Archbishop Emeritus of Zaragoza, Mgr. Elías Ya­nes Álva­rez, died on Friday 9th of March 2018 at the age of 90.

His Excellency Mgr. Jean-Claude Hollerich S.J., Archbishop of Luxembourg, has been elected today President of COMECE by the Delegates of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union for a 5 years mandate. In the same election, four Vice-Presidents were also elected: Mgr. Noel Treanor (Ireland), Mgr. Mariano Crociata (Italy), Mgr. Jan Vokal (Czech Republic), Mgr. Franz-Josef Overbeck (Germany).

Delegates of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union will gather in Brussels on 7-9 March 2018 in order to participate to the 2018 COMECE Spring Plenary Assembly. They will elect a new President and four Vice-Presidents.

On the occasion of the start of the new Presidency of COMECE and at the invitation of H.Em. Cardinal Jozef De Kesel (Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels) COMECE cordially invites you to participate to the Mass for Europe at the church of Notre-Dame du Sablon, Brussels, Thursday 8 March, 2018 at 19:00.

COMECE, together with its partners of the European Sunday Alliance, organised at the European Parliament a panel debate on the role of common free time for social, religious and civic engagement and volunteering. The event, hosted by MEPs Evelyn Regner and Thomas Mann, highlighted the challenge of reconciling social commitment with increasingly flexibilised working schedules.