time in Sicily, Italy in response to the invitation of His Excellency Domenico Mogavero, Bishop of the Mazara del Vallo diocese. (Bishop Mogavero had already taken part in two preceding meetings of the Bishops of North Africa.)
The purpose of the meeting was to carry out a common discernment concerning shared pastoral needs, given the fact that many Muslims from Tunisia, Libya and other North African countries live in the Mazara area. In fact, all of Sicily has become a magnet for floods of emigrants from northern African. Since hostility toward emigrants is growing in Europe, the bishops are taking the courageous step to challenge Catholics and all Christians to look at this phenomenon with new eyes and hearts.