29 April 2024
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ASSEMBLY | COMECE bishops in Łomża support EU future enlargements: “A strong message of hope for citizens seeking peace and justice”
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22 April - On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the 2004 major enlargement of the European Union, the bishops of COMECE, gathered in Łomża (Poland) for their Spring Assembly from April 17-19, 2024, adopted the statement ‘Let us continue building Europe together’. The bishops support the prospect of future enlargements: “It is not only a geopolitical necessity for stability in our continent, but a strong message of hope for the citizens who desire living in peace and justice”.
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ASSEMBLY | Mgr. Crociata: "the first way to strengthen the EU is recognising the importance of upcoming EU elections"
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17 April - We encourage you to read the full address delivered by Mgr. Mariano Crociata, President of COMECEm, while opening the 2024 Spring Assembly of COMECE, which was held in Łomża (Poland) under the theme "Hearing the voice of Central and Eastern Europe 20 years after the big enlargement and facing upcoming European Elections".
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Mgr. Mariano Crociata stated: "The first way to strengthen the EU is recognising the importance of upcoming EU elections. It's vital to help our countries, starting from our faithful, to take them seriously, valuing participation and responsibility, possibly according to mature Christian awareness." Looking at the role of the EU in the world, Mgr. Crociata affirmed that “in a multipolar world that sees the rise of new leading powers, a European Union divided by internal quarrels, unable to speak with one voice, can only prepare itself to pay the high price of marginalisation”.
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ASSEMBLY | Ján Figeľ discusses democracy and Christianity with COMECE bishops
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17 April - During the Assembly, the bishops met with Ján Figel’, a member of the Board of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology and former Special Envoy for the promotion of Freedom of Religion and Belief outside the EU, as well as Chief Negotiator in Slovakia’s EU accession process. He provided valuable insights, analysis, and reflections on European integration, emphasising the need for a unity of values as a key element for a true union, linking democracy to Christianity.
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ASSEMBLY | Former Slovenian PM Peterle and Archbishop Gądecki exchange with EU bishops
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18 April - The bishops received Alojz Peterle, former Prime Minister of Slovenia and former Member of the European Parliament, who emphasised the need for responsible citizenship and advocated for preserving a strong role for religion in the public square. On the same day, the COMECE Assembly welcomed H.E. Mgr. Stanisław Gądecki, Archbishop of Poznań and former President of the Polish Bishops’ Conference. Archbishop Gądecki shared insights on the evolution of the Church’s role in Polish society and reflected on the 20 years since Poland’s accession to the EU.
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ASSEMBLY | Prof. Halík: "openness is key to a future marked by hope and confidence"
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19 April - Professor Tomáš Halík of Charles University and President of the Czech Christian Academy engaged in a fruitful dialogue with the EU bishops. He provided profound reflections on the current and future challenges facing the Church in Europe, highlighting that openness is key to a future marked by hope and confidence.
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ASSEMBLY | COMECE Youth Net shares perspectives on digital challenges for EU families
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19 April - During the Assembly, the COMECE Youth Net Presidency highlighted youth perspectives on digital challenges facing families in Europe today. They also unveiled a toolkit, developed by the COMECE Youth Platform, to aid in the upcoming 2024 European Parliament elections.
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ASSEMBLY | Archbishop Wojda co-celebrates Mass for Europe in the Cathedral of Łomża
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19 April - The Assembly included several moments of prayer, such as the Mass for Europe celebrated by H.E. Mgr. Tadeusz Wojda, Archbishop of Gdańsk and new President of the Polish Bishops’ Conference. This Mass, concelebrated by the COMECE bishops, was held at the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel in Łomża.
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VIDEO | COMECE leaders speak at Fundación Pablo VI's conference on Europe
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23 April - The President of COMECE, Mgr. Mariano Crociata, participated in the international conference on Nation-building and Internationalism in Christian Social Thought, where he discussed the role of Churches in the European integration process. The conference also featured Fr. Manuel Barrios Prieto, General Secretary of COMECE, who shared insights on the role of Churches in a secularised society. Organised by Fundación Pablo VI, the event was held in Madrid. The full video recording of the event, as well as the speeches by COMECE representatives, can be found below.
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NEWS | COMECE Youth Net convenes in Warsaw to empower youth participation in solidarity and democracy
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25 April - On 19-21 April 2024, the COMECE Youth Net convened a meeting in Warsaw, gathering young delegates from the EU Bishops’ Conferences to discuss fostering solidarity and enhancing youth engagement in the democratic processes of the European Union.
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NEWS | Christian ARTworks: The Rock of Cashel (Ireland)
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26 April - This month, our ‘Christian Heritage month by month’ column presents you the Rock of Cashel in the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly, Ireland. The site posses the most impressive cluster of medieval building in Ireland. Among them figure a round tower, a high cross, a Romanesque chapel, a Gothic cathedral, an abbey, the Hall of the Vicars Choral and a fifteenth-century Tower House.
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NEWS | Is the EU Pact on Migration set for implementation?
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26 April - "The EU Pact on Migration and Asylum is largely dependent upon its implementation, and EU Member States and societies don't seem to be sufficiently ready", stated COMECE adviser José Luis Bazán during the conference "Boats & Pacts - The migration crisis and Europe", held in Budapest by at the Europe Strategy Research Institute and the Migration Research Institute.
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INTERVIEW | COMECE President Mgr. Crociata on a range of European topics
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26 April - The President of COMECE, Mgr. Mariano Crociata, was interviewed by Religión Digital on a range of current European topics. These included secularisation, war and peace, jihadism, ecumenism, the role of COMECE, among other topics. The interview is available in Spanish.
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INTERVIEW | COMECE General Secretary on Christian roots of Europe and the recent EP vote on abortion
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17 April - We encourage you to read this interview with the General Secretary of COMECE, Fr. Manuel Barrios Prieto, on a range of topics including the Christian roots of Europe and the recent EP vote on abortion and the 2024 EU elections.
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NEWS | Two Slovak priests visit COMECE to exchange on youth policies and the role of the Church in Europe
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17 April - Two priests from Slovakia, Fr. Marek Mucha and Fr. Adam Štefanec, visited the Secretariat of COMECE and were received by Fr. Manuel Barrios Prieto, Marek Mišák and Nina Danišová. They exchanged on youth policies, EU enlargement, and the current state of the Church in Slovakia and in Europe. The meeting was facilitated by MEP Ivan Štefanec.
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Next at COMECE
COMECE will participate in the presentation event of the 2025 report of Aid to the Church in Need. The event will take place in Königstein, Germany.
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COMECE will participate in the Caritas Europa Regional Conference to take place in Brussels.
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14-16 May
COMECE Press Officer will participate in the CCEE Annual meeting of Spokespersons and Press Officers of EU Bishops' Conferences to take place in Lisbon, Portugal.
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Event on Christian values in Europe to be held in Thessaloniki by COMECE, CEC and the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy. More info in the next days.
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Meeting of ELSiA Executive Committee.
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COMECE Annual Data Protection experts meeting to be presided over by H.E. Mgr. Theodorus C.M. Hoogenboom.
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Meeting of the COMECE Standing Committee to be presided over by H.E. Mgr. Mariano Crociata.
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