Pope Francis received the newly elected COMECE Standing Committee today 18 May, 2018, in the Vatican City. The audience gave the possibility to Archbishop Jean-Claude Hollerich SJ, President of COMECE, to present to the Holy Father current points of dialogue between Bishops’ Conferences and political authorities of the EU.
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During a two-days visit to the Vatican, COMECE Standing Committee met several Holy See and European officials in order to discuss the main challenges of the European Union and the ways the Church is playing a constructive role for all in Europe.
Pope Francis greeted the new COMECE Presidency and welcomed Archbishop Hollerich’s intention to strengthen the dialogue with the EU institutions based on mutual respect and strong participation of Catholic citizens in elaborating policies contributing to the common good.
Today’s meeting with Pope Francis comes six months after his participation to (Re)thinking Europe, the major forum of dialogue between high-level Church and State representatives organised the Holy See and COMECE on October 2017. On that occasion, Pope Francis invited all Christians to promote dialogue at every level and to promote the common good by placing the human person at the centre of public policies.
The COMECE delegation also included Vice-Presidents Mgr. Mariano Crociata (Italy), Mgr. Noel Treanor (Ireland), Mgr. Jan Vokal (Czech Republic), Fr. Olivier Poquillon OP, COMECE General Secretary, and Michael Kuhn, Assistant Secretary General.
Beside meeting with the Holy Father, the group met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State, with H. Em. Cardinal Peter Turkson, first prefect of the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development, with Archbishop Paul Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States, and with Ambassador Jan Tombiński, Head of the delegation of the European Union to the Holy See.
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