Autumn Plenary Assembly 2011
The COMECE Autumn Plenary Assembly will be held from Wednesday 26 to Friday 28 October 2011 in Brussels. 23 COMECE Member Bishops will be present. The main topic of the Plenary will be « The Financial Crisis and the future of European Integration »
The Bishops will analyse the economical and political reasons for the debt crisis in Europe and the instruments that have been set up to tackle the crisis. They will also reflect on “confidence” as a key factor to solve the crisis in a political, economical and social context.
Speakers on the Main topic :
- Mr Peter Wagner, Head of Unit, Task Force for Greece, European Commission.
Prof. Dr. Lans Bovenberg,
Tilburg University (The Netherlands)
"We can help people to learn from their mistakes (of the past) only if they know that we love them and have their interests in mind. Let’s not blame people for their failures but help them to avoid mistakes in the future. Consider, for example, how Jesus dealt graciously with a banker of his time who was despised by the people: Zacheus."
Download the full Speech in PDF
Speech of Dr. Emmanuel van der Mensbrugghe,
Director of the IMF Offices in Europe, International Monetary Fund
"There is a simple message, which is that the global economy needs more cooperation today than ever before. Europe was an early leader in economic cooperation and coordination. It needs to assume that role once again. Putting in place a comprehensive approach to Europe’s problems is now a matter of urgency not just for the crisis countries, but for all the countries in the euro zone. It is a defining moment, and the time to act is now."
Download the full speech in PDF
M. Jean-Pierre Jouyet, President of the French Financial Markets Authority
"Pour restaurer la confiance il faut remettre l’Eglise au centre du village, c'est-à-dire l’homme au centre de l’économie, et les marchés à son service. Ce n’est pas utopique, Des réformes sont possibles. Il faut bien en poser les objectifs. Il faut adopter des politiques vigoureuses en matière de régulation et à nous pencher sans tabou sur la meilleure manière de renforcer la gouvernance de l’Union européenne et de la zone Euro."
Download the full Speech in PDF
Programme of the Plenary Assembly


